M5i ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



distinctions of past tense, such as imperfect, like other present and 

 future tenses, are expressed by the present stem with attached 

 suffixes, with or without the preterit sign -f-. The rules for the 

 formation of the preterit stem from the present follow: 



1). A stem ending in a consonant normally drops the consonant 

 to form the preterit. In many cases the preceding- vowel also is 

 dropped, causing a disappearance of the entire final syllable. Pho- 

 netic theory, supported by actual evidence, suggests that a short 

 vowel may rhus disappear while a long one will merely have its 

 length shortened. This class comprises the majority of verbal stems. 4;l 



2). Final a is retained. Final i is also probably retained but 

 the examples are few and inconclusive. 



:i). Final o, <"> ami i< are changed to oi. Hi and ui. Final 6c 

 likewise becomes di instead of <"> as expected. 



4). A variant of the first rule is presented by a small number 

 of monosyllabic stems consisting of an initial and a final consonant 

 with intervening vowel generally long in quantity. These stems 

 reduplicate and then drop the final vowel and consonant causing, 

 in effect, a substitution of the reduplicated initial consonant for the 

 normal final consonant. Fn two cases noted the final vowel is retained. 



.">). A very few verbs are found which form the preterit by the 

 suffixation of -ir to the present stem. Most of these contain a 

 glottal stop. (Of. ]>. 320). 



Practically all verbal stems obey one of these rules of preterit 

 formation. Most of the apparent exceptions were obtained only once 

 in response to a request for the form and can be ignored as errors. 



In the majority of cases a rise in pitch was noted on the final 

 syllable of the preterit form and this phenomenon most probably 

 obtains in every ca>e. 



* J That the present form is the true stem and nut expanded from the preterit by 

 means of terminations is shown lirst by the great variety of tinal consonants and second 

 by comparison with Other Sonoran stems 



Nahua Tepecano Tepecano I'apngo 



present preterit 



maca mak ma mah give 



cochi ko - s ko'i kol sleep 



It is interesting in view of Piman comparisons to note that Papago verbal stems 

 (Dolores, op. di.) relate almost uniformly to Tepecano preterit stems, and where the 

 Tepecano preterit has dropped a final consonant this is Frequently replaced in Papago by 

 the aspiration, //. 



