Wersing

Wersing has a straightforward segmental phonology, but surprisingly elaborate phonotactics: processes of echo-vowel insertion and vowel epenthesis work to create surface syllables of CV from underlying consonant clusters and closed syllables. Echo vowel insertion such as Wersing displays likely represents the historical antecedent of the final versus non-final word alternations that are observed in neighboring Kula and Sawila. The simple five-vowel system of Wersing is also notable in that it contrasts with the majority of other languages in Alors. Historically, there appears to have been a five vowel system with a length contrast for each vowel in the languages of central-eastern Alor (Abui, Kamang, Sawila, Wersing, Kula). While Abui, Kamang and Sawila maintan the length contrast, Wersing has lost it, with historical short unstressed vowels being deleted. The result of this is the many underlying consonant clusters that we observe in Wersing today. The high vowel metathesis found in Wersing is, however, an areal feature shared with Kula and Sawila.