Editing Moksha language (section)

====Devoicing====
Unusually for a Uralic language, there is also a series of voiceless [[liquid consonants]]: {{IPA|/l̥ , l̥ʲ, r̥ , r̥ʲ/}} {{angbr|ʀ, ʀ́, ʟ, ʟ́}}. These have arisen from Proto-Mordvinic consonant clusters of a sonorant followed by a voiceless stop or affricate: {{IPA|*p, *t, *tʲ, *ts⁽ʲ⁾, *k}}.

Before certain inflectional and derivational endings, devoicing continues to exist as a [[phonological process]] in Moksha. This affects all other voiced consonants as well, including the [[Nasal consonant|nasal]] consonants and [[semivowel]]s. No voiceless nasals are however found in Moksha: the devoicing of nasals produces voiceless oral stops. Altogether the following devoicing processes apply:

{| class="wikitable" style="width:400px"
|- align="center"
! Plain
| {{IPA|b}} || {{IPA|m}} || {{IPA|d}} || {{IPA|n}} || {{IPA|dʲ}} || {{IPA|nʲ}} || {{IPA|ɡ}}
| {{IPA|l}} || {{IPA|lʲ}} || {{IPA|r}} || {{IPA|rʲ}}
| {{IPA|v}} || {{IPA|z}} || {{IPA|zʲ}} || {{IPA|ʒ}} || {{IPA|j}}
|- align="center"
! Devoiced
| colspan="2" | {{IPA|p}} || colspan="2" | {{IPA|t}} || colspan="2" | {{IPA|tʲ}} || {{IPA|k}}
| {{IPA|l̥}} || {{IPA|l̥ʲ}} || {{IPA|r̥}} || {{IPA|r̥ʲ}}
| {{IPA|f}} || {{IPA|s}} || {{IPA|sʲ}} || {{IPA|ʃ}} || {{IPA|ç}}
|}

For example, before the nominative plural {{IPA|/-t⁽ʲ⁾/}}:
* ''кал'' {{IPA|/kal/}} "fish" – ''калхт'' {{IPA|/kal̥t/}} "fish"
* ''лем'' {{IPA|/lʲem/}} "name" – ''лепть'' {{IPA|/lʲeptʲ/}} "names"
* ''марь'' {{IPA|/marʲ/}} "apple" – ''марьхть'' {{IPA|/mar̥ʲtʲ/}} "apples"
Devoicing is, however, morphological rather than phonological, due to the loss of earlier voiceless stops from some consonant clusters, and due to the creation of new consonant clusters of voiced liquid + voiceless stop. Compare the following oppositions:
* ''калне'' {{IPA|/kalnʲæ/}} "little fish" – ''калхне'' {{IPA|/kal̥nʲæ/}} (< {{IPA|*kal-tʲ-nʲæ}}) "these fish"
* ''марьне'' {{IPA|/marʲnʲæ/}} "my apples" – ''марьхне'' {{IPA|/mar̥ʲnʲæ/}} ( < {{IPA|*marʲ-tʲ-nʲæ}}) "these apples"
* ''кундайне'' {{IPA|/kunˈdajnʲæ/}} "I caught it" – ''кундайхне'' {{IPA|/kunˈdaçnʲæ/}} ( < {{IPA|*kunˈdaj-tʲ-nʲæ}}) "these catchers"