Ỹaroamë language
# Ỹaroamë language

Ỹaroamë, or Jawari (Jauari), is a language spoken by the Yanomami people in southern Roraima state, Brazil. It was only recently recognized as a distinct language.

Its name Jawari (Yawari, Joari, Yoari, etc.) is shared with the Ninam language.

## Dialects

There are two dialects spoken in Roraima, Brazil:

* Opiki (Highland/Serra): in the Serra do Pacu (Catrimani Mission)
* Yawaripë (Lowland/Baixada): in Ajarani and Apiaú

## Phonology

The inventory per Ferreira (2011):

Vowels :

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| Close | i ĩ, iː ĩː | | u ũ, uː ũː |
| Mid | ɛ ɛ̃, ɛː ɛ̃ː | ə ə̃, əː ə̃ː ⟨ë⟩ | o õ, oː õː |
| Open | | a ã, aː ãː | |

Consonants :

| | Bilabial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stop | p | t | | k | |
| Affricate | | | t͡ʃ ⟨y⟩ | | |
| Fricative | | | | x | h |
| Nasal | m | n | ɲ ⟨ỹ⟩ | | |
| Approximant | | | | w ⟨u⟩ | |
| Flap | | l~ɾ ⟨r⟩ | | | |

    /x/ > [ʃ]/_i
    /ə/ > [ɨ]/N_

/t͡ʃ/ and /ɲ/ are cognate to the oral and nasal allophones of /j/ in Yanomam; for this reason they are written ⟨y⟩ and ⟨ỹ⟩ in Yaroame.

