3.14 w1-Palatalisation P-13.

Just as /w1/ is more susceptible than /w2/ to deletion (leaving aside kin terms and pronominal prefixes), /w1/ is also more prone to become /y/ Usually no special rule is needed, since //i-w1a///i-ya/ is already explained by the combination of w1-Deletion P-9 and y-Insertion P-10. However, there are one or two rather frozen derivational relationships which may require a direct palatalisation of /w1/ under the maximal generative analysis.The verb to scorch’ has the shape /=yi-wu-/ in uncompounded form, and in the compound /-jir=yi-wu-/ 'to scorch (fur of)'. The uncompounded form behaves like other stems with underlying initial /y/ in its inflections, and thus shows //y///j/ after stop or nasal by Hardening P-18, as in /ngany=ji-wi-ny/ I will scorch it (ANAØ)'. However, the compound with /-lhalng-/ 'flame is not the expected /-lhalny=ji-wu-/ rather /-lhalng=gi-wu-/ which points to underlying //-lhalng=w1i-wu-// The alternation is frozen, but we could account for it by setting up //=w1i-wu-// with /w1/ becoming /y/ (presumably by assimilation to the following vowel) in the uncompounded form, and in compounds with initial element not ending in stop or nasal.

(P-13)w1-Palatalisation
w1 → y // X=___i-
in /=w1i-wu-/ 'to scorch' where X is not a compound initial ending in a stop or nasal.