Different /e/ phonemes in Siouan?

[Rankin, Robert L]

> Problem 1:  Ken Miner found that ALL monosyllables in Winnebago (at least
> for major categories like noun, verb, etc.) had long vowels in isolation.
I
> think that was a rule: no exceptions.  If that's true throughout Siouan,
> then differences should be neutralized in this environment, and contexts
> with affixes should be sought.

Winnebago clips the trailing vowels of a lot of words that
would have two syllables in other languages, doesn't it?
So would words like *s^uNke in Winnebago be something like
/*s^uNk-/ in combining forms, but /*s^uNuNk/ when they
stand alone?

The Ho CaNk's clip final, unaccented -e.  But in order to have an unaccented
final -e, WI would have to have had an organic long vowel in the first
syllable of a 2 syll. word already, I think.  So I can't remember if that
particular V alternates or not.  You'd need to consult Miner's IJAL paper(s)
or the nice survey of the controversy in Bruce Hays' metrical phonology
book.  But, yes, I think your characterization of the alternation is
basically correct.

Whether there would be a difference in vowel quality or quantity in the noun
with /he/ as opposed to /he-ama/, I couldn't begin to guess, but in WI
adding an affix could change things.  Interesting questions that deserve
full treatment in all Siouan languages!  More interesting, I must say, than
cats.  :-)

Bob