Indian / Arawakan Languages
LITERATURE OF THE INDIAN LANGUAGES.
GENERAL ANALYSIS OF TITLE XVII.
TITLE XIV., LET. A., VOL.III. [ 1stPAPER. ]
1.Plan of a System of Geographical Names,
derived from the Aboriginal Languages.
2.Indian Nomenclature; being a Critical Dictionary of Indian Names in the History, Geography, and Mythology of the United States. A.
TITLE XIV., LET. B., VOL. IV. [ 2nD PAPER. ]
1.A Bibliographical Catalogue of Books, Translations of the Scriptures, and other Publications into the Indian Tongues of the United States.With brief Critical Notices.
2.Indian Nomenclature; being a Critical Dictionary of Indian Names in the History, Geography, and Mythology of the United States. B.
TITLE XVII, LET. C., VOL. V. [ 3D PAPER. ]
(A) A List of Anglo-Indian Words, incorporated into the English Language. *
(B) Philosophy of Utterance.
(C) Comparisons of the Languages of the ancient Pampticos and Waccoas of North Carolina.
(D) Original Words of Indian Songs, literally translated.
(E) A Lexicon of the Algonquin Language. Part I. Chippewa. A.
(F) Indian Geographical Nomenclature of the United States. C.
(G) Vocabularies of the Apache and the Micmac.
(H) The Lord's Prayer in several Algonquin dialects.
(I) Indian Etymology.
(J) Some data respecting the Principles of the Chippewa and Mahican Languages, in a series of
Letters written during the period from 1822 to 1827.
(K) Names based on the Indian Vocabularies suggested for new subdivisions of the public domain.
LITERATURE OF THE INDIAN LANGUAGES.
(A) A LIST OF ANGLO-INDIAN WORDS INCORPORATED INTO THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OR EMPLOYED BY APPROVED WRITERS.
The discovery of America brought into the commerce of the world many products, before unknown, and introduced a number of new terms into use. Natural history was enriched by the discovery of several species or varieties of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, and plants; while commerce added to its terms the name of many valuable dye-woods, drugs, gums, grains, extracts, and medicines. Without the additional terms thus brought into our vocabulary, it would be impossible to find popular words to designate the moose, tapir, alpaca, opossum, raccoon, condor, or canieu, and various other species; or to denote the maize, the potatoe, or tobacco-plant, the cochineal insect, the mahogany tree, and other productions.
There were some artificial structures and fabrics of the natives which required appropriate names, such as wigwam, canoe, and tomahawk. The terms cacique, Sachem, Sagamore, powwow, constituted another class of terms, which were at once adopted. It would not seem that the number of these terms, in current use by British and American writers, was so great, till the topic be inquired into. Most of these names were recorded, by Spanish, English or French writers, with peculiarities of orthography which it is now impossible, were it desirable, to alter. Were the writings of travelers, popular essayists, or imaginative authors to be gleaned, the list of words, it is apprehended, would be greatly swelled. A similar result would attend researches into the introduction of terms into the language, from parts of the East Indies, which have been supposed to furnish ancient original seats of a portion of our tribes. But few terms have been taken from this source. The Indian geographical names do not come within the scope of this inquiry. The
the only topic noticed, in connection with them, is the formation of English adjectives from
LITERATURE OF THE
aboriginal roots. But a single verb, the French term of salutation, has been adopted, with very characteristic changes, it is true, by the Indians, and is reproduced here, from the volumes of travelers. I have introduced the verb, for the crowning act of Indian bravery and achievement, the war-cry, which, it is apprehended, would be often employed by writers, were it at hand.
Small as the object here attempted is, much time, learning and research would be required to complete it. Little more, indeed, is intended, by these memoranda, than to lay the foundation of future inquiries.
A.
ACHIóTE, s. The name of the Caribs for the tree producing the anotta. ADIRONDAC, ad. An Indian geographical adjective.
ADATIC, s. An aboriginal monument; a grave-stick, or post, marked with hiero
glyphics. (Al. Res.)
AGIM, s. A snow-shoe. (Mackenzie.)
ALABAMEAN, ad. A geographical adjective, based on the Indian term, Alabama.
ALLEGHANIAN, ad. Of, or relative to the Alleghany Mountains. (Irving.)
ALIM, s. A dog used in sacrifice by the Indian priesthood. (Lescarbot.)
ALLIGATOR, 8. A large American reptile.
ALGIC, adj. Relating to a genus of Indian tribes.
ALMENA, s. An East Indian weight, of about two pounds.
ALGóNQUIN, adj. Comprising a genus of American tribes.
ALPACA, s. A species of native Peruvian sheep.
ANóTTA, s. The seed of a West Indian and South American tree, yielding a dye.
APPALACHIAN, ad. A geographical adjective.
APOWA, s. A sacred Indian dream, or vision. (Oneota.)
AzTIC, ad. Relating to the Aztec tribes of Mexico.
AZIAN, s. An Indian loin, or breech-cloth. (Al. Res.)
B.
BAMBOO, s. An ancient East Indian word.
BALZA, s. A South American Indian raft. The word may be derived from the Spanish Balsilla, or Balsa.
BANYAN, 8. An Indian fig – a large tree, the word being in use before the discovery of America.
BASIIABA, 8. A sagamore of sagamores, or imperial chief, in the New England tribes. (Whittier.)
Bozio, v. An Indian term for good-day. Derived by the Indians from the French Bon jour, and employed in this form by travellers.
BoSHCADOSH, s. The mammoth. (Al. Res.)
BETEL, s. A plant, the leaves of which are chewed by the native Peruvians, having an intoxicating quality.