_Sun_ _Moon_ _Fire_ _Earth_
I. epan̲g̲ konga maahra ēmat
II. ybo kaglimbák usi akug
III. ibo
IV. ibo; ibunga gamma; usi amet; ammet
(Laymon) ganehmajen
1. inyáa häláa oóo
2. nyá h´lá; hallá hoo; weya mata
(White) (White)
3. inugh hailiyugh eya; ahi muat
4. enn´yache halyáche n´yakiém máche
5. nyas χilás; χalásh ahaus mát
6. anyá halyá aáua amata
7.{unya {huala {ahowwa {amata
{u̲nyá (Gibbs) {hálla (Gibbs) {aáuwa {am-má-ta (Gibbs)
(Gibbs)
8. anya halya chiwaswe á-i
9. anyá hálya aáuwa amat; tciáma
10. inyaá halá a tuga mat
11. nya (Gilbert) hla (Gilbert) otoga
(Gilbert)
12. m’yatche huth’lya; hullyar aáwo ōmut
amáth (Bennett)
13. ẖuya; hnya? ẖalla ow a-má-ta
14. inyá khilshiá áua mat
15. n’ya hulchyá aáou mut
16. enyah hutl’yah quu mut
17. nya h’kla matuanap mot
18. nyä halá oóh mat; amát; máte
19. nyávi; nyá ’láwe; ’lá óo amat; mata
20. nyá jellá aáu h’mát
21. n’ya hŭllá âá; itshi= mät
“coals”
22. enya halá ohó
23. eñai ẖala aau omot
24. enn’yachipáp helchhyá aáou umát
The comparative schedules of the Serian names for “sun” and “moon”
exhibit no phonetic evidence of genetic relationship with the collated
lists of Yuman vocables of like import.
Between the Serian names for “fire” and the Yuman terms of like import
there is no phonetic accordance indicative of glottologic kinship.
It has been supposed, and not without a measure of possibility,
that a radical relationship exists between the Serian and the Yuman
words denoting “earth”. The supposition rests on the approximate
phonetic accordance of two consonants occurring in these terms, quite
regardless of the vowel sounds that render them intelligible. The four
Seri authorities are in close accord in not hearing and recording a
vowel sound between the _m_ and the following _t_. This final _t_
is apparently explosive, indicated by Mr Bartlett with a prefixed
apostrophe and by Sr Tenochio with an _e_, whose final position would
make it faint. The initial _h_ of the record of M Pinart is very
probably due to the Yuman-speaking interpreter. Now, in the 26 forms
of the Yuman word here collated the vowel intervening between the _m_
and _t_ of the Yuman vocable is strong and characteristic, and in 11
instances it is accented. While the Seri forms are monosyllables, 17
of the 28 Yuman examples are dissyllabic and 3 are trisyllables. The
Cocopa _muat_ indicates the persistency of the medial vowel. These
differences, admittedly but poorly indicated by the faulty alphabets
employed by the several word collectors, are important and significant;
were the several terms here compared faithfully recorded as spoken, by
means of a discriminative phonetic alphabet, it seems probable that
these literal accordances, in view of the marked differences noted
above, would disappear. So in the absence of historical evidence of
the genetic relationship of the Serian and the Yuman words denoting
“earth”, it seems best to regard this literal accordance as fortuitous
rather than real or genetic.