132

/-xa/ (elsewhere; as this ap-
pears to be the most
common allomorph, the
suffix is usually re-
ferred to as -xa final
suffix)

3-4.4 Metathesis

This is a common process in Aymara both within
and across dialects and even within idiolects. It most
often occurs in nouns. There are two main types: (1)
reversal of two phonemes in sequence, and (2) transposition

of features, of vowels, or of consonants.

3-4.4] Reversal of two phonemes in sequence

3-4.41.1 Stops
Noun:

‘same, identical' /kipka/ (Sitajara)

/kipka ~ kikpa/ (La Paz)
3-4.41.2 Lateral-glide
Nouns:

‘cage’ /jalwa ~ jawla/ (La Paz)
<Spanish jaula

'gull' /qillwa ~ qiwlla/ (La Paz)

‘fish! /challwa ~ chawlla/ (La Paz)