308 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



simplify them. Thus, combinations of more than two consonants are 

 rare, except in cases where one of the component elements (fre- 

 quently the middle consonant) is m^ n, or one of the lateral series. 

 Such combinations are made possible through the semi-vocalic charac- 

 ter of these consonants. I have also found xpq^ xcx'. 



helq- to arrive Kalqtso'^' vxit she would bring it 



to him 72.8 

 a'lqas fear 66.4 agalqdto'^'wat he scared him 



92.20 

 dE'msU prairie 22. 12 dEmste'tc through a prairie 22. 11 



In the same manner initial clusters, of which ?>?, ;i, or I is the first 

 element, are syllabified by vocalization of the first consonant either 

 initially or terminally. A similar process takes place in clusters con- 

 sisting of two consonants that belong to the same group. 



The only consonantic combinations that are inadmissible are those 

 of a ^, ts ov s-\- m or n. 



Terminal clusters of three consonants are admissible only in cases 

 where one of the component elements is a consonant easily subject to 

 vocalization (a lateral, m or n). 



I'nq 7.5 qa'mlt 102.16 



yixaJntci^ts 60.3 tqofnhts 28.1 



Terminal clusters of two consonants are confined to the combina- 

 tions of m-f ^, m-f-A^, m + x; 71 + alveolar or affricative, n + h\ u + l; 

 Z-t- alveolar or affricative (excepting l-^n),l-\-m; l-\-t and l + tc. All 

 other combinations are inadmissible (see §11). 



The following examples of terminal sound groupings may be given: 



Lle'^-stmt 74.19 iHt 7.8 



hatd'yims 20.14 milt! 76.12 



yi'xumx 122.22 t(Ms 



h-Unt 6.2 le'Hdj 



xwdndj 6.8 he' wilts 140.14 



klvAnts 96.11 tc/iltc! 26.26 



Lowe^entc 6.1 th-elm 136.7 (St. Clair) 



dmh' 82.9 xalt 10.9 



hanL 7.1 qe'lto 6.4 . 



An exceptional instance of a usually inadmissible sound grouping 

 was found in xyi'kelq 20.21. 

 § 4 



