Jebero language

Jebero (Chebero, Xebero, Xihuila) is a moribund Amazonian language spoken by the Jebero people of Jeberos, Peru. It is spoken by only a small number of older adults and belongs to the Cahuapanan family together with Chayahuita.

Phonology

Vowels

• /i/ varies between close front unrounded [i], near-close front unrounded [i̞] and close-mid front unrounded [e].
• /u/ varies between near-close near-front rounded [ʊ] and close-mid back weakly rounded [o̜], with the latter realization being the most usual.
• /ɘ/ varies between mid near-front unrounded [ɛ̽] and close-mid central unrounded [ɘ]. /ɘ/ is shorter than the other vowels, particularly between voiceless consonants. The sequence /ɘn/ is sometimes realized as a syllabic [n̩].
• /a/ varies between open central unrounded [ä] and near-open retracted front [æ̠]. The vowel chart in Valenzuela & Gussenhoven (2013) puts /a/ in the near-open central position [ɐ]. In closed syllables, /a/ is realized as open-mid central unrounded [ɜ].

Consonants

• /m,p/ are bilabial, whereas /w/ is labialized velar.
• /tʃ/ is an affricate, rather than a plosive. It has nevertheless been placed in the table in that manner to save space.
• /n,t,ð,l/ are laminal denti-alveolar [n̪,t̪,ð̪,l̪]. In the syllable coda, /n/ is realized with a wider contact, maximally dentoalveolo-velar [n̪͡ŋ]. After /u,a/, the denti-alveolar contact is often not made, which makes /n/ sound more like a velar nasal [ŋ]. /ð/ may sometimes sound as if it were a lateral consonant, but it is never realized as lateral.
• /ɲ,ʎ/ are dentoalveolo-palatal [ɲ̪,ʎ̪]. /ʎ/ is sometimes realized as a weak fricative [ʎ̪˔].
• /h/ occurs only in the affirmative interjection [ahã].
• /r/ is realized as a flap [ɾ] in the syllable onset and as a trill [r] in the syllable coda.
• /ˀr/ is a glottalized flap [ˀɾ]. Intervocalically, it is realized as a sequence [ɾʔ].

Bibliography

• Valenzuela, Pilar M.; Gussenhoven, Carlos (2013). . Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 43 (1): 97–106. doi:.