Consonant mutation

Consonant mutation is change in a consonant in a word according to its morphological or syntactic environment. Environments triggering mutation include the definite article აჭ possessives ჵაჸნ *my*, adjectives xxx-ნ *xxx-like* (from the word ენ). There is a phenomenon similar to consonant mutation in vowels, called ჺაჭ ჺჵყც (*ჺ building*), where a /ʢ/ is inserted in front of an initial vowel or semivowel in certain circumstances, as well as the vowel being fronted (ჵ).

In for example the name აზ ზჷშააო ოან *the home language*, there is a case of word-final as well as word-initial mutation. In this environment — (xxxC Cxxx) — where C are the same consonant which would mutate in this environment, **both** consonants mutate. The three words written out separately are აჭ *the*, ჭჷშაად *language*, დან *home*.

## Mutations

Almost 50% of the consonant phonemes in the language come from mutations. Trills, nasals, aspirated plosives, pharyngealised plosives, aspirated affricates, aspirated fricatives and the special consonant /ʕ/ as well as the semi-vowels /j/ and /ɥ/ occur as base consonants. Mutations (except front and back mutation) are represented in the orthography with a different mutation-marker for each type of mutation, and a separate one for pharyngeal consonants (so that there isn't for example ⟨ვჷფ⟩ just to represent /b/).

Guttural (except pharyngealised) consonants don't mutate, and consonants don't mutate into guttural (including pharyngealised) consonants. Nasals, trills and approximants don't mutate, and nor do consonants that are exclusively products of mutation.

There are 7 different mutations in total:

1. Soft mutation, types one and two. Aspirated fricatives always soft mutate into matching approximants. /ʕ/ and /ʁ/ are treated as 'approxifricatives' that is, in all cases they are simultaneously voiced fricatives and approximants. Regarding mutations, that means you get both /qʕ/ > /ʁ/ and /χ/ > /ʁ/.
	1. Aspirated plosives soft mutate into their voiced counterparts, /p/ > /b/. Pharyngealised plosives soft mutate into their voiced fricative, /pʢ/ > /v/. Aspirated affricates soft mutate into voiced affricates, /t͡ʃ/ > /d͡ʒ/.
	2. Aspirated plosives soft mutate into their voiced fricative, /p/ > /v/. Pharyngealised plosives soft mutate into their voiced counterparts, /pʢ/ > /b/. Aspirated affricates soft mutate into their aspirated fricatives, /t͡ʃ/ > /ʃ/.
2. Front mutation makes consonants produced further forward in the mouth in the same way, e.g. /q/ > /t/, /t͡ʃ/ > /t͡θ/. Consonants mutate forwards as little as possible, to the 'next' available consonant (i.e. uvular /q/ > alveolar /t/ not labial /p/). Only alveolar and onward mutate—i.e. dental and labial do not—i.e. nothing front mutates all the way to labial.
3. Consonants back mutate, as far as possible, to the last matching consonant (uvular).
4. All plosives nasal mutate, with the matching nasal preceding the aspirated consonant: /p, pʢ/ > /mp/.
5. Mixed mutations, types one and two:
	1. Back mutation in front consonants; nasal in plosives; else soft type 1.
	2. Front mutation in back consonants; else soft type 2.

## Section heading

Write the second section of your page here.