282 BUREAU OF AMEEICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



object, but here again the resemblance is only superficial. In 

 Athapascan the pronominal elements are phonetically closely com- 

 bined with the verbal prefixes and stand apart from the follow- 

 ing verb-stem, which never, or very rarely, loses its monosyllabic 

 individuality. In Takelma the pronominal elements, together with 

 the derivative affixes, enter into very close combination with the 

 preceding verb-stem, but stand severely aloof from the verbal 

 prefixes. The radical phonetic changes which the verb-stem under- 

 goes for tense in both languages is perhaps the most striking- 

 resemblance between the two; but even in this regard they differ 

 widely as to the methods employed. Neither the very extended 

 use of reduplication in Takelma, nor the frequent use in Atha- 

 pascan of distinct verb-stems for the singular and plural, is shared 

 by the other. Add to this the fact that the phonetic systems of 

 Athapascan and Takelma are more greatly divergent than would 

 naturally be expected of neighboring languages, and it becomes clear 

 that the opinion that has generally been held, though based on 

 practically no evidence, in regard to the entirely distinct character- 

 istics of the two linguistic stocks, is thoroughly justified. 



The entire lack of nominal cases in Takelma and the lack of pro- 

 nominal incorporation in Klamath indicate at the outset the funda- 

 mental morphologic difference between these stocks. In so far as 

 nominal cases and lack of pronominal incorporation are made the 

 chief morphologic criteria of the central Californian group of linguistic 

 families, as represented, say, by Maidu and Yokuts, absolutely no 

 resemblance is discernible between those languages and Takelma. As 

 far, then, as available linguistic material gives opportunity for judg- 

 ment, Takelma stands entirely isolated among its neighbors. 



In some respects Takelma is typically American, in so far as it is 

 possible at all to speak of typical American linguistic characteristics. 

 Some of the more important of these typical or at any rate wide- 

 spread American traits, that are found in Takelma, are: the incor- 

 poration of the pronominal (and nominal) object m the verb; the 

 incorporation of the possessive pronouns in the noun; the closer 

 association with the verb-form of the object than the subject; the 

 inclusion of a considerable number of instrumental and local modifi- 

 cations in the verb-complex; the weak development of differences of 

 tense in the verb and of number in the verb and noun; and the 

 impossibility of drawing a sharp line between mode and tense. 



§ 116 



