Examples:

    Intensive Possessor Suffix
    tihTilin                  'one with many head lice’
    patTilin                 ‘body-louse’
    cawa:?an patTinl-i  ‘[he] shouted at the one with many body-lice’

While the linear ordering of the consonants change by metathesis, the prosodic position of a given consonant is invariant. In both allomorphs, [n] is invariably in postvocalic position, while [l] always occurs in prevocalic position. 

According to Newman (1944), ‘The same process takes place within the unanalyzable noun theme, Gashowu  [Su’lin] and Chawchila [SO’lin] ‘pine bur’ whose oblique stem is [Su’inl-] and  [SO’inl-].' (no examples are given.) 

b.  Metathesis is also observed in the consequent adjunctive suffix which shows the alternants [-hal’iy’] and [-hay’l-]. The former  occurs finally in a phrase, or when preceding a word beginning with a consonant. The latter allomorph occurs when followed by a vowel-initial suffix, with deletion of the interconsonantal vowel of the morpheme. 

    Adjunctive suffix
    xaya:hal’iy’                                                        ‘place, put’
    ?ama? ?am’ak’ yO? ta:winhal’iy’ wo:?uy’ay           ‘and at dawn they fell asleep again’
    xamithay’la maxk’a                                             ‘fetch the scythe’

In each allomorph, the prosodic position of a given consonant is invariant, even though the linear ordering of the consonants change: [y’] is in postvocalic coda position in both alternants, while [l’]  consistently occurs in prevocalic onset position.

Motivation:

b. The sequence /ln/ is extremely rare in Chawchila. Only a single Chawchila form containing the sequence /ln/ was found in the word yuk'ulnut , which has the root yuk'ul and the final suffix -nut. The sequence /nl/, on the other hand, is found frequently. Thus, it can be considered that metathesis involving /l/ and /n/ occurs due to a phonotactic constraint in the language. 

Perceptual Optimization (Hume 1997, 1998)
a. The presence of stress may provide insight into the occurrence of the nasal in postvocalic position. Newman states that stress is clearly marked in the language, falling on the penultimate syllable. Thus, in the sequence [VnlV], [n], which has less robust internal cues than the liquid, occurs as coda of the penultimate and, therefore, the most prominent syllable of the word. Given that the relevant parameter distinguishing /n/ and /l/ is one of manner of articulation, an additional factor favors the occurrence of the nasal in postvocalic position: anticipatory coarticulation in the form of vowel nasalization on a preceding vowel provides strong cues to the nasal manner. 

b. The consonant [y’] is reported by Newman to be somewhat whispered in word-final position and preceding a consonant, while no breathiness is perceived in prevocalic position (Newman 1944). Thus, in the alternant [-hay’l-], positioning [y’] before a consonant [l] by metathesis may serve to enhance the perceptibility of the consonant [y’].

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Last updated: 9/26/2000