Introduction
Srianese has 16 consonant phonemes and 10 vowel phonemes (including dipthongs) and has a phonemic contrast between modal and breathy phonation syllable rimes. Some noteworthy characteristics of Srianese phonology include its total lack of labial articulations, a single homorganic nasal phoneme that can only appear in the coda of a syllable, voicing and devoicing sandhi triggered by phonation and syllable types, and a series of ejective stops.
Consonants
The consonant phonemes of Srianese are as follows:
| Dental | Alveolar | Velar | ||
| Stop /Affricate | plain | t [t] | c [ts] | k [k] |
| ejective | t' [t'] | c' [ts'] | k' [k'] | |
| Fricative | z [θ~ð] | s [s~z] | h [x~ɣ] | |
| Approximant | voiced | l [l] | r [r] | j [j] |
| voiceless | lh [ɬ] | sr [ʂ] | x [ç] | |
| Nasal | n [N] | |||
- Plain stops can be partially or fully aspirated, especially at the beginning of words.
- The fricatives are voiced in intervocalic positions when preceded by a modal vowel or when preceded by a nasal.
- The nasal only occurs in syllable codas and is realized either as [ɰ̃] or as nasalization on the vowel, except when followed by a stop, where it assimilates to place of articulation.
Vowels
There are six distinct monophthongs and four diphthongs in Srianese as outlined below:
| Front | Back | |
| High | i [i] | y [ɯ] |
| Mid | e [e] | u [ɤ] |
| Low | a [æ] | o [ɑ] |
| Front | Back | |
| Opening | ie [ie̯] | yu [ɯɤ̯] |
| Closing | ei [ei̯] | ui [ɤi̯] |
- It should be noted that all vowels and diphthongs have both a modal form and breathy form, as is further discussed below in phonation.
Phonation and Voicing Sandhi
Srianese vowels can either be modal or breathy in open syllables and syllables ending with a nasal. Vowels are always modal in checked syllables. When a fricative occurs between two vowels, the first of which has modal phonation, then the fricative is voiced. If the fricative follows a breathy vowel or a closed syllable, then it is always voiceless. This is demonstrated below using the number words and the measure word sin.
k’yhon c’ihsin [k’ɯ.ɣɑɰ̃ ts’ix.siɰ̃] “one spider” (fricative coda > voiceless)
k’yhon lhïsin [k’ɯ.ɣɑɰ̃ ɬi̤.siɰ̃] “two spiders” (breathy vowel > voiceless)
k’yhon consin [k’ɯ.ɣɑɰ̃ tsɑɰ̃.ziɰ̃] “three spiders” (modal+nasal coda > voiced)
k’yhon lhesin [k’ɯ.ɣɑɰ̃ ɬe.ziɰ̃] “four spiders” (modal vowel > voiced)
k’yhon srÿnsin [k’ɯ.ɣɑɰ̃ ʂɯ̤ɰ̰.siɰ̃] “eight spiders” (breathy+nasal coda > voiceless)
Syllable Structure
Srian syllable structure is very strict. A syllable usually features an onset consonant, a vowel, and an optional coda. The only allowed codas are fricatives /θ, s, x/ and the nasal /N/, which is usually realized as [ɰ̃] and assimilates to place of articulation when followed by a stop.
Historical Development
| Proto-Srian | Old Srianese | Modern Srianese | |
| *ʔ, *h | ʔ | ʔ | |
| *ŋ, *g | ŋ~ɣ | j | |
| *sk | k | k | |
| *Cək | ʔk | k' | |
| *k | kʰ | x | |
| *sŋ | ŋ̊ | ç | |
| *n, *d | n~r | -∅ -w | l |
| -j -ɥ | r | ||
| *st | t | -∅ -w | t |
| -j -ɥ | ts | ||
| *Cət | ʔt | -∅ -w | t' |
| -j -ɥ | ts' | ||
| *t | tʰ | -∅ -w | θ |
| -j -ɥ | s | ||
| *sn | n̥ | -∅ -w | (l̥ >) ɬ |
| -j -ɥ | (r̥ >) ʂ | ||
| *m, *b | m~v | (ð >) l | |
| *sp | p | t | |
| *Cəp | ʔp | t' | |
| *p | pʰ | (f >) θ | |
| *sm | m̥ | (f >) θ | |
| Proto-Srian | Old Srianese | Modern Srianese |
| *ŋ | ŋ | ɰ̃ |
| *ŋs | ŋh | ɰ̃ +breathy |
| *k | k~x | x |
| *ks | s (>h) | ∅ +breathy |
| *n | n | ɰ̃ |
| *ns | nh | ɰ̃ +breathy |
| *t | t~θ | s |
| *ts | s (>h) | ∅ +breathy |
| *m | m | ɰ̃ |
| *ms | mh | ɰ̃ +breathy |
| *p | p~f | θ |
| *ps | s (>h) | ∅ +breathy |
| Historical | Modern | ||
| Peripheral Onset | Coronal Onset | ||
| ∅-medial | a | ɑ | |
| i | i | ||
| o | ɤ | ||
| e | e | ||
| u | ɯ | ||
| j-medial | ja | æ | ɑ |
| ji | ie | i | |
| jo | æ | ɑ | |
| je | e | ||
| w-medial | wa | ɑ | |
| wi | ei | ||
| wo | ɑ | ||
| we | ɤ | ||
| wu | ɯɤ | ||
| y-medial | ya | e | æ |
| yi | ɯi | ||
| yo | ɯɤ | ɯ | |
| ye | ie | ɤ | |