The Phonology and Typological Position of Waima'a Consonants

Waima'a (Austronesian, Timor-Leste) has been described as having a series of ejective and aspirated stops, as well as glottalized consonants and voiceless sonorants, although it has also been suggested that they may be better analyzed as clusters. As ejectives are rarely found in Austronesian languages, the presence of ejectives in Waima'a has been termed a "phonological oddity." This paper reexamines the synchronic patterning and typological position of these consonants. It finds that synchronic evidence favors a cluster analysis, and that the consonants attested in Waima'a are not unusual if considered within the context of other languages of the greater Timor region.