ALTERATION OF THE EOOT. 257 



Softening of the vowel : 

 ya-a to howl, ya'ka, y^ka to howl while dancing. 

 stA to be full, stdni full, sta'-ila to fill down into, to gather (roots, etc.). 



3. Change through accretion. 



Accretion takes place when the radix or basic syllable is increased by 

 prefixes, suffixes, through syllabic reduplication or through the formation 

 of a compound word. The usual consequence of accretion is the removal 

 of the emphasis from the radix to another syllable, the secondary accent 

 becoming often preponderant over the primary one; another consequence is 

 the weakening or shortening of the radical vowel. The frequent change of 

 M (o) to a in the radical syllable has to be ascribed to this cause. 



shnuka to seize, shn4kptiga to seize with pincers. 



tchuka to expire, tch4kle;fa to lose children by death. 



k6ka to bite, ka-iildsha to erode, gnaw. 



mita to burn, trans, and intr.; shnuitampka to keep up the fire, niliwa to 



blaze up, ndtkolua. Mod , to burn in the distance, shnatk41ka to set on 



fire, ndtspka to be charred, shndka to burn, to shine. 

 nuka, n6ka to be, become ripe, shni'kanua to let ripen. 

 shim to shoot, shlataniya to make ready for shooting. 

 tchia to remain, sit, tche];;^a to sit, tcheklela to sit on the side of, tcliAwal, 



tchaggaya to be seated upon, tchawdya (from tchia and waiha), to 



wait, expect. 

 hema, ha'ma to emit voice, ham6asha to call to oneself. 

 t^dsha to wash, shatashpapkfa to make the gesture of washing (the face), 

 pdlpela to work, lulpalpalia to make eyes for somebody. 



This shortening or weakening also occurs in prefixes; cf shalakla, Mod. 

 shelakla ; shnap^mpema, Mod. shnep^mpema ; and in suffixes : yutetampka 

 for yutatdmpka. 



4. Elision of the radical vowel 



Is brought about by the same causes as the change through accretion, 

 and hence is but another form of No. 3 : 



nuka to roast, bake, n;ijuta, n;futagia to burn at the bottom of the cooking 



utensil (for nukiita, nukutagia). 

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