b'syllable pattern.This dictionary uses only the spelling veka, which is all the Kiriwinan ear hears; the intruded epenthesis has no place and no phonemic significance. The bilabial nasal /m/ functions as all other consonants do, in being the optional initial margin of a syllable.However, it is the only consonant that can stand as the nucleus of a syllable (a position usually occupied by a vowel or diphthong).The voiced bilabial fricative /v/ is a weakly articulated consonant, which is sometimes lost (-tavi or -tai to cut; -savi or -sai 1to join); or it may be consumed by a preceding /m/ (m vavagi your item, pronounced m mavagi). Dictionary headwords are ordered alphabetically as follows: a, b, bw, d, e, g, gw, i, k, kw, l, m, mw, n, o, p, pw, r, s, t, u, v, w, y Syllables The syllable has two possible forms: a) (C)V(m), containing a nucleus which is any vowel or diphthong, an optional initial margin filled by any consonant, and an optional concluding margin which may be filled only by the consonantal nasal /m/.All such syllables are open, excepting only the one closed syllable form (C)Vm.(C)V(m) syllable examples: i.u.wa (V.V.CV) it bears fruit bi.kam.kwam(CV.CVm.CVm)he will be eating im la pai.se.wa (VmCVCV.CV.CV)the making of string b) the syllabic nasal /m/ as the entire syllable. m wa.ga(mCV.CV)your canoe m.na(m.CV)er (hiatus in speech) Other phonological features, such as the devoicing of syllables in certain environments, are noted where relevant in the dictionary text. Phonological words A phonological word may consist of a single morpheme or a bundle of morphemes (seldom more than four). Each such word is characterised by one syllable bearing stress, marked by loudness or lengthening or change in pitch.Normal word stress is on the penultimate syllable of the word.The following conditions determine whether stress is placed elsewhere. 1.A word is stressed on the final syllable if a) that syllable is closed (CVm) - bi.mmhe will drink b) that syllable has a diphthong nucleus - kumiyou bring (it) c) the speaker is angry, or speaking emphatically. 2.A word is stressed on the antepenultimate syllable if a)the word form is CV 1 CV 2 (C)a#, and no morpheme boundary occurs within the word b)but if V 2is a, then the word form must be CV 1 kala or CV 1 kana c)but if V 2is i or u the two final syllable nuclei must be i-a or u-a. 15'