System of Phonology of Tanah Ulu Creole

Creole, as a linguistic phenomenon resulting from language contact, necessitates investigation by linguists. This study examined the phonological system of Muarasipongi creole. The objective of the research was to determine the phonemes and ascertain the distribution of phonemes. The research employed a descriptive-qualitative methodology. The findings indicate that Muarasipongi Creole contains 37 phonemes. The phonemes include /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /ʧ/, /ʤ/, /k/, /g/, /?/, /h/, /s/, /ʃ/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /ɲ/, /r/, /l/, /w/, /j/, as well as the vowels /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, /o/, /ae/, /ai/, /ua/, /uo/, /ou/, /oi/, /au/, /ei/, /iu/, /ui/, /ae/, and /ia/. Regarding phoneme distribution, the Muarasipongi creole exhibits variety. The consonants exhibit variability in their distribution. Furthermore, vowels exhibit perfect dispersion, with the exception of the phoneme /æ/. Furthermore, most diphthongs do not exhibit perfect distribution, with the exception of the phoneme /ai/.