Gilyani Bitiasau Language

Gilyani Bitiasau (/giˈlja.ni biˈti.a.sau/) is an early Bitiasau language representing a conservative ancestral stage of the branch from which Igniazi and Zinari later descend. It stands closer to Igniazi than to Zinari, as the latter underwent heavy Tesian influence. Gilyani preserves older lexical shapes, fuller vowels, and more transparent consonant sequences later reduced, fused, or regularised. It has a predominantly open-to-lightly-closed syllable rhythm, stable penultimate stress, and a compact vowel system /a e i o u/. Older orthographic y marks inherited palatalising sequences. Its consonant system is simpler than later Igniazi, but already includes conservative realisations such as /β ð ɣ ɾ/. Sequences written sy, zy, ny, gy are still pronounced as overt clusters in careful speech.