Editing Gwichʼin language (section)

==Phonology==

===Consonants===

The consonants of Gwichʼin are shown in [[International Phonetic Alphabet chart|IPA]] notation below, with [[Orthography|orthographic symbols]] in brackets:<ref name=":2" />

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Interdental consonant|Inter-<br>dental]]
! colspan="3" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! {{small|plain}} || {{small|[[sibilant]]}} || {{small|lateral}}
! {{small|plain}} || {{small|[[Labialized velar consonant|labialized]]}}
|-
! rowspan="4" | [[Plosive]]/<br>[[Affricate]]
! {{small|plain}}
| ({{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|b}})
| {{IPA link|tθ}} {{angbr|ddh}}
| {{IPA link|t}} {{angbr|d}}
| {{IPA link|ts}} {{angbr|dz}}
| {{IPA link|tɬ}} {{angbr|dl}}
| {{IPA link|ʈʂ}} {{angbr|dr}}
| {{IPA link|tʃ}} {{angbr|j}}
| {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|g}}
| {{IPA link|kʷ}} {{angbr|gw}}
| {{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|ʼ}}
|-
! {{small|aspirated}}
|
| {{IPA link|tθʰ}} {{angbr|tth}}
| {{IPA link|tʰ}} {{angbr|t}}
| {{IPA link|tsʰ}} {{angbr|ts}}
| {{IPA link|tɬʰ}} {{angbr|tl}}
| {{IPA link|ʈʂʰ}} {{angbr|tr}}
| {{IPA link|tʃʰ}} {{angbr|ch}}
| {{IPA link|kʰ}} {{angbr|k}}
| {{IPA link|kʷʰ}} {{angbr|kw}}
|
|-
! {{small|ejective}}
|
| {{IPA link|tθʼ}} {{angbr|tthʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tʼ}} {{angbr|tʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tsʼ}} {{angbr|tsʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tɬʼ}} {{angbr|tlʼ}}
| {{IPA link|ʈʂʼ}} {{angbr|trʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tʃʼ}} {{angbr|chʼ}}
| {{IPA link|kʼ}} {{angbr|kʼ}}
|
|
|-
! {{small|prenasalized}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ⁿd}} {{angbr|nd}}
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|ⁿdʒ}} {{angbr|nj}}
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! {{small|voiced}}
| {{IPA link|v}} {{angbr|v}}
| {{IPA link|ð}} {{angbr|dh}}
|
| {{IPA link|z}} {{angbr|z}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʐ}} {{angbr|zhr}}
| {{IPA link|ʒ}} {{angbr|zh}}
| {{IPA link|ɣ}} {{angbr|gh}}
| {{IPA link|ɣʷ}} {{angbr|ghw}}
|
|-
! {{small|voiceless}}
| ({{IPA link|f}} {{angbr|f}})
| {{IPA link|θ}} {{angbr|th}}
|
| {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|s}}
| {{IPA link|ɬ}} {{angbr|ł}}
| {{IPA link|ʂ}} {{angbr|shr}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{angbr|sh}}
| {{IPA link|x}} {{angbr|kh}}
| {{IPA link|xʷ}} {{angbr|khw}}
| {{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Sonorant]]
! {{small|voiced}}
| ({{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}})
|
| {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}}
|
| {{IPA link|l}} {{angbr|l}}
| {{IPA link|ɻ}} {{angbr|r}}
| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}
|
| {{IPA link|w}} {{angbr|w}}
|
|-
! {{small|voiceless}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|n̥}} {{angbr|nh}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ɻ̥}} {{angbr|rh}}
|
|
|
|
|}

===Vowels===
Gwich’in has six phonemic [[Vowel|vowel qualities]] {{IPA|/i e a o u/}} which contrast in [[Vowel length|duration]], [[Nasal vowel|nasality]], and tones.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | [[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="2" |[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" | [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! {{small|short}} || {{small|long}}
!{{small|short}}
!{{small|long}}
! {{small|short}} || {{small|long}}
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}} {{angbr|i}}
|{{IPA link|iː}} {{angbr|ii}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|u}} {{angbr|u}}
|{{IPA link|uː}} {{angbr|uu}}
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPA link|e}} {{angbr|e}}
|{{IPA link|eː}} {{angbr|ee}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|o}} {{angbr|o}}
|{{IPA link|oː}} {{angbr|oo}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|
|{{IPA link|a}} {{angbr|a}}
|{{IPA link|aː}} {{angbr|aa}}
|
|
|}

==== Allophonic variation ====
Short vowels show different vowel qualities from their long counterparts

* {{IPA|/i/}} occurs as {{IPA|[ɪ]}}
* {{IPA|/e/}} occurs as {{IPA|[ɛ]}}
* {{IPA|/a/}} occurs as {{IPA|[ə]}}
* {{IPA|/o/}} occurs as {{IPA|[ɔ]}}
* {{IPA|/u/}} occurs as {{IPA|[ʊ]}}

==== Tone and nasality ====
* Nasal vowels are marked with an [[ogonek]], e.g. ‹ą  į ǫǫ› for /ə̃́ ɪ̃́ ṍː/, respectively.
* [[Tone (linguistics)|Low tone]] is marked with a grave accent, e.g. ['''à'''], whereas high tones are never marked.

=== Syllable structure ===
Gwichʼin has moderate complexity of [[Syllable|syllable structure]], in which the maximal syllable shape is CCVC. However, no consonant clusters occur within a syllable besides /Cj/ onsets, as in /ɬjə̃́h/ ''łyąh'' “hook”, or -/tʰjɛ̀ʔ/ -''tyèʼ'' “father” (i.e. /ʃɪ́tʰjɛ̀ʔ/ ''shityèʼ “''my father”). Word-medially, two-consonant sequences may occur. All consonants may occur syllable-initially (i.e. in onset position), but syllable-finally, no ejective, retroflex, [[affricate]], interdental or labialized consonants occur. In coda-position, fricatives are also restricted to the glottal, lateral, and non-sibilant consonants. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Coda consonants in Gwichʼin syllables<ref name=":4" />
! colspan="3" |Coda
! colspan="2" |Example
!English
|-
| rowspan="2" |Stop
|oral
| -k
|tɬə́'''k'''
|''dlak''
|“squirrel”
|-
|glottal
| -ʔ
|tsʰɛ́'''ʔ'''
|''tse’''
|“beaver”
|-
| rowspan="3" |Fricative
|glottal
| -h
|ʒɛ́'''h'''
|''zheh''
|“house”
|-
|lateral
| -ɬ
|tʃə́'''ɬ'''
|''jał''
|“fish hook”
|-
|non-sibilant
| -ð
|tə́ʒə́'''ð'''
|''dazhadh''
|“fury”
|-
| rowspan="3" |Sonorant
|nasal
| -n
|ʈʂɪ́'''n'''
|''drin''
|“day”
|-
|lateral
| -l
|ə́htʰə̀'''l'''
|''ahtàl''
|“grouse”
|-
|rhotic
| -ɻ̥
|tʰéːʒɪ́'''ɻ̥'''
|''teezhirh''
|“steam”
|}