The Geography and Dialects of the Miwok Indians - Yosemite Online

360 University of California Publications in Am. Arch. and Ethn . [Vol. 6
t, d alveolar stops, voiceless and voiced respectively.
The latter occurs rarely in the Sierra group
of dialects.
t voiceless dental stop. In making this sound the
tongue tip rests against the backs of the upper
teeth.
T
voiceless interdental stop.
n
nasalized post-palatal sonant ; like English ng.
x has a sound usually approaching Spanish jota,
but is sometimes distinguishable from h only
with difficulty.
the g ` sonant of x.
c, j open prepalatal consonants, voiceless and voiced
respectively.
s, z open alveolar consonants, voiceless and voiced
respectively.
s This peculiar voiceless continuant is made by
protruding the lower jaw to a considerable
extent and retracting the edges of the tongue
to an almost prepalatal position.
1 as in English let.
L
1 the sonant of L.
This is a voiceless stop made with the tip of the
tongue on the alveolar arch . The closure
is followed by only a slight explosion, the
air being allowed to escape laterally . This
sound has not so far been met with among
the Sierra dialects and only occasionally
among the Coast dialects.
L resembles L except that the tongue is somewhat
more retracted, and more relaxed so that
there is almost no explosion as the air escapes
over the sides of the tongue. The sound resembles
that of hl. This also has not so far
been found among the Sierra dialects and is
found among the Coast dialects more rarely
than is L .