PAWNEE
(Northern Central Oklahoma; Caddoan, Pawnee-Kitsai)		 For more information about metathesis in this language, click on the following links:
Summary:
The sequence /r+h/ is realized as [hr].
Examples
Conditions
Motivation
Related processes
Comments
References
Examples:
(See Comments for key to special characters used.)
/ti + ur + he:r/          ---> tuhre 'he is good'
/ti + ir + hisask + :hus/          ---> tihrisasku  'he is called'
/ti + ur + ha:k + ca/          ---> tuhrakca  'a tree is standing' 
Conditions:
In progress.
Motivation:
[Editor's note] An /h/ does not occur after /r/ or any other consonant in the language. Metathesis serves as a repair strategy to avoid an otherwise ill-formed sequence. 
Related information:
a. Laryngeal 'h' loss: /h/ is deleted after a consonant.
/ta + t + hihitk + hus/  -->  tatihitku  'I'm spreading it' 

b. /h/ can occur after a consonant, except in word-initial position, e.g. [ahkawiu?] 'cliff'.
In a final cluster, if the first segment is /h/, the following one is any obstruent except /s/ and /p/.
 
Comments:
Last updated: 3/18/2002
References:
  • Parks, Douglas R. 1976. A Grammar of Pawnee. Garland Publishing, Inc.; New York & London.
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