SIERRA MIWOK
(California, USA; Penutian, Yok-Utian, Utian, Miwokan)		 For more information about metathesis in this language, click on the following links:
Summary:
A consonant and vowel in the second syllable of a stem metathesize.
Examples
Conditions
Motivation
Related processes
Comments
References
Examples:
(See Comments for key to special characters used.)
ka'lNa-  ‘a dance’  kala'N-  ‘to dance’
?u'mCu- ‘winter’ ?umuC-  ‘to approach winter’
lu'tSe- ‘to come out’  lut.eS-I- ‘to come out repeatedly’
Conditions:
No information currently available.
Motivation:
No information currently available.
Related processes:
a. Syllables divide into two groups, light and heavy, on the basis of the number of moras in the syllable. Syllables containing long vowels or short vowels followed by a consonant are heavy, all others are light. Two consonants are required to add a mora to a short-vowelled syllable, one in the coda and one in the onset of the next syllable. (Stonham, p.190)

b. Consonant clusters are not characteristic of Miwok. No more than two consonants ever appear together, and this only in medial position. Often, the two consonants are evidently brought together by suffixation or by metathesis. When the two consonants are formed at different points of articulation, the first is usually separately released, but not necessarily so. Two identical consonants occurring together form a long one. (Freeland, p. 2)

c. Stress is assigned to the first syllable of the word if it's heavy, if not, the second syllable is stressed and made heavy if it is not already so. 
Comments:
Special Symbols:
N  = velar nasal
C  = voiceless palatal affricate
S   = voiceless palato-alveolar fricative
V' = high-toned vowel
I   = centralized [i]

Last updated: 9/26/2002
References:
  • Freeland, L. S. 1951. Language of the Sierra Miwok. Indiana University Pbulications in Anthropology and Linguistics, Memoir 6 of the International Journal of American Linguistics. Waverly Press: Baltimore.
  • Stonham, John. 1990. Current Issues in Morphological Theroy. Doctoral Dissertation. Stanford University.
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