Editing Basque language (section)

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:autmargin:auto;"
|+caption | Table of consonant phonemes of Standard Basque
|-
! colspan="2" |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Laminal consonant|Lamino]]-<br />[[Dental consonant|dental]]
! [[Apical consonant|Apico]]-<br />[[Alveolar consonant|alveolar]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]] or<br />[[Postalveolar consonant|postalveolar]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| '''m'''<br />{{IPAslink|m}}
|
| '''n'''<br />{{IPAslink|n}}
| '''ñ, -in-'''<br />{{IPAslink|ɲ}}
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" | [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
! <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
| '''p'''<br />{{IPAslink|p}}
| '''t'''<br />{{IPAslink|t̪|t}}
|
| '''tt, -it-'''<br />{{IPAslink|c}}
| '''k'''<br />{{IPAslink|k}}
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! <small>[[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
| '''b'''<br />{{IPAslink|b}}
| '''d'''<br />{{IPAslink|d̪|d}}
|
| '''dd, -id-'''<br />{{IPAslink|ɟ}}
| '''g'''<br />{{IPAslink|ɡ}}
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" | [[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
|
| '''tz'''<br />{{IPAslink|ts|t̻s̻}}
| '''ts'''<br />{{IPA|/[[Voiceless alveolar affricate#Non-retracted alveolar|t̺s̺]]/}}
| '''tx'''<br />{{IPAslink|tʃ}}
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2"| [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
! <small>[[Voicelessness|voiceless]]</small>
| '''f'''<br />{{IPAslink|f}}
| '''z'''<br />{{IPAslink|s|s̻}}
| '''s'''<br />{{IPAslink|s̺}}
| '''x'''<br />{{IPAslink|ʃ}}
|
| '''h'''<br />{{IPA|/∅/}}, {{IPAslink|h}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
! <small>(mostly)<sup>1</sup> [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]</small>
| || ||
| colspan="2" | '''j'''<br />{{IPAslink|j}}~{{IPAslink|x}}
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2"| [[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
|
|
| '''l'''<br />{{IPAslink|l}}
| '''ll, -il-'''<br />{{IPAslink|ʎ}}
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="2" | [[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]{{efn|name=finalweakr|Basque's two rhotics only contrast when between vowels, where the trill is written as ''-rr-'' and the tap as ''-r-''. When a suffix is added to a word ending in ''-r'', a trill is generally used, as in {{lang|eu|ederrago}} 'more beautiful', from {{lang|eu|eder}} 'beautiful' and {{lang|eu|-ago}}. There is a small number of words which are exceptions to this rule, with de Rijk listing the following ten common ones: {{wt|eu|zer}}, {{wt|eu|ezer}}, {{wt|eu|nor}}, {{wt|eu|inor}}, {{wt|eu|hor}}, {{wt|eu|paper}}, {{wt|eu|plater}}, {{wt|eu|plazer}}, {{wt|eu|ur}}, and {{wt|eu|zur}}.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|pp=7–8}}}}
! [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
| '''r-, -rr-, -r''' <br />{{IPAslink|r}}
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center;"
! [[Flap consonant|Tap]]
|
|
| '''-r-, -r'''<br />{{IPAslink|ɾ}}
|
|
|
|}

{{Notelist}}

In syllable-final position, all plosives are [[Final-obstruent devoicing|devoiced]] and are spelled accordingly in Standard Basque. When between vowels, and often when after {{IPA|/r/}} or {{IPA|/l/}}, the voiced plosives {{IPA|/b/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, and {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, are pronounced as the corresponding [[fricatives]] {{IPA|[β]}}, {{IPA|[ð]}}, and {{IPA|[ɣ]}}.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=5}}

Basque has a distinction between [[laminal consonant|laminal]] and [[Apical consonant|apical]] articulation for the alveolar fricatives and affricates. With the laminal alveolar fricative {{IPA|eu|s̻|}}, the friction occurs across the blade of the tongue, the tongue tip pointing toward the lower teeth. This is the usual {{IPA|/s/}} in most European languages. It is written with an orthographic {{angbr|z}}. By contrast, the [[voiceless apicoalveolar fricative]] {{IPA|eu|s̺|}} is written {{angbr|s}}; the tip of the tongue points toward the upper teeth and friction occurs at the tip (apex). For example, {{Lang|eu|zu}} {{Gloss|you}} (singular, respectful) is distinguished from {{Lang|eu|su}} {{Gloss|fire}}. The affricate counterparts are written {{angbr|tz}} and {{angbr|ts}}. So, {{Lang|eu|etzi}} {{Gloss|the day after tomorrow}} is distinguished from {{Lang|eu|etsi}} {{Gloss|to give up}}; {{Lang|eu|atzo}} {{Gloss|yesterday}} is distinguished from {{Lang|eu|atso}} {{Gloss|old woman}}.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|pp=8–9}}

In the westernmost parts of the Basque country, only the apical {{angbr|s}} and the alveolar affricate {{angbr|tz}} are used.

Basque also features postalveolar sibilants ({{IPA|/ʃ/}}, written {{angbr|x}}, and {{IPA|/tʃ/}}, written {{angbr|tx}}).{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|pp=9–10}}

[[File:Diaphonej.svg|thumb|Regional realisations of {{Angbr|j}}]]
The letter {{angbr|j}} has a variety of realisations according to the regional dialect: {{IPA|[j, dʒ, x, ʃ, ɟ, ʝ]}}, as pronounced from west to east in south Bizkaia and coastal Lapurdi, central Bizkaia, east Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, south Navarre, inland Lapurdi and Low Navarre, and Zuberoa, respectively.<ref>Trask, R. L. (1997). ''The History of Basque'', London and New York: Routledge, pp. 155–157, {{ISBN|0-415-13116-2}}.</ref>

[[File:Euskara - aspirazio.svg|thumb|left|The {{angbr|h}} is only pronounced in the north-east, as the isoglosses here show.]]
The letter {{angbr|h}} is pronounced in the northern dialects, but not pronounced in the southern ones. Unified Basque spells it except when it is predictable, in a position following a consonant.{{clarify|date=February 2014}}<ref>Trask, ''The History of Basque'', pp. 157–163.</ref>

Unless they are recent loanwords (e.g. {{Lang|eu|Ruanda}} {{Gloss|Rwanda}}, {{Lang|eu|radar}}, {{Lang|eu|robot}} ... ), words may not have initial {{angbr|r}}. In older loans, initial ''r-'' took a [[Prothesis (linguistics)|prosthetic]] vowel, resulting in ''err-'' ({{Lang|eu|Erroma}} {{Gloss|Rome}}, {{Lang|eu|Errusia}} {{Gloss|Russia}}), more rarely ''irr-'' (for example {{Lang|eu|irratia}} {{gloss|radio}}, {{Lang|eu|irrisa}} {{gloss|rice}}) and ''arr-'' (for example {{lang|eu|arrazional}} {{gloss|rational}}).{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=8}}

Basque does not have {{IPA|/m/}} in syllable final position, and syllable-final {{IPA|/n/}} assimilates to the place of articulation of following plosives. As a result, {{IPA|/nb/}} is pronounced like {{IPA|[mb]}}, and {{IPA|/nɡ/}} is realized as {{IPA|[ŋɡ]}}.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=6}}

==== Palatalization ====
Basque has two types of [[palatalization (sound change)|palatalization]], automatic palatalization and expressive palatalization. Automatic palatalization occurs in western [[Labourd]], much of [[Navarre]], all of [[Gipuzkoa]], and nearly all of [[Biscay]]. As a result of automatic palatalization, {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/l/}} become the [[palatal nasal]] {{IPA|[ɲ]}} and the [[palatal lateral]] {{IPA|[ʎ]}} respectively after the vowel {{IPA|/i/}} and before another vowel. An exception is the loanword {{lang|eu|lili}} 'lily'. The same palatalization occurs after the [[semivowel]] {{IPA|[j]}} of the diphthongs ''ai, ei, oi, ui''. This palatalization occurs in a wider area, including [[Soule]], all of Gipuzkoa and Biscay, and almost all of Navarre. In a few regions, {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/l/}} can be palatalized even in the absence of a following vowel. After palatalization, the semivowel {{IPA|[j]}} is usually absorbed by the palatal consonant. This can be seen in older spellings, such as {{lang|eu|malla}} instead of modern {{lang|eu|maila}} 'degree'. That said, the modern orthography for Standard Basque ignores automatic palatalization.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=13}}

In certain regions of Gipuzkoa and Biscay, intervocalic {{IPA|/t/}} is often palatalized after {{IPA|/i/}} and especially {{IPA|[j]}}. It may become indistinguishable from the affricate {{IPA|/tʃ/}},{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=14}} spelled {{angbr|tx}}, so {{lang|eu|aita}} 'father' may sound like it were spelled {{lang|eu|atxa}} or {{lang|eu|atta}}.{{sfn|Hualde|Lujanbio|Zubiri|2010|p=119}} This type of palatalization is far from general, and is often viewed as substandard.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=14}}

In [[Goizueta, Navarre|Goizueta]] Basque, there are a few examples of {{IPA|/nt/}} being palatalized after {{IPA|/i/}}, and optional palatalization of {{IPA|/ld/}}. For example, {{lang|eu|mintegi}} 'seedbed' becomes {{IPA|[mincei]}}, and {{lang|eu|bildots}} 'lamb' can be {{IPA|/biʎots̺/}}.{{sfn|Hualde|Lujanbio|Zubiri|2010|p=119}}

Basque nouns, adjectives, and adverbs can be expressively palatalized. These express 'smallness', rarely literal and often showing affection, in nouns, and mitigation in adjectives and adverbs. This is often used in the formation of pet names and nicknames. In words containing one or more sibilant, these sibilants are palatalized in order to form the palatalized form. That is, ''s'' and ''z'' become ''x'', and ''ts'' and ''tz'' become ''tx''. As a result, {{lang|eu|gizon}} 'man' becomes {{lang|eu|gixon}} 'little fellow', {{lang|eu|zoro}} 'crazy, insane' becomes {{lang|eu|xoro}} 'silly, foolish', and {{lang|eu|bildots}} 'lamb' becomes {{lang|eu|bildotx}} 'lambkin, young lamb'.
In words without sibilants, {{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, {{IPA|/n/}}, and {{IPA|/l/}} can become palatalized. This palatalization is indicated in writing with a double consonant, except in the case of palatalized {{IPA|/n/}} which is written {{angbr|ñ}}. Thus, {{lang|eu|tanta}} 'drop' becomes {{lang|eu|ttantta}} 'droplet', and {{lang|eu|nabar}} 'grey' becomes {{lang|eu|ñabar}} 'grey and pretty, greyish'.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=14}}

The pronunciation of ''tt'' and ''dd'', and the existence of ''dd'', differ by dialect. In the Gipuzkoan and Biscayan dialects ''tt'' is often pronounced the same as ''tx'', that is, as {{IPAblink|tʃ}}, and ''dd'' does not exist.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=14}} Likewise, in Goizueta Basque, ''tt'' is a [[voiceless palatal stop]] {{IPA|[c]}} and the corresponding voiced palatal stop, {{IPA|[ɟ]}}, is absent except as an allophone of {{IPA|/j/}}. In Goizueta Basque, {{IPA|/j/}} is sometimes the result of an affectionate palatalization of {{IPA|/d/}}.{{sfn|Hualde|Lujanbio|Zubiri|2010|p=113, 119, 121}}

Palatalization of the rhotics is rare and only occurs in the eastern dialects. When palatalized, the rhotics become the palatal lateral {{IPA|[ʎ]}}. Likewise, palatalization of velars, resulting in ''tt'' or ''tx'', is quite rare.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=15}}

A few common words, such as {{lang|eu|txakur}} 'dog', pronounced {{IPA|/tʃakur/}}, use palatal sounds even though in current usage they have lost the diminutive sense, the corresponding non-palatal forms now acquiring an augmentative or pejorative sense: {{lang|eu|zakur}} 'big dog'.{{sfn|de Rijk|2008|p=15}}