BOAS] HANDBOOK OF INDIAN LANGUAGES — COOS 307 



aspiration, by the abundance of long (doable) consonants I, m, n^ and y, 

 and by the semi-vocalic treatment of the nasals m, n, and of the lateral 

 sounds (indicated in this sketch by a circle under the consonant). 

 Surds and sonants were not always pronounced distinctly, especially 

 in the alveolar series. No aspirated consonants were found besides 

 the aspirated f and k\ The fortis is pronounced with moderate air- 

 pressure and glottal and nasal closure. 

 The system of consonants may be represented as follows: 



Sonant Surd Fortis Spirant Nasal 



Velar -.. {g f) q q! y,x 



Palatal g, g{w) k, k{w) h!^ h! (lo) - 



Anterior palatal g' k' k' ! x' - 



Alveolar d t, f t! s, c n, n 



Affricative {dzf)^dj ts, fc ts/^tof 



Labial h j) p! - m^Wt 



Lateral l l l! l^l^l - 



Glottal stop £ _ _ _ _ 



Aspiration - - - ^^' 



y^V h w 



The glottal stop, when not inherent in the stem, may occur inde- 

 pendently only before Z, m, w, and w. It always disappears before 

 velar and palatal sounds. The aspiration is always accompanied by a 

 stricture corresponding to the quality of the vowel preceding it. 

 After a, 6», and u (and u diphthongs) it is of a guttural character; while 

 when following e, ^-vowels, or the ^-diphthongs, it becomes palatal. 

 It disappears before a following w or y. 



T^ha^'Hs I make it 10.4 'Q^ha^vje^'wat I have it 18.4 



ts soHUd'nl we two trade mu- 

 tually 15.6 



"Qlo^Hd'ya I am watching it loivUl'yeqEm he took care 66.3 

 26.11 



pl'^'pl he went home 28.2 xplye'etc backwards, homewards 



42.T 



qai^'qa'yond'ya he became 

 afraid of it 42.3 



§ 4. Sound Groupings 



As has been stated before, clusters of consonants are extensive, but 

 present few complications. Whenever diflSculties arise in pronoun- 

 cing them, there is a strong tendency, inherent Jn the language, to 



§ 4 



