Tsafiki language
# Tsafiki language

Tsafiki, also known as Tsachila or Colorado, is a Barbacoan language spoken in Ecuador by c. 2000 ethnic Tsáchila people.

## Phonology

### Consonants

| | | Bilabial | Dental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | | | k | ʔ |
| Stop | voiced | b | d | | | | ʔ |
| Affricate | Affricate | | | t͡s | | | |
| Fricative | Fricative | ɸ | | s | | | h |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | | n | | | |
| Lateral | Lateral | | | l | | | |
| Flap | Flap | | | ɹ ~ ɾ | | | |
| Semivowel | Semivowel | | | ɹ ~ ɾ | j | w | |

* /b, d/ are preglottalized [ˀb, ˀd] when occurring intervocalically.
* /k/ can become voiced [ɡ] when intervocally after nasal sounds.
* /ɹ/ is heard as [ɾ] when occurring word-initially, and when following a nasalized vowel, an allophone [n] occurs.
* /s/ is heard as [ʃ] when preceding high vowels /i, u/ and after unaccented high vowels.
* /t͡s/ is heard as [t͡ʃ] when preceding high vowels, but many speakers pronounce it as [t͡ʃ] in all environments.

### Vowels

Tsafiki has five vowels Four vowels have nasalized forms.

| | Front | Central | Back |
| - | - | - | - |
| High | i | | u |
| Mid | e | | o |
| Low | | a | |
| | Front | Central | Back |
| High | ĩ | | ũ |
| Mid | ẽ | | |
| Low | | ã | |

* Unaccented vowels before voiceless stops are often devoiced [ḁ].
