Editing Hurrian language (section)

==Phonology==
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Consonant phonemes of Hurrian
! &nbsp;
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[velar consonant|Velar]]
|- align=center
![[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|- align=center
![[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
| {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t}}
|
| {{IPA link|k}}
|- align=center
![[affricate consonant|Affricate]]
|
| ({{IPA link|ts}})
|
|
|- align=center
![[fricative consonant|Fricative]]
| {{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s}}
|
| {{IPA link|x}}
|- align=center
![[approximant consonant|Approximant]]
| {{IPA link|w}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}}
|
|- align=center
![[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
|
|r
|
|
|- align="center"
![[lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
| {{IPA link|l}}
|
|
|}

As can be seen from the table, Hurrian did not possess a [[voiced]]-[[voiceless]] distinction. There is no voiced consonant with an unvoiced counterpart, nor vice versa. However, based on evidence from the cuneiform script, there seem to have been voiced [[allophones]] of consonants other than /ts/, which occurred in certain environments: between two voiced phonemes (sonorants or vowels), and, surprisingly, also word-finally.<ref>{{harvnb|Wilhelm|2008|p=85}}</ref> Sometimes a voiced consonant is written in these situations, i.e. ''b'' (for ''p''), ''d'' (for ''t''), ''g'' (for ''k''), ''v'' (for ''f'') or ''ž'' (for ''š''), and, very rarely, ''ǧ'' (for ''h'', ''ḫ''). All consonants except /w/ and /j/ can be long or short. The long ([[geminate]]) consonants occur only between vowels. In the cuneiform, as in the Latin transcription, geminated consonants are indicated by doubling the corresponding symbol, so ''...VC-CV..''. Short consonants are written ''...V-CV...'', for example ''mānnatta'' ("I am") is written ''ma-a-a'''n-n'''a-a'''t-t'''a''.

Since /f/ was not found in the [[Sumerian cuneiform]] script, the Hurrians used the symbols representing /p/, /b/ or /w/. An /f/ can be recognised in words where this transcription varies from text to text. In cases where a word occurs only once, with a ''p'', it cannot be known if it was originally meant to represent a /p/ or an /f/. In final syllables containing ''a'', /f/ becomes diphthongised to /u/, e.g. ''tānōšau'' (&lt;*tān-ōš-af)) "I did". /s/ is traditionally transcribed by /š/, because the cuneiform script adapted the sign indicating /š/ for this phoneme. /ts/ is regularly transcribed by ''z'', and /x/ by ''ḫ'' or ''h''. In Hurrian, /r/ and /l/ do not occur at the beginning of a word.

===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|- align=center
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}} || || {{IPA link|u}}
|- align=center
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}} || || {{IPA link|o}}
|- align=center
![[Open vowel|Open]]
| || {{IPA link|a}} ||
|}

Vowels, just like consonants, can be either long or short. In the cuneiform script, this is indicated by placing an additional vowel symbol between the ''CV'' and ''VC'' syllables, giving ''CV-V-VC''. Short vowels are indicated by a simple ''CV-VC'' pairing. In the Latin transcription, long vowels are indicated with a macron, ''ā'', ''ē'', ''ī'', ''ō'', and ''ū''. For /o/, which is absent in the Sumerian script, the sign for ''U'' is used, whereas /u/ is represented by ''Ú''.