February 7, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



225 



books. The inference from the experiment 

 is fallacious; moreover the experiment does 

 not work if the dielectric is dry and low 

 potentials are employed, or, in any event, if 

 the dielectric is a gas or a vacuum. 



Despite these minor blemishes the book is 

 an excellent one. The style is admirable and 

 the whole treatment is calculated to inspire 

 the interest of the student. We can thor- 

 oughly recommend its use with classes which 

 have already had a general course in physics. 



O. W. ElCHARDSON 



Princeton University 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 



RELATIONSHIP OF THE INDIAN" LANGUAGES OF 



CALIFORNIA 



Anthropologically California has always 

 been noted for its linguistic diversity, which 

 has been accepted as being greater than that 

 of any other part of the world. Since Powell's 

 standardizing classification, which allotted 22 

 distinct families of native languages to the 

 state, only one consolidation, that of Shasta 

 and Achomawi, has been positively asserted 

 and generally accepted. Two or three other 

 pairs of languages have for some time seemed 

 to be probably each reducible to a common 

 origin; but the specific similarities determined 

 were weakened by the frequent occurrence of 

 both lexical and grammatical resemblances 

 between many other families which there was 

 no justification for connecting genetically. 

 These grammatical resemblances have been 

 several times discussed by us and attributed 

 to the inter-influence of distinct families, due 

 to geographical contact. The lexical similari- 

 ties we have assumed, in all but a few cases, to 

 be the result of borrowing. It became clear 

 that until the degree and extent of this mutual 

 influencing and borrowing among unrelated 

 languages were more precisely ascertained, the 

 relationships suspected in the few instances 

 referred to were capable of explanation 

 through such borrowing on a slightly more in- 

 tensive scale, and would therefore never ad- 

 vance beyond the stage of probability. For 

 this reason we undertook some time ago a 

 comparison of more than 200 stem words in 



all the languages and dialects of California 

 so far as material was available. From the 

 time the material began to be assembled, some 

 interesting results as to the character and 

 scope of the borrowing of words commenced to 

 appear; but after analysis of the collected in- 

 formation had progressed beyond a certain 

 point, it became apparent that the only satis- 

 factory explanation of the resemblances be- 

 tween certain languages was genetic relation- 

 ship. On the basis of these indications the 

 grammatical information extant on the same 

 languages was reexamined, and in every in- 

 stance was found strongly confirmatory. Lex- 

 ical and structural similarities coinciding and 

 being relatively abundant, true relationships 

 have been accepted as established. The new 

 larger families and their components are: 



Penutian, comprising the groups formerly 

 known as Maidu, Wintun, Miwok, Costanoan 

 and Tokuts. This is a relatively large and 

 compact family, occupying practically the 

 whole of the drainage area of the great valley 

 of California. 



Tlokan, comprising certainly Shasta, Chi- 

 mariko and Pomo, probably Karok, and pos- 

 sibly Yana. The territory of this family is in 

 the hill country to the north and west of the 

 Penutian, and is more irregTilar. 



Eitwan, comprising Turok and Wiyot. No 

 new proof on the previously suggested pos- 

 sible relationship of these two languages was 

 obtained, except the negative evidence of com- 

 plete lack of resemblances of both to any 

 other family, which of course increases the 

 weight of the similarities between the two, in- 

 sufEcient though these may yet be for absolute 

 demonstration. 



The number of distinct families in Cali- 

 fornia is thus reduced from 21 certainly to 15 

 and possibly to 12. 



Owing to the absence of one of the under- 

 signed in Asia at the present moment, some 

 time must elapse before our material and con- 

 clusions can be finally revised and published. 

 For this reason the present announcement is 

 issued. 



E. B. Dixon, 

 A. L. Kroeber 



