118 



§ 18. Basis of articulation. — The small changes 

 which in the course of time take place in the words of every 

 language and break down the traditions of form, depend partlj' 

 upon the physical nature of the organs of articulation and partly 

 upon the nature of the psyciiical elements that come into play 

 (the psychical basis). Both of these factors are to a certain 

 extent determined by race, and their activity extends through 

 larger or smaller groups of individuals, who forget the old 

 pronunciation when they accept the new. The change may be 

 due to indolence and carelessness as well as to liveliness in 

 the speakers. 



With respect to the psychical factor it is sufficient here 

 to refer to what will be said in the following paragraphs about 

 tempo, stress and pitch. 



With respect to the physical factor, it is the favorite posi- 

 tions of the organs of articulation that form the prime motive 

 (basis) for the formation of the characteristic shades of sound. 

 The normal position of the tongue can be reckoned from the 

 average of its movement-tendencies. 



As for the Greenlandic language, the following description 

 of the tongue's favorite position corresponds best with the 

 results of my phonetic lists: the surface of the tongue 

 is apt to lie near the roof of the mouth, is convex at 

 the back, slightly protruded, and in front stretched out 

 very far toward the teeth. The whole of the movable 

 body of the tongue takes part in the vertical movements 

 without any great curvature at any point. So when the point 

 of the tongue is raised or lowered, all the front part of the 

 tongue follows the movement. 



The activity of the tongue stretches over the greatest field 

 possible, namely from the innermost limit at the root of the 

 tongue to the oulerinost limit at the edge of the upper teeth. 

 The places of articulation lie widely scattered over this extent, 

 so combinations of articulatory movements take a lonir time. 



