по 



degree; between two /•-sounds, however, (as in rar) even a short 

 vowel is strongly affected; a vowel preceding r -h consonant 

 (rs,rt, etc.) is strongly uvularized, and before r -f- nasal [rq, rn, 

 rm) also nasalized, [è à о] occur only before rn and rq. 



The question as to whether these vowels ought to be called 

 uvular or uvularized, depends on whether or not it can be 

 proved that the uvular quality is due to some outside influence 

 (for instance the addition of a suffix beginning with an uvular 

 consonant); in lack of such proof we have to assume the uvula- 

 rization to have belonged originally to the vowel. In such a word 

 as [(/ejer^agj^, we know nothing about the origin of the e-sounds, 

 therefore they are original in the word in its existing form, 

 accordingly not uvularized, but uvular. The a-sound, on the 

 other hand, may be called uvularized, for we see that it owes 

 its uvular quality to the following 5, since in combination 

 with other suffixes it remains a normal a. Ex: [q^qevta^icdq]- 

 [qeq^TtcrY etc. For the sake of convenience, I shall use only 

 the expression "uvularized" in speaking of the vowels, uvular 

 of the consonants. 



This juxtaposition of vowel 4- uvular consonant is very 

 frequent in the Eskimo language, and it always results in the 

 uvularization of the vowel. The two sounds — the vowel 

 -|- the consonant — in reality make up a phonetic whole. 

 In the formation of the uvularized vowel, that articulation of 

 the soft palate which corresponds to r is assumed. If it is 

 a q (not r] that follows the vowel, the uvular stopped consonant 

 is anticipated in the pronunciation of the vowel by the uvular 

 r-friction: [a^'^'J or simply written farjj. It is clear that these 

 vowels must be produced in a peculiar manner. 



In the articulation of q^ r, etc. an enlargement of the inner- 

 most part of the mouth-chamber takes place , as has been 

 shown in § 6. The upper part of the soft palate arches upward 



' an island ■' it is an island ' its island. 



