Jebero (Chebero, Xebero, Xihuila) is a moribund Amazonian language spoken by the Jebero people of Jeberos, Peru. It is spoken by only a small number of older adults and belongs to the Cahuapanan family together with Chayahuita.

Phonology

Vowels

• /i/ varies between close front unrounded [ i], near-close front unrounded [ i̞] and close-mid front unrounded [ e]. ^[2]
• /u/ varies between near-close near-front rounded [ ʊ] and close-mid back weakly rounded [ o̜], with the latter realization being the most usual. ^[2]
• /ɘ/ varies between mid near-front unrounded [ ɛ̽] and close-mid central unrounded [ ɘ]. ^[2]
  • /ɘ/ is shorter than the other vowels, particularly between voiceless consonants. ^[2]
  • The sequence /ɘn/ is sometimes realized as a syllabic [n̩]. ^[2]
• /a/ varies between open central unrounded [ ä] and near-open retracted front [ æ̠]. ^[2] The vowel chart in Valenzuela & Gussenhoven (2013) puts /a/ in the near-open central position [ ɐ].
  • In closed syllables, /a/ is realized as open-mid central unrounded [ ɜ]. ^[2]

Consonants

• /m, p/ are bilabial, whereas /w/ is labialized velar.
• /tʃ/ is an affricate, rather than a plosive. ^[3] It has nevertheless been placed in the table in that manner to save space.
• /n, t, ð, l/ are laminal denti-alveolar [ n̪, t̪, ð̪, l̪. ^[4]
  • In the syllable coda, /n/ is realized with a wider contact, maximally dentoalveolo-velar [n̪͡ŋ]. ^[4]
  • After /u, a/, the denti-alveolar contact is often not made, which makes /n/ sound more like a velar nasal [ ŋ]. ^[4]
  • /ð/ may sometimes sound as if it were a lateral consonant, but it is never realized as lateral. ^[2]
• /ɲ, ʎ/ are dentoalveolo-palatal [ ɲ̪, ʎ̪. ^[4]
  • /ʎ/ is sometimes realized as a weak fricative [ ʎ̪˔]. ^[2]
• /h/ occurs only in the affirmative interjection [ahã]. ^[3]
• /r/ is realized as a flap [ ɾ] in the syllable onset and as a trill [ r] in the syllable coda. ^[4]
• /ˀr/ is a glottalized flap [ ˀɾ]. Intervocalically, it is realized as a sequence [ɾʔ]. ^[4]

References

Bibliography