54 BUREAU OF AMEKICAN" ETHNOLOGY [bdll. 40 



As for the second test, it soon appears that the Takelma stem may 

 undergo even more far-reaching changes than we are accustomed to 

 in German or Greek. As examples may serve : 



do^TTi-, du^m-, t.'omom- (tlomo^-), tlumiX^- kill 

 na/^g-, ne^-, nago/-, nege- say to 



The first form in each of these sets is the verb-stem, properly speak- 

 ing, and is used in the formation of all but the aorist forms. The 

 second is employed in non-aorist forms when the incorporated object 

 of the verb is a first person singular, and in several derivative forma- 

 tions. The third is characteristic of the aorist. The fourth is used 

 in the aorist under the same conditions as determine the use of the 

 second form of the stem in other groups of forms. It needs but a 

 moment's thought to bring home the general psychic identity of such 

 stem-variability and the "ablaut" of many German verbs, or the 

 Latin stem-variation in present and perfect : 



frang- :freg- break 

 da- : ded- give 



If the typical verb (and, for that matter, noun) form of Takelma is 

 thus found to be a firm phonetic and psychic unit, and to be charac- 

 terized by some of the supposed earmarks of inflection, what is left 

 but to frankly call the language "inflectional" ? " Polysynthetic' ' and 

 " incorporative " are not in the slightest degree terms that exclude 

 such a designation, for they have reference rather to the detailed 

 treatment of certain groups of concepts than to morphologic method. 

 Everything depends on the point of view. If chief stress for purposes 

 of classification is laid on the relative importance and fulness of the 

 verb, Takelma is polysynthetic; if the criterion of classification be 

 taken to be whether the verb takes the pronominal object within its 

 structure or not, it is incorporating; if, finally, stress be laid on the 

 general method of building up the word from smaller elements, it is 

 inflective. Not that Takelma is in the least thereby relegated to a 

 peculiar or in any way exceptional position. A more objective, un- 

 hampered study of languages spoken in various parts of the world 

 will undoubtedly reveal a far wider prevalence than has been gener- 

 ally admitted of the inflectional type. The error, however, must not 

 be made of taking such comparatively trivial characteristics as sex 

 gender, or the presence of cases, as criteria of inflection. Inflection 

 has reference to method, not to subject-matter. 



S 25 



