BOAS] HANDBOOK OP AMERICAN IIJTDIAN LANGUAGES 745 



a longer than the a in sham, alley. The a in German Bar is probably 

 more nearly akin. It is broad, and made with the tongue 

 well forward; the opening of the lips is slightly wider than 

 for a; the quantity is in fact so long as to be diphthongal. 

 The first part of the sound is sustained with prolonged 

 emphasis, while the second is blurred and falling. The char- 

 acter of this second sound depends upon the next mould of 

 the voice-passage: md'ndw'^ there is much of it. 



e like the a-sound in tale, ale, late. It is made with the ridge of the 

 tongue near the forward part of the palate ; the lips open out 

 enough to separate at the corners, but the rift there is not 

 clear and sharp: nalie'^ hark! 



e like the vowel-sound in men, led, let. It is a shorter sound of e: 

 pe'm^ oil, grease. 



I with much the character of the diphthong in words like see, sea, tea, 

 key. It is the most forward of all the vowels; the opening 

 of the lips is lifeless: ni'n"' I. 



i like the i in sit, miss, Jit. It is the short of ^; it is even shorter as 

 a final vowel: di'cimiHc^ just as he told me. 



§ 4. Sound -Clusters 

 Consonantic Clusters 



The language is not fond of consonant-clusters. In the list that 

 follows are shown about all of the various combinations. Most of 

 them are with w and y, and so are not types of pure clusters of con- 

 sonants : 



Consonant Combinations 



§4 



