117 



times. About each sound-symbol is grouped a number of 

 slightly varying positions of the speech-organs , but among 

 these there will always be found something like a tendency 

 toward a norm, and the sound-symbol stands for this norm. 



As regards the variations, the sound will not as a rule be 

 in any perceptible degree acoustically influenced by the small 

 functional inaccuracies, which are only noticed by the critical 

 observer, not by the one for whom speech is but a means 

 of communication. The speakers themselves believe that their 

 pronunciation is in accurate agreement with the sound-pictures 

 which they have inherited through the ear, and they either do 

 not notice the deviations, or consider them of no account. 

 Only in those cases where it is necessary to speak especially 

 distinctly, as for instance to foreigners, to deaf people, in cal- 

 ling at a distance or in speaking solemnly, may there be a 

 tendency purposely to emphasize or even exaggerate a sound's 

 peculiarities*). 



The Greenlanders produce this exaggerated efl'ect less by 

 any change of lip-position than by the activity of the inner 

 part of the mouth. I have heard a woman pronounce the inter- 

 jection [а^очг], which expresses great surprise, so that it sounded 

 somewhat like [др-д-а]. Thus also [md^s-ame] (certainly) becomes 

 [nioç"anve] in an indignant tone [Omnq.]^ and [a-p] (yes) be- 

 comes [a-^p] {Nqt.). 



The Greenlander generally talks with great composure and 

 not very loudly, and articulates accordingly, as a rule, distinctly 

 and consistently. The uvular consonants present merely insigni- 

 ficant variations with respect to place of articulation. The lip- 

 sounds and back sounds vary more. Of the point sounds, /, / 

 and s seem to be most variable. 



Cf. 0. Bremer (Deutsche Phonetik, 1893) g 118: 



„Je lebhafter ein Mensch ist, je mehr es ilin drängt seinen Empfindungen auch in seiner 

 Spruche einen möglichst intensiven Ausdruck zu verleiben, um so mehr sucht er auch die 

 akustische Wirkung jedes Sprechschalles zu erhöhen, indem er dessen Klang möglichst 

 extrem gestaltet. Am klarsten tritt das bei den Vokalen zu Tage." 



