Consider these linguograms:
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Fig. 1: Linguogram for s as in the word sa 'one' |
Fig.2: Linguogram for zh [  ] as in the word zha 'bush' |
Fig.3: Linguogram for r as in the word ra 'sensation (of rapid heartbeat)' |
These linguograms show the differences between the alveolar trill [r], alveolar approximant [] (written zh ), and alveolar fricatives [s]. The approximant [ ] in Rongga appears to be ‘unique' in Flores languages. It is pronounced with a slight touch or a very close approach of the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge, and crucially it should not be vibrated. This evidenced by the linguograms: a) little or no colouring (red) substance has been transferred onto left and right sides of the tongue in the case of zh (Fig 2) vs tick lines of transferred substance in the linguograms of [s] (Fig. 1) and [r] (Fig.3), b) the tip of the tongue received transferred substance (i.e. an active articulator) in the case of zh but not in the case of [s] and [r]. That there are little and irregular forms of the transferred substance on the sides of the tongue in the articulation of zh [ ] suggests that these parts of the tongue were not in contact with the alveolar ridge in a forceful and extended way as was the case of the articulation of [s] and [r].