Editing Etruscan language (section)

====Syllabic theory====
Based on standard spellings by Etruscan scribes of words without vowels or with unlikely consonant clusters (e.g. {{Transliteration|ett|cl}} 'of this (gen.)' and {{Transliteration|ett|lautn}} 'freeman'), it is likely that {{IPA|/m, n, l, r/}} were sometimes syllabic [[sonorant]]s (cf. English ''litt'''le''''', ''butto'''n'''''). Thus {{Transliteration|ett|cl}} {{IPA|/kl̩/}} and {{Transliteration|ett|lautn}} {{IPA|/ˈlɑwtn̩/}}.

Rix postulates several syllabic consonants, namely {{IPA|/l, r, m, n/}} and palatal {{IPA|/lʲ, rʲ, nʲ/}} as well as a labiovelar fricative {{IPA|/xʷ/}}, and some scholars such as [[Mauro Cristofani]] also view the aspirates as palatal rather than aspirated but these views are not shared by most Etruscologists. Rix supports his theories by means of variant spellings such as {{Transliteration|ett|amφare}}''/''{{Transliteration|ett|amφiare}}, {{Transliteration|ett|larθal}}''/''{{Transliteration|ett|larθial}}, {{Transliteration|ett|aranθ}}''/''{{Transliteration|ett|aranθiia}}.