VOCABULARIES COLLECTED BY M. CAILLIÉ.
Compared with those of Mungo Park, Bowdich, Jackson, Denham, &c.
1.
N. B. These words are in use from Timé to Jenné, as well as in the Western districts.
II.
Spoken at Timbuctoo, and upon the Banks of the Dhioliba, as far as Djenné.
Note.1.—Upon the Mandingo.
It appears that the syllableféis the sign of the prepositionupon,in, orwith, and that this preposition follows the substantive; examplestafé, on the fire;nefé, with me;sofé, in the village;silafé, on the road, &c.
Negation is expressed byatéorté; yet there are many words of a negative sense, preceded only byaoram.
The syllablekaseems to be used for the purpose of expressingto be, whether positively or interrogatively.
The wordwillorto willis not in the vocabulary; but the phrases present an example of the use of the wordabeguein this sense. Besides, the vocabulary of Timbuctoo givesabeguefor I will.
The relativeswho,which,what, are neither indicated in the vocabulary nor in the phrases; buttiezstands forwhat, in the phrase,what do you call that?
I have added the wordname, which was not in the vocabulary, from the three phrases,tiez tokhodi,aman tokholo,atokho....
Note 2.—On the Kissour.
It appears, by several short phrases in Kissour, that the wordmakincorresponds with the relativewho, orwhat;nearewith the wordname;ouriorneouri, with todesire. I have inserted in the vocabulary some other words furnished by the phrases.
The vocabulary of Major Denham is composed of sixty-seven words, without the numbers; M. Caillié’s of ninety. Forty words only are common to both; but the two correspond almost throughout; it is the same with the numerals: this fact is remarkable. On the contrary, as I have said, the words of Adams, Bowdich and Lyon, differ entirely from those of M. Caillié.
M. CAILLIÉ’S ITINERARY.
FROM KAKONDY TO TANGIER BY TIMBUCTOO
PART THE FIRST; FROM KAKONDY TO TIMÉ