3.7 w₁-Insertion P-6.

The verb root /=a:yu-/ 'to cut up' behaves like a vowel-initial root when immediately preceded by a pronominal (inflectional) prefix and thus undergoes such rules as VV-Contraction P-49, as in /n^gawu=a:yu-n^y/ → /n^gawa:='yu-n^y/ 'I cut it up'. However, the presurface form of this root appears to be /=w₁:yu-/ in compounds and forms with derivational prefixes, an example being the cpd. /-w₂an^gidi=wa:yu-/ or /-w₂an^gidi=ya:yu-/ 'to cut up stingray flesh'. These forms require a presurface semivowel to prevent VV-Contraction P-49, and /w₁/ seems to be the best candidate since it optionally becomes /y/ after /i(:)/ vowel. Deletion of the semivowel after a liquid, as in /-an^yjabal=a:yu-/ 'to cut up armpit (or pectoral fin)', is also regular. (See P-9 and P-10.) In some contexts it is not possible to tell whether /w₁/ has been inserted in /=a:yu-/ since an output /=ga:yu-/ will result either way (by Hardening P-18 of //w₁// to /g/ or by Velar-Insertion P-8 inserting /g/ . The doubtful context here is position following stop or nasal consonant. There is circumstantial evidence that /w₁/ is inserted in all cases of /=a:yu-/ following compound initial or derivational prefix; namely, after velar nasal we get /=ga:yu-/ presumably by Hardening P-18, while a surface form /=n^ga:yu-/ should be the favoured result if Velar-Insertion P-8 were the rule involved (hence the input should be //=w₁a:yu-// instead of //=a:yu-// . An ex. is /-mulun^g-ga:yu-/ to cut the elbow of (someone)'.