Deni language

Deni (also Dení, Dani) is an Arawan language spoken in Brazil. Deni is very similar to the other languages of the Arawan language family, but is especially similar to the Jamamadi language.

Deni
Native to	Brazil
Region	Amazonas
Native speakers	740 (2006)[1]
Language family	Arauan Deni
Language codes
ISO 639-3	dny
Glottolog	deni1241
ELP	Dení

Phonology

Vowels

	Front	Back
High	i	u
Low	ɛ	a

• /ɛ/ can be heard as [e] in unstressed syllables.
• /a/ can be heard as [ɐ] in both stressed and unstressed positions when preceded or followed by a nasal in the same syllable, or in the onset position of the following syllable.^[2]

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Velar	Glottal
Nasal		m	n
Plosive	voiceless	p	t	k	(ʔ)
	aspirated	pʰ	tʰ	kʰ
	voiced	b	d
Affricate	voiceless		t͡s
	aspirated		t͡sʰ
	voiced		d͡z
Fricative		v			h
Approximant			(l)
Tap			ɾ

• /ɾ/ is in free variation with [l] among speakers.
• Affricate sounds /t͡s, d͡z/ may also be heard as fricative sounds [s, z] in free variation.
• A glottal stop [ʔ] is heard phonetically in syllable-coda position when the onset of the syllable is a voiced stop, or in a mid word-onset position followed by a vowel.^[2]