Suruí
Paíter
Native toBrazil
EthnicityPaiter
Native speakers
1,000 (2006)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3sru
Glottologsuru1262
ELPPaiter

Suruí (of Jiparaná), also known as Paíter or Suruí-Paíter, is a Tupian language of Brazil. The Suruí of Rondônia call themselves Paiter, which means “the true people, we ourselves". They speak a language of the Tupi group and Monde language family. There were 1,171 Suruí-Paíter in 2010.

Phonology

Vowels

Oral Vowels Nasal Vowels
Front Central Back Front Central Back
Close i iː ɨ ɨː ĩ ĩː ɨ̃ ɨ̃ː
Mid e eː o oː ẽ ẽː õ õː
Open a aː ã ãː

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Stop voiceless p t k
voiced b d (dʒ) ɡ
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Fricative β s ʃ h
Tap ɾ
Approximant l j (w)
  • /β/ can be heard as either [β] or [w] in free variation, and as [ɸ] when before voiceless consonants.
  • Sounds /p, t, k, m, n, ŋ/, can be heard as [p̚, t̚, k̚, m̚, n̚, ŋ̚] in word-final position.
  • /b/ can be heard as prenasal [ᵐb] when after a nasal vowel, or when in initial position.
  • /h/ can be heard as voiced [ɦ] when between vowels. It is also said to be heard as a voiceless lateral [l̥], among elder speakers.
  • /j/ can be heard as nasal [j̃] when preceding or in between nasal vowels.[2]

References

  1. Suruí at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Guerra, Mariana de Lacerda (2004). Aspects of Suruí Phonology and Phonetics. Université Libre de Bruxelles.


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