This rule inserts /g/ and in a few instances /ng/ at the beginning of a morpheme normally beginning with vowel, after a morpheme which ends in a stop or nasal. It should be noted that another rule P-20, Pronominal d-Insertion, is a competing rule which applies in a similar (though distinct) environment. P-20 applies when the preceding morpheme is a pronominal prefix ending in /n/ there is a variant P-21 applying to the Pl moiety term /mand-irija/ This leaves Velar-Insertion P-8 to apply in all remaining combinations where the preceding morpheme is a derivational prefix or compound initial ending in a stop or nasal.
For example, consider /=abi-/ 'to jump'. With pronominal prefix /ngan- / '1Sgbb' we get /ngand=a:bi-ny/ by P-20, which inserts /d/ and also lengthens the root-initial vowel. On the other hand, with derivational prefix /-ngaran-, -ngaraG-/ 'Multiple' (ยง10.4) we get /-ngaran=gabi-/ or /-ngara=gabi-/ It is suggested that Velar-Insertion P-8 is involved in the latter forms.
The morpheme before which the velar consonant is inserted can begin with /a/ /a:/ or /i/ There are no exx. involving /i:/ /u/ or /u:/ but this is simply because the relevant underlying combinations do not occur. Similarly, the insertion normally applies at the beginning of a root or a preceding derivational/compounding element, not at the root-suffix boundary, but again this appears to be due to nonoccurrence of relevant underlying combinations. Exx. involving Benefactive /-aG-/ (where /G/ is a stop archiphoneme) are /-a=gabi-/ 'to jump for', /-a=ga:ru-/ 'to leave for', and /-a=ginyga-/ 'to complete for' from /=abi-/ /=a:ru-/ and /=inyga-/ Here the /G/ triggers Velar-Insertion (then disappears by Stop-Deletion P-29).
The velar consonant which gets inserted is always /g/ when the preceding morpheme ends in a stop (whether or not the stop itself subsequently disappears). Exx. are /-mij=gajarga-/ 'to get (name) wrong' from /=ajarga-/ 'to miss', and /lhamij-gala:di/ 'bad-tasting' from /ala:di/ 'bad'. With a preceding morpheme ending in a nasal, the situation is more complex. Available exx. involving /n/ and /ny/ show insertion of /g/ in all cases; available exx. involving /ng/ and /n/ show insertion of /ng/ in most cases but sometimes of /g/ (in the case of /ng/ inserted after /ng/ the insertion has no surface effect because of subsequent simplification by Geminate-Contraction P-31). Exx. with /ng/ following /n/ are /-lan=ngadada-/ 'to have knees sticking out of water' from /=adada-/ 'to go up on shore'; /mun-ngala:di/ 'having bad foot/feet' from /ala:di/ 'bad'; and perhaps /-raman=ngala-/ 'to be decorated with raman feathers' if derived from /=ala-/ Exx. involving (vacuous) insertion of /ng/ subsequently deleted, after /ng/ are: /-marang=andarma-/ 'to shake hand' from /=andarma-/ 'to shake'; and /rung-ala:di/ 'badly behaved' from /ala:di/ 'bad'. Exx. showing insertion of /g/ after a nasal are: /-w1ulng=gabi-/ '(animal) to move out' if from /=abi-/ 'to jump' (initial segment not found elsewhere); /-mun=gala-/ 'to leave tracks behind' from /=ala-/ /-malany=gala-/ 'to have fins visible' also from /=ala-/ recall also /-ngaran=gabi-/ from preceding page.
Instead of a rule inserting /g/ directly, we could also consider an alternative analysis involving insertion of presurface /w1/ which will then automatically become surface /g/ after stop or nasal by Hardening P-18. This approach is not used here, since the underlying vowel-initial roots which get /g/ by Velar-Insertion also regularly (though not always) get /ng/ after /n/ or /ng/ The other roots with initial underlying /w1V/ never show the /w1/ becoming /ng/ after all nasals (and stops) the /w1/ becomes /g/ Therefore the alternative to the present analysis (with Velar-Insertion) would require insertion of /w1/ in precisely those cases where this becomes surface /g/ and we would still need a separate rule inserting /ng/
| (P-8) | Velar-Insertion | ||
| Ø → | | ng // X-___V | |
| where X- is a compounding initial or derivational prefix ending in /n/ or /ng/ and where /V/ is the initial vowel (long or short) of a root (this subrule applies to most but not all instances of this environment) | |||
| g // X-___ V | |||
| where X- is a compounding initial or derivational prefix ending in a stop or nasal, and /V/ is as in the preceding subrule | |||
The specification that X- must be a compounding initial or derivational prefix (i.e., cannot be an inflectional pronominal or noun=class prefix) is not necessary if P-20 and P-21 are ordered before P-8 and if V-Truncation P-46 also precedes P-8.
P-8 applies to nouns as well as verbs: //uG-ambal// → //uG-gambal// (P-8) → /wu-gambal/ (P-5 and P-29) 'its head'.