Editing Luganda (section)

=== Consonants ===
The table below gives the consonant set of Luganda, grouping [[voiceless consonant|voiceless]] and [[voiced consonant|voiced]] consonants together in a cell where appropriate, in that order.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!
! scope="col" | [[bilabial consonant|Labial]]
! scope="col" | [[alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! scope="col" | [[palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! scope="col" | [[velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
! scope="row" | [[Plosive consonant|Plosive]]
|{{IPA link|p}} {{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|t}} {{IPA link|d}}
|{{IPA link|c}} {{IPA link|ɟ}} {{r|footnote3|group=decimal}}
|{{IPA link|k}} {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|{{IPA link|f}} {{IPA link|v}} {{r|footnote2|group=decimal}}
|{{IPA link|s}} {{IPA link|z}}
|
|
|-
! scope="row" | [[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
|{{IPA link|m}}
|{{IPA link|n}}
|{{IPA link|ɲ}}
|{{IPA link|ŋ}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|
|rowspan=2|{{IPA link|l}}~{{IPA link|r}} {{r|footnote1|group=decimal}}
|{{IPA link|j}}
|{{IPA link|w}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
|
|}
{{reflist|group=decimal|refs=
<ref name=footnote1>The [[liquid consonant|liquids]] {{IPA|[l]}} and {{IPA|[r]}} are [[allophones]] of a single [[phoneme]] {{IPA|/l~r/}}, although the distinction is reflected in the orthography.</ref>
<ref name=footnote2>The [[labiodental consonant|labiodental]] [[fricative consonant|fricatives]] {{IPA|/f/}} and {{IPA|/v/}} are slightly [[labialization|labialised]] and so could also be transcribed {{IPA|[fʷ]}} and {{IPA|[vʷ]}} respectively.</ref>
<ref name=footnote3>The [[palatal consonant|palatal]] [[plosive consonant|plosives]] {{IPA|/c/}} and {{IPA|/ɟ/}} may be realised with some [[affricate consonant|affrication]]—either as {{IPA|[cç]}} and {{IPA|[ɟʝ]}} or as [[postalveolar consonant|postalveolars]] {{IPA|[tʃ]}} and {{IPA|[dʒ]}}</ref> respectively.}}

Apart from {{IPA|/l~r/}}, all these consonants can be [[gemination|geminated]], even at the start of a word: {{lang|lg|bbiri}} {{IPA|/bːíri/}} 'two', ''{{lang|lg|kitto}}'' {{IPA|/cítːo/}} 'cold'. The [[approximant consonant|approximants]] {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/j/}} are geminated as {{IPA|/ɡːw/}} and {{IPA|/ɟː/}}: {{lang|lg|eggwanga}} {{IPA|/eɡːwáːŋɡa/}} 'country'; {{lang|lg|jjenje}} {{IPA|/ɟːéːɲɟe/}} 'cricket'—from the roots -{{lang|lg|wanga}} {{IPA|/wáːŋɡa/}} and -{{lang|lg|yenje}} {{IPA|/jéːɲɟe/}} respectively, with the singular noun prefix {{lang|lg|e}}- that doubles the following consonant.

Historically, geminated consonants appear to have arisen when a very close {{IPA|[i]}} between two consonants dropped out; for example -{{lang|lg|dduka}} from *-{{lang|lg|jiduka}} 'run'.<ref>Dutcher & Paster (2008), p.130.</ref>

Apart from {{IPA|/l~r/}}, {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/j/}}, all consonants can also be [[prenasalised stop|prenasalised]] (prefixed with a [[nasal stop]]). This consonant will be {{IPA|[m]}}, {{IPA|[n]}}, {{IPA|[ɲ]}} {{IPA|[ɱ]}} or {{IPA|[ŋ]}} according to the [[place of articulation]] of the consonant which follows, and belongs to the same syllable as that consonant.

The [[liquid consonant|liquid]] {{IPA|/l~r/}} becomes {{IPA|/d/}} when [[gemination|geminated]] or [[prenasalised stop|prenasalised]]. For example, {{lang|lg|ndaba}} {{IPA|/n̩dába/}} 'I see' (from the root -{{lang|lg|laba}} with the subject prefix {{lang|lg|n}}-); {{lang|lg|eddagala}} {{IPA|/edːáɡala/}} 'leaf' (from the root -{{lang|lg|lagala}} with the singular noun prefix {{lang|lg|e}}-, which doubles the following consonant).

A consonant cannot be both geminated and prenasalised. When [[morphology (linguistics)|morphological]] processes require this, the gemination is dropped and the syllable {{IPA|/zi/}} is inserted, which can then be prenasalised. For example, when the prefix {{lang|lg|en}}- is added to the adjective -{{lang|lg|ddugavu}} 'black' the result is {{lang|lg|enzirugavu}} {{IPA|/eːnzíruɡavu/}}.

The [[nasal stop|nasals]] {{IPA|/m/}}, {{IPA|/n/}}, {{IPA|/ɲ/}} and {{IPA|/ŋ/}} can be [[syllable|syllabic]] at the start of a word: {{lang|lg|nkima}} {{IPA|/ɲ̩címa/}} (or {{IPA|[n̩tʃíma]}}) 'monkey', {{lang|lg|mpa}} {{IPA|/m̩pá/}} 'I give', {{lang|lg|nnyinyonnyola}} {{IPA|/ɲ̩ɲiɲóɲːola/}} or {{IPA|/ɲːiɲóɲːola/}} 'I explain'. Note that this last example can be analysed in two ways, reflecting the fact that there is no distinction between prenasalisation and gemination when applied to nasal stops.