
xII


ALPHABET


a, 1, u vocalic resonance of consonants.
a, e, i, u short weak vowels, very slightly voiced.
E very weak vowel of indeterminate timber, lips,
palate, and tongue almost in rest position, larynx
not raised.
aa, e1, ii, Ou diphthongized vowels, ending with a decided glottal stricture, so as to be set off from the following consonants, without, however, forming a
complete glottal stop.
p, t, ts, k, kU, q  strongly aspirated surd stops (k labialized, q velar).
ts is pronounced by many individuals as tc; but
careful speakers, particularly old men, pronounced a clear ts. When followed by w or y,
the stops lose some of the strength of their
aspiration. Terminal k is somewhat palatalized,
except when it follows a u.
p!, t!, ts!,. k!, q! very strong glottalized consonants (fortis). ts! has
in its continuant part a pure s character.
s  as in English.
x   velar spirant.
I voiceless 1.
dl voiced   affricative, only in the word kudlidlus
(" butterfly").
m, n   often strongly sonant, with sonancy beginning suddenly before complete labial or lingual closure.
' glottal stop.
aspiration. All surd stops are strongly aspirated,
but the aspiration has been indicated only in
words beginning with aa.
The primary accent is always on the penultima, the weak vowels,
a, 1, U, not being counted.




