Editing Dida language (section)

==== Abu ====
Abu Dida has a ten-vowel system: nine vowels distinguished by "tenseness", likely either [[pharyngealization]] or supra-glottal [[phonation]] (contraction of the larynx) of the type described as [[retracted tongue root]], plus an uncommon mid-central vowel {{IPA|/ə/}}.

The non-contracted vowels are {{IPA|/i e a o u/}}, and the contracted vowels {{IPA|/eˤ ɛˤ ɔˤ oˤ/}}. (These could be analyzed as {{IPA|/iˤ eˤ oˤ uˤ/}}, but here are transcribed with lower vowels to reflect their phonetic realization. There is no tense contrast with the low vowel.) The [[formant]]s of the tense vowels show them to be [[open vowel|lower]] than their non-tense counterparts: the formants of the highest tense vowels overlap the formants of the non-tense mid vowels, but there is visible tension in the lips and throat when these are enunciated carefully.

Abu Dida has a number of [[diphthong]]s, which have the same number of tonal distinctions as simple vowels. All start with the higher vowels, {{IPA|/i eˤ u oˤ/}}, and except for {{IPA|/a/}}, both elements are either contracted or non-contracted, so the pharyngealization is here transcribed after the second element of the vowel. Examples are {{IPA|/ɓue˨teoˤ˥˩/}} "bottle" (from English), {{IPA|/pa˨ɺeaˤ˨˩/}} "get stuck", and {{IPA|/feɔˤ˥˩/}} "little bone".

Dida also has nasal vowels, but they are not common and it is not clear how many. Examples are {{IPA|/fẽˤː˥/}} "nothing", {{IPA|/ɡ͡boũ˧/}} "chin", {{IPA|/pɔõˤ˥˧/}} "25 cents" (from English "pound"). In diphthongs, nasalization shows up primarily on the second element of the vowel.

Vowel length is not distinctive, apart from [[phonesthesia]] (as in {{IPA|/fẽˤː˥/}} "nothing"), morphemic contractions, and shortened [[grammatical word]]s, such as the modal {{IPA|/kă˥/}} "will" (compare its likely lexical source {{IPA|/ka˧/}} "get").