Observation

apu nikamut.	She does not sing.
auen nekamut?	Who sings?

When the verb nikamu is made an interrogative (who sings?), the conjunct form nikamut changes to nekamut. The first vowel changes from i (short i) to e.

The changed form of a verb results in a phonological change that affects the vowel of the first syllable in a verb or preverb. It can serve to create entirely new conjugations (like 12b and 14b).

The initial vowel change follows fixed rules, as illustrated below:

Rule		Dictionary Form		Unchanged Conjunct Form(e/ka/eka/apu + …)		Changed Form
short i > e		itu		itin		etin
short a > e		atusseu		atusset		etusset
u > ue		kushpu		kushpiht		kueshpiht
long i > a (not ia)		pitutsheu		pitutshet		patutshet
long a > ia		akushu		akushiani		iakushiani
e > ie		metueu		metuenanut		mietuenanut
ei > iei		peikupishu		peikupishit		pieikupishit
ai > ei		aimu		aimit		eimit

Verbs with a long u don’t take the changed form in certain dialects, which has influenced the standard orthography. Note: the preverb e followed by the unchanged conjunct form is written as one word.

Rule		Dictionary Form		Unchanged Conjunct Form		Changed Form
long u > e + C + u		pushu		pushit		epushit

For examples of changed form conjugations, see 11b, 12b, and 14b in the conjugation guide.