The Stress Conspiracy and Stress-Repelling Bases in the Central Yup'ik and Siberian Yupik Eskimo Languages

Abstract

0. Introduction. There are two major phonological differences between the Yupik Eskimo languages and Inupiaq Eskimo.' One is the presence in Yupik of a fourth vowel, schwa, which is not found in Inupiaq (except marginally in Seward Peninsula Inupiaq). The other difference is that the Yupik languages all have ryhthmic systems in which alternating syllables are stressed subject to various modifications depending on the particular Yupik language and dialect within that language. Inupiaq has no such rhythmic stress system (although Seward Peninsula Inupiaq has a rhythmic process of consonant weakening paralleling the rhythmic stress system in neighboring Yupik areas).2 Central Yup'ik rhythmic stress was first touched on by Hinz (1944:5) and Swadesh 1955:34), discussed more by Bergsland (1967:211-12), and described in detail by Miyaoka (1971); it is further described by Reed et al. (1977). Siberian Yupik rhythmic stress is described by Krauss (1975). Alutiiq rhythmic stress has been extensively researched by Leer (ms.). Central Yup'ik rhythmic stress will be elaborated on by Miyaoka (forthcoming), and the three systems will be discussed together with the Siberian Yupik variants and Seward Peninsula Inupiaq in Krauss (forthcoming). In this article I discuss one very important aspect of the Yupik stress systems which results in morphologically conditioned modification of the