3.27 Palatal-Deletion P-26.

The consonants /y j n^y/ are deleted under certain conditions before other consonants, mainly coronal (alveolar, retroflexed, etc.). Such combinations as /jj/ and /n^yn^y/ will be reduced anyway by Geminate-Contraction P-31. However, /j y n^y/ are also deleted in some nongeminate clusters and a rule must be set up. It is possible, though, that this rule should be combined with yr-Contraction P-14.

The laminoalveolar stop /j/ is commonly deleted before coronal stops /dh d d/ The rule applies rigorously in established compounds and derivatives, but is sometimes suspended in newer, transparent combinations--particularly when a noun ending in /j/ is followed by a case or postpositional suffix. Exx. of deletion: //lhaj-lhamun^gur// → /lha-dhamun^gur/ 'short piece of wood'; //mij-rigi-j// → /mi-digi-j/ 'mother and child dyad'; //-ij=ragu-// → /-i=dagu-/ 'to forget (be looking for) word'. Deletion does not occur very often before /b/ or /g/ except that deletion before these consonants is moderately common after /i/ vowel, especially in Causative verb forms with suffix /-jga-/ following /i/ Exx. showing failure to delete /j/ before /b g/ are /mij-bawan-n^yij/ and variant /mij-gawan-n^yij/ 'father and child dyad'.

It is difficult to obtain a full set of exx. of underlying /y/ followed by various consonants. However, we can cite //ay-lhamun^gur// → /a-lhamun^gur/ 'short raft' with //y// disappearing before /lh/ We cannot cite any example involving the combination //ydh// In principle, we ought to be able to concoct a compound involving //-ay-// 'nest; raft' as compounding initial and some verb beginning in //dh// as compound final, but no exx. have materialised. It is reasonable to assume that they would undergo deletion of the //y// at least as an optional pronunciation. As for //yr// simplification of this cluster to /r/ is accounted for by rule P-14 (yr-Contraction), see above.

There are some exx. showing deletion of /n^y/ before /n/ The available exx. involve underlying //j-n// where presumably //j// → /n^y/ by Nasalisation P-22. In any event, with Pl prefix //mij-// we get surface /min^y-/ before velar nasal in /min^y-n^galan^yji/ 'girls', but just /mi-/ in /mi-ni-n^yara-yun^g/ 'his/her/their fathers' and other forms with following /n/ However, just as /j/ is deleted before /g/ preferentially when preceded by /i/ this deletion of /n^y/ before /n/ may be favoured by preceding /i/ since deletion does not occur in //-lhaj=na-// → /-lhan^y=na-/ 'to see (cut) wood', where the preceding vowel is /a/ In short, the deletion appears to apply to /n^y/ following /i/ and preceding /n/ (presumably also /n/ though we have no exx.); it clearly does not apply to /n^y/ before velar /n^g/ nor does it apply to /n^y/ before /m/ as in /-nin^y-miri/ 'by means of (grass) roots'. We have no exx. involving underlying //n^y// followed by the (rare) interdental nasal phoneme /nh/ the geminate cluster //n^yn^y// is handled by Geminate-Contraction P-31.

We attempt to summarise the deletions which we have just detailed as follows:

(P-26)	Palatal-Deletion
a.	j → Ø //		__ -	Stop [+Coronal]
				i__g (optional)
b.	y → Ø //		___ - lh
			and perhaps before some other coronal consonants like /dh/
c.	ny → Ø //		i__n