3.2.1. Epenthesis
Epenthesis is the process of adding sublexical elements to “repair” an ill-formed syllable. As mentioned earlier (PHONOLOGY 2.1.1), all signs should contain a visible movement to be well-formed in NGT. Signs without a clear movement component, such as white (Figure 2.15b in PHONOLOGY 2.1), therefore typically include a small movement in which the articulator (once or repeatedly) contacts the place of articulation. Thus, the underlying form may not include a movement component, but movement is added to make it a well-formed syllable. The sign day (Figure 2.15a in PHONOLOGY 2.1) is another example of a sign without clear movement component, and the need to add movement may account for two frequently encountered variants: one variant is often articulated with repeated contact, while the other variant includes a small movement away from the cheek.