Editing Mi'kmaq language (section)

==Phonology==
The [[Phoneme|phonemic]] inventory of Miꞌkmaq is shown below.

===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
! rowspan=2 |
! colspan=2|[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan=2|[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan=2|[[Back vowel|Back]]
|- class=small
! [[short vowel|short]]
! [[long vowel|long]]
! short
! long
! short
! long
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|i}}
| {{IPA link|iː}}
| colspan=2 | 
| {{IPA link|u}}
| {{IPA link|uː}}
|-
! [[Close-mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}}
| {{IPA link|eː}}
| colspan=2 | {{IPA link|ə}}
| {{IPA link|o}}
| {{IPA link|oː}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan=2 | 
| {{IPA link|a}}
| {{IPA link|aː}}
| colspan=2 | 
|}

===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
! rowspan=2 | 
! rowspan=2 | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan=2 | [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan=2 | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|- class=small
! plain
! [[labialization|labialized]]
|-
! [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
| 
| 
| 
|-
! [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
| {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|k}}
| {{IPA link|kʷ}}
|-
! [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
| 
| {{IPA link|s}}
| 
| {{IPA link|x}}
| {{IPA link|xʷ}}
|-
! [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
| 
| {{IPA link|l}}
| {{IPA link|j}}
| 
| {{IPA link|w}}
|}

The sounds of Miꞌkmaq can be divided into two groups: [[obstruent]]s ({{IPA|/p, t, k, kʷ, t͡ʃ, s, x, xʷ/}}) and [[sonorant]]s ({{IPA|/m, n, w, l, j/}} and all [[vowel]]s).

The obstruents have a wide variety of pronunciations. When they are located word-initially or next to another obstruent, they are [[Voicelessness|voiceless]] {{IPA|[p, t, k, kʷ, t͡ʃ, s, x, xʷ]}}. However, when they are located between sonorants, they are [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]], and appear as {{IPA|[b, d, ɡ, ɡʷ, d͡ʒ, z, ɣ, ɣʷ]}}.<ref name="bragg1976">{{cite thesis | type = MA | last = Bragg | first = Russell A. | title = Some Aspects of the Phonology of Newfoundland Micmac | date=1976}}</ref> When the plosives and [[affricate]] (namely {{IPA|/t͡ʃ/}}) are located word-finally, they may be [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]] and appear as {{IPA|[pʰ, tʰ, kʰ, kʷʰ, tʃʰ]}}.{{Citation needed|reason = Reliable source needed for the whole sentence | date = July 2015}} An example of each kind of pronunciation is given below.

{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:left
! [[Allophone]]
! [[Orthography]]
! [[Phonemic transcription|Phonemic]] 
! [[Phonetic transcription|Phonetic]]
! [[Gloss (linguistics)|Gloss]]
|-
| Voiceless
| {{Lang|mic|tia'm}}
| {{IPA|/tiaːm/|lang=mic}}
| {{IPA|[tiaːm]|lang=mic}}
| ''moose''
|-
| Voiced
| {{Lang|mic|Miꞌkmaq}}
| {{IPA|/miːkmax/|lang=mic}}
| {{IPA|[miːɡmax]|lang=mic}}
| ''Miꞌkmaq''
|-
| Aspirated
| {{Lang|mic|sqolj}}
| {{IPA|/əsxolt͡ʃ/|lang=mic}}
| {{IPA|[əsxolt͡ʃʰ]|lang=mic}}
| ''frog''
|}

Miꞌkmaq distinguishes between long and short vowels and consonants, with [[long consonant]]s indicated in Listuguj by doubling the consonant. Beyond expanding in length, long consonants add a [[schwa]] when they precede other consonants. For instance, compare {{IPA|/en.mitk/|lang=mic}} ({{gloss|flow away}}), written in Listuguj as {{lang|mic|e'''n'''mitg}} with {{IPA|/en.nə.mit/|lang=mic}} ({{gloss|stick into}}), written in Listuguj as {{lang|mic|e'''nn'''mit}};<ref>{{Cite web |title=ennmit |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/ennmit.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref> or, {{IPA|/tox.tʃu.pi.la.wek/|lang=mic}} ({{gloss|hoist}}), written in Listuguj as {{lang|mic|toqjuꞌpila'''w'''eg}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=toqju'pilaweg |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/toqju%27pilaweg.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref> with {{IPA|/ke.si.kaw.wek/|lang=mic}} ({{gloss|loud}}), written in Listuguj as {{lang|mic|gesiga'''ww'''eg}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=gesigawweg |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/gesigawweg.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref>

Listuguj orthography occasionally begins words with consonant clusters, as in {{lang|mic|'''gt'''aꞌn}} ({{gloss|ocean}}) and {{lang|mic|'''mg'''umi}} ({{gloss|ice}}). However, such clusters are pronounced over separate syllables, with a schwa preceding the cluster; for instance, {{lang|mic|gtaꞌn}} is pronounced {{IPA|/ək.taːn/}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=gta'n |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/gta%27n.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref> while {{lang|mic|mgumi}} is pronounced {{IPA|/əm.ku.mi/|lang=mic}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=mgumi |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/mgumi.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref> On the other hand, word-final clusters, such as in {{lang|mic|asige'''tg'''}} ({{gloss|instigate}}) are pronounced over a single syllable: compare the pronunciation of {{lang|mic|asigetg}}, {{IPA|/a.si.ketk/|lang=mic}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=asigetg |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/asigetg.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref> with {{lang|mic|mestꞌg}} ({{gloss|taste}}), {{IPA|/mes.tək/|lang=mic}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=mest'g |url=https://www.mikmaqonline.org/servlet/words/mest%27g.html |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=www.mikmaqonline.org}}</ref>