Editing Yahgan language (section)

===Morphophonology===
Yahgan shows a number of [[sandhi]] effects on [[consonant]]s and [[vowel]]s. For instance, the terminal {{lang|yag|-i}} of {{lang|yag|teki}} 'to see, recognize' when [[affix]]ed by {{lang|yag|-vnnaka}} 'to have trouble/difficulty doing' becomes {{lang|yag|-e}}:- of {{lang|yag|teke:vnnaka}} 'have trouble recognizing/seeing'

In [[syllable]]s reduced through [[morphophonology|morphophonetic]] processes, terminal vowels ({{lang|yag|-a}}, {{lang|yag|-u:}}) of original bisyllables will often drop (except for {{lang|yag|-i}}, which tends to remain, leaving previous material unaffected), and resultant final stops will fricativize (r becomes sh). Aside from losing stress, any vowels preceding these shifted consonants will often shift from tense to lax. Ex. {{lang|yag|-a:gu:}} 'for self, with one's own' > {{lang|yag|-ax-}}. {{lang|yag|ata}} 'to take, convey' > {{lang|yag|vhr-}}, and so on. [[Present tense]] usually results in the dropping of the final vowel of the [[infinitive|infinitival]] form of the [[verb]] and associated changes as above, as does affixation by many, but not all, further [[Derivation (linguistics)|derivational]] and [[inflection]]al [[suffix]]es beginning with [[stop consonant|stops]], [[affricate]]s, and other consonants. Ex. {{lang|yag|aiamaka}} 'to fight' {{lang|yag|aiamux-tvlli}} 'to fight confusedly'.

The sounds m, n, and l are particularly labile in some environments. {{lang|yag|atama}} 'to eat' {{lang|yag|atu:-yella}} 'to leave off eating' (not {{lang|yag|atamayella}}). n from {{lang|yag|-Vna}} 'state' is often reduced to -V: when one would expect -Vn-. lt can disappear entirely before some consonants. {{lang|yag|vla}} 'to drink', {{lang|yag|vlnggu:}} or {{lang|yag|vnggu:}} 'to drink'. Initial h- in roots and affixes drops in many instances. Ex. {{lang|yag|kvna}} 'to float, be in boat'+ {{lang|yag|haina}} 'to walk, go' gives {{lang|yag|kvn-aina}}. ng (as in English 'hang') is purely morphophonetic, from terminal n before a velar consonant. Many instances of m before a labial consonant are similarly motivated. w after a passive/reflexive prefix {{lang|yag|m-}} often drops. w often vocalizes to u: or o: or drops (depending on preceding material): {{lang|yag|tu:-}} causative plus {{lang|yag|wvshta:gu:}} 'work' is {{lang|yag|tu:vshta:gu:}} 'make work'. y is also relatively labile- after reduced {{lang|yag|-ata-}} > {{lang|yag|-vhr-}} the suffix {{lang|yag|-yella}} 'to leave off' becomes {{lang|yag|-chella}}. In combination with preceding -a y often vocalizes: {{lang|yag|ki:pa}} 'woman' plus {{lang|yag|yamalim}} 'plural animates/people' becomes {{lang|yag|ki:paiamalim}}.