PHONETICS (§§ 1-24) 



Chukchee (§§ 1-13) 



§ 1, Voivels 



The vowels of the Chukchee language may be divided into three 

 classes: 



(1) Weak vowels: 'I i e d u 



(2) Strong vowels: e a e o 



(3) Neutral vowels: i e a u 



The vowels of the first and second classes are always long. 



^, 6, u^ have their continental values. 



<z is a long obscure vowel, in rest position of all the muscles of 

 the oral cavity, posterior nares closed, teeth and lips slightly 

 opened. 



'l is a glide from e to /, with long, accented i. It is always com- 

 bined with a glottal stop. 



e is the open e of Kell., but long. 



a has its continental value. 



like in nor. 



e a u with very slight rounding of lips, with the acoustic effect 

 of a sound between o and xi. 



/, £, ^, obscure, short vowels corresponding to the respective long 

 vowels. 



ii, an i with rounded lips, short; somewhat like the Russian w. 



Unusual length or shortness of vowels is indicated by the macron 

 and breve respectively (a, a). 



Diphthongs are formed by the combination of any of the vowels 

 with following i and w; 



ai like i in hide. au like ow in how. 



ei like ei in vein. eu like eu in Italian leucojo. 



oi like oi in choice. 

 The * and w of diphthongs belong to the neutral vowels. Combina- 

 tions of the vowels with the weak vowels i and u do not form diph- 

 thongs. 



The i and u of true diphthongs must be considered as voiced con- 

 sonants, because, in all intervocalic positions where they are not lost, 

 and in proper position before certain consonants, they have conso- 

 nantic character; and because they often modify following conso- 

 nants in the manner of the preceding consonants y and to (see §§5, 9). 



§1 



643 



