18 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bdll. 40 



a vowel which is sometimes perceived as o, sometimes as u (con- 

 tinental pronunciation), and which is in reality pronounced in a posi- 

 tion intermediate between these two sounds. 



The correctness of this interpretation of Indian phonetics is per- 

 haps best proved by the fact that observers belonging to different 

 nationalities readily perceive the sounds in accordance with the sys- 

 tem of sounds with which they are familiar. Often it is not diffi- 

 cult to recognize the nationality of a recorder from the system 

 selected by him for the rendering of sounds. 



Still another proof of the correctness of this view of Indian pho- 

 netics is given by the fact that, wherever there is a greater number 

 of Indian sounds of a class represented by a single sound in English, 

 our own sounds are misinterpreted in similar manner. Thus, for 

 instance, the Indians of the North Pacific coast have a series of 

 I sounds, which may be roughly compared to our sounds tl, cl, gl. 

 Consequently, a word like close is heard by the Indians sometimes 

 one way, sometimes another; our cl is for them an intermediate 

 sound, in the same way as some Indian sounds are intermediate 

 sounds to our ears. The alternation of the sounds is clearly an 

 effect of perception through the medium of a foreign system of 

 phonetics, not that of a greater variability of pronunciation than 

 the one that is characteristic of our own sounds. 



While the phonetic system of each language is limited and fixed, 

 the sounds selected in different types of languages show great differ- 

 ences, and it seems necessary to compare groups of languages from 

 the point of view of their constituent phonetic elements. 



Srief Descrijjtion of JPhoiietics 



A complete discussion of this subject can not be given at this 

 place; but a brief statement of the characteristics of articulate 

 sounds, and the manner of rendering them by means of symbols, 

 seems necessary. 



All articulate sounds are produced by the vibrations of the articu- 

 lating organs, which are set in motion by breathing. In the vast 

 majority of cases it is the outgoing breath which causes the vibra- 

 tions; while in a few languages, as in those of South Africa, the 

 breath, while being drawn in, is used for producing the sound. 



One group of sounds is produced by the vibration of the vocal 

 chords, and is characterized by the form given to the cavities of 



