Afrasianist phonetic notation

Comparative work of the Afroasiatic languages uses a semi-conventionalized set of symbols that are somewhat different than the International Phonetic Alphabet and other phonetic notations. The more salient differences include the letters $⟨c, ʒ⟩$ for IPA, the circumflex diacritic $⟨◌̂⟩$ for lateral obstruents, and the sub-dot $⟨◌̣⟩$ for emphatic consonants, which depending on the language may be ejective, implosive or pharyngealized.

Letters
Phonetic conventions are as follows:

$⟨h̠⟩$ is used only for Egyptian. Its value is not certain.

Sometimes IPA letters are used for the above, e.g. $⟨ħ⟩$ for $⟨ḥ⟩$, $⟨χ⟩$ for $⟨ḫ⟩$ or $⟨j⟩$ for $⟨y⟩$, or intermediate notation such as $⟨ṭṣ⟩$ for $⟨c̣⟩$ or $⟨ṭɬ̣⟩$ for $⟨ĉ̣⟩$.

Other consonants are familiar from the IPA or may be extended from the patterns in the table (e.g. $⟨ẓ⟩$ for, $⟨š⟩$ for , or $\langleq̣\rangle$ for ).

Palatal/palatalized consonants are indicated with an acute accent: $⟨ś ṣ́ ź ć ć̣ ʒ́ ń ĺ ŕ⟩$; retroflex often with a grave accent: $\langlel̀ ǹ\rangle$ etc.; and uvulars sometimes with an inverted breve: $\langlek̑ h̑\rangle$ etc. $\langlekʷ kᵒ\rangle$ may be distinguished as a labialized consonant vs a consonant followed by a rounded vowel.

There is some inconsistency between authors, often reflecting different phonetic interpretations, e.g. $\langlex\rangle$ for and $\langleḫ\rangle$ for, or $\langleḫ\rangle$ for  and $\langlex\rangle$ for , or $\langleg\rangle$ for  and $\langleɡ\rangle$ for.

$⟨ā, ī, ū, ē, ō⟩$ are long vowels; $⟨ǎ⟩$ etc. are short vowels. $⟨ə⟩$ is a neutral vowel (schwa).
 * Vowels

Symbols for reconstruction
Wildcards include:
 * V for an undetermined vowel: {a, i, u};
 * H for a laryngeal or pharyngeal consonant: {ḥ, ʕ, ʔ, h};
 * S for a sibilant: {s, z, c, ʒ, č, ǯ, ṣ, c̣, č̣}.

Thus *bVr- is shorthand for "either *bar- or *bir- or *bur-".


 * / means "or", e.g. *gaw/y- is *gaw- or *gay-.
 * means "with or without", e.g. *ba(w)r- is *bawr- or *bar-.
 * ~ means parallel proto-forms, e.g. *ʕad-at- ~ *ʕidd- means that the proto-form has two variant reconstructions.