628 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



In a number of cases onomatopoetic terms which undoubtedly 

 belong to the regular vocabulary are used in the same manner: 



tcxup, tcxuj), tcxup, tcxup aLE'xax Ld'klewax the torch flickered 



(literally, made tcxup) 50.24 

 L.'dq, Lidq, L.'dq, Ld'xa ne'xax iske'pxoa, out, out, out, out came 



a rabbit 113.6 



These cases make it plausible that most terms of this kind belong to 

 the regular vocabulary. The frequent use of such onomatopoetic 

 words and the occurrence of new words of the same kind (such as 

 ti'ntin clock, watch, time; tsi'Msik wagon) suggest that in Chinook 

 the power of forming new words by imitative sounds has been quite 

 vigorous until recent times. 



Examples of onomatopoetic words of this class are: 



Tie'lie to laugh tsEX to break 



lio'lio to cough tcxup to flicker 



po to blow tcxoap to gnaw 



t.'Eq to slap Jc.'ut to tear off 



t.'dJc to break a piece out xwe to blow 



to'to to shake Isp to boil 



cix to rattle zldq to crackle 



cdu low voice lHep to go under water 



It is difficult to say where, in this class of words, the purely onomato- 

 poetic character ceases, and where a more indirect representation of 

 the verbal idea by sound begins. I think a distinct auditory image 

 of the idea expressed is found in the following words : 



Iu'lII proud Tcu'lkul light (of weight) 



wax to pour out Tc!d silent 



pdh full q!am lazy 



tErriE'n clear q!uL fast 



tEll tired lo'lo round 



tc'.pdk loud leU to disappear 



gu'tgut exhausted zdx to appear 



gs'cgEC to drive Lxoap to dig 



Most stems of this class occur both single and doubled, sometimes 

 they are even repeated three or four times. Repetition indicates 

 frequency of occurrence of the verbal idea; that is to say, it is dis- 

 tributive, referring to each single occurrence of the idea. We have — 



wax to pour out (blood) 68. 1 wd'xwax to pour out (roots) 43.2 



po to blow once 66.25 po'po to blow repeatedl}'^ 129.20 



tEll tired tE'UtEll to be tired in all parts of 



the bod}" 



Tc'.ut to tear off 89.25 k.'u'tk.'ut to tear to pieces 249.4 



§46 



