340 THE POLYNESIAN WANDERINGS. 



tion is that vai undergoes a series of vowel changes which would not be 

 possible unless its ai were regarded as a vocalic unit and susceptible of 

 variation as such. 



The Efate forms are reducible to four types, vai, jai, ivai, ai; we shall 

 discuss our collected material in relation to these types, this discussion 

 referring only to the initial consonant. 



vai. This is the most common type in Polynesia, is absent from Mela- 

 nesia, and is found but once in Indonesia, Baju voi. 



fai. Efate alone shows this type. In general it is to be said that the 

 spirant rarely alters from sonant to surd, our only examples being lava (307) 

 very Fagani raja, and vivini (242) to crow Ambrym nofin to whistle. The 

 change from surd to sonant is of great frequency. 



wai. This is found in Polynesia only in Maori, Hawaii, Viti, Sikayana. 

 It is the most common type in Melanesia and Indonesia. In the former 

 it is found in Omba, Ulawa, San Cristoval, Saa, Arag, Bululaha, Moanus, 

 Aneityum, Nifilole, Baki, Ambrym, Nengone, Duaru, Yengin, Balade. 



A secondary Efate form is noai, n'uai, n'wai, the n probably functioning 

 as article. The same prefix, and probably of the same value, we find with 

 wai in Sesake, Bierian, Southeast Epi (probably the Bierian), Malekula, 

 Tanna, and Eromanga. These n-forms are found nowhere outside of 

 Melanesia. 



ai. This type is exclusively Efate. It is normal to find the labials when 

 in mutation so extensively — we should interpolate the aspiration form of 

 this series in Vaiqueno, hoi — progressing to extinction ; yet this Efate type 

 is our only instance in this stem. Over against this we set for comparison 

 Eromanga, which has lost its radical vowel and exists only by the complete 

 alteration through the w semivowel to vocalic u; the chain is a complete 

 one in the links Bierian, Malekula, Eromanga. 



We have already examined a secondary wai type in u. We find yet 

 another secondary wai type in k, a prefix whose purpose does not appear. 

 It occurs in Alite and in New Caledonia in the languages of Murare and 

 Nikete. This, too, does not pass outside of Melanesia. 



Before entering upon the discussion of forms consonantly less obvious 

 it will be proper here to engage upon the consideration of the vowel forms. 



ai. Polynesia altogether, Viti, Rotuma, Efate, much of Melanesia, most 



of Indonesia. 

 oi. Rotuma, Nifilole; Baju, Vaiqueno East, Kaioa Island. 

 e. Baki, Ambrym, Yengin, Balade, Nikete, Malekula; Waigiou Alfuros, 



Allor, Togean Islands, Rotti. 

 i. Nengone, Duaru, Murare, Tanna. 



Having thus acquainted ourselves with the vowel variability we may 

 recur to the consideration of a second group of Melanesian homogenetics. 

 In these the vowel has changed to e, or to ei which is the same in effect. 

 The consonantal change is from spirant to mute, to b, mb, p. The table 

 of variations will afford abundant store of examples of this change. We 

 may, then, having confirmed both consonant and vowel mutation, accept 

 Mota, Marina, pei; Maewo, Merlav, mbei; Vanua Lava, Norbarbar, Lo, 

 pe; Motlav, Volow, mbe; Bugotu, mbea. Marina has not only pei but a 



