Erromango.English.I au,I.kik,you.iyi,he.enn-iau,my.ennun-kik,thy.enn-ii,his.ennun-kos,our.ennun-kimi,your.enn-irara,their.sai-imou,this.sai-nempe,that.aramai,good.tagraubuki,bad.saitavan,one.du-ru,two.tesal,three.menda-vat,four.suku-ring,five.sikai,six.suku-rimnaro,seven.suku-rimtesal,eight.suku-rimendarat,nine.kosengu,we.kimingu,ye.irara,they.ngaraodlem,ten.nobu,God.natamas,spirit.etemen,father.tan niteni,son.tinema,mother.etemetallari,man.tiamesu,thing.ei,yes.taui,no.navang,eat.hamonuki,drink.akasè,see.nimint,eyes.lebetanlop,finger.warakelang,nose.telangunt,ear.lampunt,hair.kikome,name.
Since these vocabularies were laid before the Society, a "Journal of a Cruise among the Islands of the Western Pacific," by Capt. J. E. Erskine, R, N., has been published. This shows the sources of the preceding lists; since the bishop of New Zealand accompanied the expedition, and succeeded in taking back with him, on his return; some youths for the purposes of education.
The class to which these vocabularies belong has never been, sufficiently for the purposes of publication, reduced to writing, nor is any member of it known to scholars in general, in respect to its grammatical structure. This, however, will probably not be the case much longer, since Capt. Erskine has placed the materials for the study of the Aneitum (Annatom) language in the hands of Mr. Norriss, who is prepared for its investigation. Neither has the class been wholly neglected. A grammar of the Tanna (an allied language) was drawn up by Mr. Heath, but it has not been published, and is probably lost. Dr. Pritchard, who had seen extracts from it, writes, that it contained atrinalaswell as asingular, adual, and apluralnumber. The present list elucidates this. Thetrinalnumber (so-called) of the Mallicolo is merely the personal pronounplusthe numeral 3; each element being so modified as to give the appearance of an inflection.
The following tables exhibit the numerals of certain other islands in the neighbourhood. They are taken from Captain Erskine's work, in which reference is made to a "Description of the Islands in the Western Pacific Ocean, by A. Cheyne." This has not been examined by the present writer.
Eng.Tana.Fotuna[29].Isle of Pines.Uea.Uea.Yengen.Balad.Lifu.oneli-tita-sitatahipachahetspar-aichas.twoka-ruruavolualohe-lukpar-roolu-ete.threeka-harlo:uve-tilolukuuhe-yenpar genkun-ete.fourke-fafabeufathackpo-bitspar-baiek-ete.fiveka-rirumrimata-huelimathabumbnimpa-nimtibi.sixliti (?)onono-tatahilo-achanim-wetpar-aichb-lemen.sevenka-ru (?)fituno-bolualo-alonim-welukpar-rooluen-gemen.eightka-han (?)varuno-betitolulo-kunnnim-weyenpar-genkun-engemen.nineke-fa (?)ivano-beufalo-thacknim-pobitpar-baiske-ngemen.tenka-rirum?tanga-fierude-kaulima te-bennetepain-dukpa-nimlue-ipe.
Mr. Abraham's Mallicolo represents the same language with the Mallicolo vocabulary of Captain Cook's Voyages, with which it pretty closely agrees.
His Erromango is more peculiar.Sikai= six = the Mallicolosukai, which is, itself, nearly thesikai= one. The -ringin suku-ring, too, is the Mallicolorima. This we know, from the analogies of almost all the languages of Polynesia and the Indian Archipelago, to be the wordlima=hand. Hence e-rima(Mallicolo),hand, and suku-ring(Erromango) =one hand. Thevatin menda-vatis the Mallicolo -batsin e-bats, the Malay am-pat=four. Du-ruis the Mallicolo e-ry, there being in each case a prefixed syllable. The analysis oftesalandsaitavanis less clear. Neither is it certain howngaraodlen=ten. The other numerals are compounds. This, perhaps, is sufficient to show that the difference between the numerals of the Mallicolo and Erromango is a difference of a very superficial kind. So it is with the Tana, Fotuna, and the first Uea specimens. We must always remember that the first syllable is generally a non-radical prefix.
In the Tana of the preceding table, the words for 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, seem to be merely the words for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 repeated, and something of the same kind appears in the first Uea. Perhaps the representation may be imperfect. At any rate the Tanna of Cook's Voyage runs—
Eng.Tanna.oner-eedee.twoka-roo.threeka-har.fourkai-phar.fivek-reerum.sixma-r-eedee.sevenma-ka-roo.eightma-ka-har.ninema-kai-phar.tenma-k-reerum.
The same appears in the Balad of New Caledonia. Now Cooks New Caledonian runs—
Eng.New Caledonian.onewa-geeaing.twowa-roo.threewa-teen.fourwa-mbaeek.fivewa-nnim.sixwa-nnim-geeek.sevenwa-nnim-noo.eightwa-nnim-gain.ninewa-nnim-baeek.tenwa-nnim-aiuk.
The Yengen and Lifu vocabularies are not so different but that theluandkunof the one = thelukandyenof the other, as well as theloandkiuuof the second Uea, and therooandgenof the Balad.
The importance of these non-radical syllables in the numerals has been indicated by the present writer in the appendix to Mr. M'Gillivray's 'Voyage of the Rattlesnake.' There we find several well-selected specimens of the languages of the Louisiade archipelago. The fact of certain affinities between these and the New Caledonian is there indicated. Each has its prefix. In each the prefix is alabial.
English.Two.Louisiadepaihe-tuan.New Caledoniawa-teen &c.
Now the Tana and Mallicolo tongues have a prefix also, but this is not a labial. It is rather a vowel ork(guttural or palatal). Here lies a difference—a difference of detail. Yet the same change can now be shown to be within the pale of the New Caledonian itself, as may be seen by comparingpar-roo andpar-gen (pah-gen?) withhe-luk andhe-yen.
The change fromrtolcreates no difficulty. In one of the Tana vocabulariesone=li-ti, in anotherr-eedee.
These points have been gone into for the sake of guarding against such exaggeration of the differences between the languages of the parts in question as theapparentdifferences in the numerals have a tendency to engender.
READBEFORE THE ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETYON THE 11TH DECEMBER 1844.
The languages dealt with are those that lie between Russian America and New California. It is only, however, such as are spoken on the sea-coast and on the American frontier that are fairly known to us. Concerning some of the latter, such as the Blackfoot, the notices are deferred. Little, in the present state of our knowledge, can be attempted beyond the mere verification of vocabularies. In his list, however, of these, the writer has attempted to be exhaustive.
It is convenient to enumerate these vocabularies separately and to proceed from North to South.
Queen Charlotte's Island.—The two chief vocabularies are Mr Tolmie's and Messrs Sturgin and Bryant's, in the Journal of the Geographical Society and the Archæologia Americana respectively. They represent different dialects.
English.Sturgin & Bryant.Haidahof, Tolmie.MankeesetkleilhatstaWomankna, anatsataCanoeclooklooTobaccoqullquilWaterhuntlehuntleSuntzueshandlainMoonkuhnkhoughRaintulltullSnowtull hatterdhanwDoghahhootchBeartunntannT.cagenteeaThoutinkyahtungha
With these, the few words in the Mithridates coincide
Mithridates.Tolmie.OnesounchousquansungTwostonkstungThreesloonisklughunnil
Chimmesyan.—Mr Tolmie's vocabulary—Journal of Geographical Society. Spoken between 53° 30´ and 55° 30´ N. L.
Billechoola.—Mr Tolmies vocabulary;ibid.Spoken on the Salmon River.
Friendly Village.—In Mackenzie's Travels, we find a few words from a tribe on the Salmon River. Their locality is called by Mackenzie theFriendly Village. By the aid of Mr Tolmie's vocabularies, we can now place this hitherto unfixed dialect. It belongs to the Billechoola tongue.
English.Friendly Village.Billechoola.SalmonzimilkshimilkDogwattswatzHousezlaachleshmool'Bark-matzemnezCedar-bark-blankettzummiBeavercoulouncoulounStonedichtsquilstolomickWaterulkankullahMatgistcomstuchomBonnetilcaettekayeete
Fitz-Hugh Sound.—For these parts we possess only the numerals. They coincide most with the Haeltzuk, a language that will next be noticed. The termination inskumis common to the Fitz-Hugh Sound and the Blackfoot numerals.
English,two.F. Sound,malscum.Haeltzuk,malook.English,three.F. Sound,utascum.Haeltzuk,yootook.English,four.F. Sound,moozcum.Haeltzuk,moak.Billechoola,moash.English,five.F. Sound,thekaescum.Haeltzuk,skeowk.Billechoola,tzeiuch.English,six.F. Sound,kitliscum.Haeltzuk,katlowk.English,seven.F. Sound,atloopooskum.Haeltzuk,malthlowsk.English,ten.F. Sound,highioo.Haeltzuk,aikas.
Haeltzuk.—Mr Tolmie's vocabulary. Spoken from 50° 30´ to 53° 30´ N. L.—Journal of Geograph. Soc.
Quadra and Vancouver's Island—Nootka Sound.—For these parts we have several vocabularies.
1. The Numerals.—From Dixon—Mithridates, iii., 2, 115.
2. King George's Sound.—The Numerals,Mith., iii., 2; 115.
3.Mozino'sMS.Vocabulary.—SeeMith., iii., 2.
4.Captain Cook's Vocabulary.—This is comparatively copious. It represents the same language with the three preceding.
5. The Tlaoquatch vocabulary of Mr Tolmie.Journ. of Geog. Soc.—This certainly represents, as is truly stated by Dr. Scouler, the same language as the Nootka-Sound vocabulary of Cook.
English.Cook's Nootka.Tolmie's Tlaoquatch.SkynaasnaaseMountainnoohchainotchehHousemahtaimaasPaddleoowhabbieoowhapieCanoeshapatstshappitsWaterchauktchaakGochotcha-alcheRunkummiitchchutkumitkokBowmoostattemoastatitArrowtseehattetzehatiteKnifekotyoktzokquaeekMantanasstanais
6. Straits of Fuca.—A short vocabulary taken during the voyage of theSutil y Mexicana—Archæol. Amer., ii., 306. Is not this Mozino's?
7. The Wakash vocabulary of Jewitt.—Archæol. Amer., ii. 306.
English.Fuca.Tlaoquatch.Wakash.WaterihaactchaakchahakSkytacuihamachnaasesieyahStarsuliusactaastasstartooseMoonilajudshashitlehopulhoophelthSundaginatlopiloophetlhEarpipiparpee
Kawitchen.—Spoken at the entrance of Trading River opposite Vancouver's Island. Mr Tolmie's vocabulary.—SeeJournal of Geograph. Societ.
Noosdalum.—Spoken in Hood's Channel.—Ibid.
The Atna of Mackenzie.—This we may now place. It resembles the Noosdalum, with dialectal differences.
English.Atnah.Noosdalum.ManscuynlouchsohwiekenWomansmosledgensksheeakatsoBeaverschughskyauwDogscacahskachaWatershaweliquoihkahPlainsspilelaspilchunHerethlaelychlilkaaIronsoucoumanghalaitanBowisquoinahschomotunArrowsquailiytsh tzimaan
In Baer'sStatistische und Ethnographische Nachrichten über die Russischen Besitzungen an der Nordwestküste von Amerika, we find a second vocabulary namedAtna. This is spoken on the Copper River in Russian America, and represents a different language from the Atna of Mackenzie. Both, however, belong to the same[30]group. The plausible mode ofaccounting for this coincidence, is to suppose that two tribes named themselvesmen, which throughout the Athabascar languages is expressed by the roott-n, asdinnie,tenni,tnain, &c.
Squallyamish.—Spoken at Puget's Sound. Mr Tolmie in T. G. S.
Chenook.—For the important languages of the Chenook or Flathead Indians on the river Columbia, we have the followingdata:
1. Franchere's vocabulary;Archæol. Americana, ii., 379.
2. Parker's vocabulary; communicated in M. S., by A. Gallatin to Dr Prichard.
3. Cathlascou of Tolmie, J. G. S.
4. Chenook of Tolmie,ibid.
Of these vocabularies the Chenook of Parker and Franchere coincide closely. Parker's Chenook, compared with the two vocabularies of Tolmie, agrees most with the Cathlascou.
Kalapooiah.—This tribe is placed by Parker on the Multomah river. According to Tolmie, their language is spoken on the Wallamat Plains.
1. Tolmie's vocabulary. J. G. S.
2. Parker's vocabulary. M. S. from Gallatin to Dr Prichard.
The two vocabularies represent one and the same language.
Okanagan.—Spoken on Fraser's River. Mr Tolmie's vocabulary. The Okanagan vocabulary enables us to fix the following one:
The Salish.—This is an anonymous vocabulary from Duponceau's collection.Archæolog. Americ., ii, 306. It is evidently closely akin to the Okanagan.
English.Salish.Okanagan.ManekeltamaiuhWomantukulthlimeiloochCanoe'tleaghslalthleimStarsko'kusmhhohooosRainsteepaistepaisSnowamaikutsmakootWatersaioolkhsauwulhMountainaitzumkummokatzimmokDeeratsooleeaRoebuckklatzeenimBearc'summaitshuiskummachistWolfn'tsseetsannutzetzimOneneonuchsTwoesseluskulThreetsailhiskaalthleisFourmosmoasFivetseelkoheilSevenseespilsheespilTenopanopuniet
Kliketat.Spoken between Fort Nez Perce's, Mount Rainier, and the Columbia Falls.
1. Mr Tolmie's vocabulary.
2. Mr Parker's vocabulary M. S. from Gallatin to Dr Prichard.
These represent allied dialects of the same language.
Shahaptan, Nez Perce's.—It is truly stated by Gallatin that the Shahaptan and Kliketat languages are allied.
1. Mr Tolmie's vocabulary.
2. Mr Parker's vocabulary M. S. from Gallatin to Dr Prichard.
Jamkallie.Spoken near the sources of the Wallamat, Mr Tolmie's vocabulary.
Umpqua.—On the river so called. Mr Tolmie's vocabulary.
This is the most southern point for which we possess Oregon vocabularies.
Four more vocabularies complete the enumeration of ourdatafor the parts in question.
1.ShoshonieorSnake Indians.—The first is a southern or central one, the Shoshonie or Snake vocabulary, collected by Say, and representing a language south of that of the Nez Perces.Archæol. Americ., ii. 306.
2.Sussee.—The Sussee of Umfreville, is either spoken within the Oregon Territory, or within the districts immediately to the north of it.
3.The Nagail—SeeMackenzie's Travels.
4.The Taculli—SeeArchæol. Americ., ii. 305.
Such are the vocabularies for the Oregon Territory of North America. In number they amount to forty-one. Dealing with speech as the instrument of intercourse, it is highly probable that these vocabularies may represent as many as nineteen different languages, that is, modes of speech, mutually unintelligible. Dealt with, however, ethnologically, their number is evidently capable of being reduced.
In the present state of our knowledge, it is convenient to leave the Shoshonie language[31]unplaced. All that wepossess of it is the vocabulary noticed above. It consists of only twenty-four words. Their affinities (such as they are) are miscellaneous
English,beaver.Shoshonie,hanish.Chenook,eena.Haidah,tzing.Cathlascou,kanook.English,salmon.Shoshonie,augi.Haidah,swaggan.English,horse.Shoshonie,bunko.Blackfoot,pinnechometar.pennakomet.English,woman.Shoshonie,wepee.Souriquois,meboujou.Penobscot,m'phenim.Micmac,epit.Echemin,apet.Pima,uba.Calapooiah,apomeik.English,friend.Shoshonie,hauts.Chetimacha,keta.Onondago,ottie.English,water.Shoshonie,pa.New Sweden,bij.Algonkin,ne-pi, passim.English,good.Shoshonie,saut.Shahaptan,tautz.Pima,tiuot.Chocta,chito =great.Crow,esah =great.bassats =many.English,go.Shoshonie,numeraro.Kawitchen,namilthla.English,come.Shoshonie,keemak.Nez Perces,come.English,awl.Shoshonie,weeu.Ahnenin,bay.English,no.Shoshonie,kayhee.Ahnenin,chieu.Potowotami,cho.Ojibbeway,kaw.Ottawa,kaween.Old Algonkin,kah.Chetimacha,kahie.
It is also advisable to deal cautiously with the Sussee language. Umfreville's vocabulary is short, and consisting almost exclusively of the names of articles of commerce. Lists of this sort are of little value in ethnography. Still, upon the whole, it confirms the current opinion as to the place of the Sussee language, viz. that it is[32]Athabascan. At any rate, it has certain miscellaneous affinities.
English,eye.Sussee,senouwoh.Kenay,snaga.Taculli,onow.Chipewyan,nackhay.English,five.Sussee,coo.Chipewyan,coun.English,kettle.Sussee,usaw.Taculli,osa.English,axe.Sussee,chilthe.Taculli,chachil.English,knife.Sussee,marsh.Illinois,mariesa.Minitari,matse.English,shoes.Sussee,siscau.Taculli,kiscot.English,one.Sussee,uttegar.Eskimo,attowseak.adaitsuk.adoajak.atamek.English,three.Sussee,tauky.Kenai,tohchke.Taculli,toy.Chipewyan,taghy.English,four.Sussee,tachey.Kenai,tenki.Taculli,tingkay.Chipewyan,dengky.English,seven.Sussee,checheta.Mohawk,chahtahk.Onondago,tschoatak.Seneca,jawdock.Oneida,tziadak.Nottoway,ohatay.English,ten.Sussee,cuneesenunnee.Chipewyan,canothna.
Laying these two languages aside, and reserving the Blackfoot for future inquiries, the other vocabularies are referrible to two recognized groups. The Nagail and Taculli are what Gallatin callsAthabascan. All the[33]rest are what Prichard callsNootka-Columbian. Respecting the former class, the evidence is unequivocal, and the fact generally admitted. Respecting the latter, the statement requires consideration.
At first glance, Mr Tolmie's vocabularies differ materiallyfrom each other; and only a few seem less unlike each other than the rest. Such are the Kliketat and Shahaptan, the Calapooiah and Yamkallie, the Kawitchen and Tlaoquatch, the Chenook and Cathlascou. Besides this, the general difference between even the allied vocabularies is far more visible than the general resemblance. Finally, the numerals and the fundamental terms vary in a degree beyond what we are prepared for, by the study of the Indo-European tongues.
Recollecting, however, the compound character of the most fundamental words, characteristic of all the American language; recognising, also, as a rule of criticism, that in the same class of tongues the evidence of the numerals is unimportant in the determination ofdifferences, and comparing the sixteen Oregon vocabularies of Mr Tolmie with each other, we may satisfy ourselves as to the radical unity of the group. To these lists, and to the accompanying paper of Dr. Scouler, reference is accordingly made. Thevalueof these groups (the Athabascan and the Nootka-Columbian) is a different and a more difficult question. Themaximumdifference between any two known languages of the Athabascan group is that between English and German. Themaximumdifference between the most unlike languages of the Nootka-Columbian group is that between the modern Greek and Portuguese,i. e.the most distant tongues of the classical stock of the Indo-European tribe. Hence, the terms in question are equivalent to the more familiar terms,Gothic,Celtic,Slavonic, &c. All this, however, is illustration, rather than absolute arrangement; yet it serves to give definitude to the current opinions upon the subject.
To the current views, however, the writer takes exception. He considers that the groups in question have too high a value; and that they are only equivalent to the primary subdivisions ofstockslike the Gothic, Celtic, and Classical, rather than to the stocks themselves. Still less can they have a higher and more exaggerated value, and be dealt with as equivalent to groups like theIndo-European.
Hence, the differences between the Athabascan languages of the Oregon and the Nootka-Columbian languages of the Oregon, are the differences between the Latin and Greek, the Welsh and Gaelic, the German and Icelandic, rather than those between the German and Russian, the Latin and Persian, the Greek and Lithuanic, &c.
In determining the higher and more comprehensive class, we must take in a third group of languages. These are those of Russian America. They have generally been referred to two groups of uncertain value, viz. the Kolooch and theEskimo; the former, for the part about Sitca, or Norfolk Sound, the latter for the parts about the Island of Cadiack, and the Peninsula of Aliaska.
Now, the Athabascan languages are undoubtedly Eskimo; a fact stated by the writer, at the meeting of the British Association at York, and founded upon the comparison of the Athabascan vocabularies of Mackenzie and Dobbs, on the one side, with the Western Eskimo ones, on the other.
And the Kolooch languages are equally Eskimo with the Athabascan. This may be seen by reference to Lisiansky's vocabularies, and a comparison between the Sitca and Cadiack.
English.Sitca.Cadiack.CrykaáhkeyyaDrinkitannatanhaHailkatelstkoudatKneekakeekchiskoohkaLakeaakananoakLipskahakahlukhaManchakleyhshookSparkheeklyachatalahiWindkeelhchakyaeek
Now, by taking in the Eskimo of the Aleutian Islands, this list might be doubled; and by dealing with the Kenay as Eskimo, it might be trebled.
Again, by attempting to fix the points whereat the Eskimo language ceases, and the Kolooch tongue begins, we may get further evidence that the difference between them is exaggerated; since the languages passed by gradual transitions into each other.
What follows, moreover, is cumulative evidence towards the same conclusion.
Over and above the vocabularies collected by Mr Tolmie that have already been dealt with, there is a seventeenth, viz. theTunghaas. This is stated in Dr Scouler's accompanying paper to be the most northern dialect with which the Hudson's Bay traders come in contact. It is also stated to be Sitcan; and that truly.