42.3. The switch: Metathesis
| ƛ̓kʷə́t cn. | ‘I take it.’ |
| ƛ̓ə́kʷt cn. | ‘I am taking it.’ |
| čkʷút cn. | ‘I shoot it.’ |
| čúkʷt cn. | ‘I am shooting it.’ |
| štə́ŋ cn. | ‘I walk.’ |
| šə́təŋ̓ cn. | ‘I am walking.’ |
| q̓mə́t cn. | ‘I cut it in two.’ |
| q̓ə́m̓ət cn. | ‘I am cutting it in two.’ |
► 1 This pattern is very different from what you might find in just about any other language in the world. With this set of words you form the actual by switching the position of the second consonant and the following stressed vowel—a process called metathesis.
► 2 The actual is formed by metathesis in Klallam whenever the nonactual form of the word has the shape Consonant‑Consonant‑Vowel‑Consonant:
C C V C → C V C C
ƛ̓ kʷ ə́ t → ƛ̓ ə́ kʷ t
► 3 Look at each of the models now and see how the pattern works in each.
► 4 You should notice that the pattern in the third and fourth models (the words for ‘walk’ and ‘cut it in two’) are a little different. These really are basically the same, but they also follow a rule of schwa insertion similar to the one described in §42.2.
► 5 Here is the rule for inserting the schwa:
Whenever metathesis brings two consonants together in a word and one is ʔ, m, n, ŋ, y, w, or glottalized versions of these, put ə between them:
C C V C → C V C ↓ C
š t ə́ ŋ → š ə́ t ə ŋ
► 6 One more thing to notice in the third and fourth models is that, just as with the other forms of the actual, the sounds m, n, and ŋ become glottalized. Here is the rule:
Any m, n, or ŋ following the stressed vowel in a word in any form of the actual becomes glottalized.
► 7 Here are a few more words that take the metathesis form of the actual: cx̣ə́t ‘push it’; čx̣ə́t ‘tear it’; ɬx̣ʷə́t ‘straighten it’; x̣č̕ít ‘scratch it’; šč̓ə́t ‘hit it’
► 8 New vocabulary: ƛ̓úyəqs ‘drum’ or ‘box’; x̣ʷéʔləm ‘rope’; muhúy̓ ‘basket’
 | čúkʷt u cxʷ či húʔpt. | ‘Are you shooting a deer?’ |
 | səmíxʷ či. | ‘Silence!’ |
| ƛ̓íƛ̓əw̓ cə ʔən̓húʔpt. | ‘Your deer is running away.’ |
| mán̓ cn ʔuʔ háʔnəŋ. | ‘Thank you very much.’ |