Surui language
# Surui language

Suruí (of Jiparaná), also known as Paíter or Suruí-Paíter, is a Tupian language of Brazil. The Suruí of Rondônia call themselves Paiter, which means “the true people, we ourselves". They speak a language of the Tupi group and Monde language family. There were 1,171 Suruí-Paíter in 2010.

## Phonology

### Vowels

| | Oral Vowels | Oral Vowels | Oral Vowels | Nasal Vowels | Nasal Vowels | Nasal Vowels |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Front | Central | Back | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i iː | ɨ ɨː | | ĩ ĩː | ɨ̃ ɨ̃ː | |
| Mid | e eː | | o oː | ẽ ẽː | | õ õː |
| Open | | a aː | | | ã ãː | |

### Consonants

| | | Labial | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | tʃ | k | |
| Stop | voiced | b | d | (dʒ) | ɡ | |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Fricative | Fricative | β | s | ʃ | | h |
| Tap | Tap | | ɾ | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | | l | j | (w) | |

* /β/ can be heard as either [β] or [w] in free variation, and as [ɸ] when before voiceless consonants.
* Sounds /p, t, k, m, n, ŋ/, can be heard as [p̚, t̚, k̚, m̚, n̚, ŋ̚] in word-final position.
* /b/ can be heard as prenasal [ᵐb] when after a nasal vowel, or when in initial position.
* /h/ can be heard as voiced [ɦ] when between vowels. It is also said to be heard as a voiceless lateral [l̥], among elder speakers.
* /j/ can be heard as nasal [j̃] when preceding or in between nasal vowels.
