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of another, viz. in some forms it is remarkably polysyllabic. The following example may be taken, in addition to those which have already appeared, as illustrating both these characteristics. It is but a single word:

Wi-ni-taw-ti-ge-gi-na-li-skaw-lung-ta-naw-ne-li-ti-se-sti ;

which may be rendered in English,

They will by that time have nearly done granting (favors) from a distance to thee and to me.'

The following peculiarities also exist.

Every syllable in the language ends with a vowel sound. There are few monosyllables, very few, I believe only 15. These are all interjections and adverbs, except one, na, which is sometimes an adverb and sometimes a pronoun. This number excludes a few syllables which are really perhaps distinct words, but which like the Latin que, cannot be separated from the end of other words.

There are no prepositions.

There is no relative pronoun.

Adjectives are comparatively few, their place being supplied by attributive verbs. Verbs constitute by far a greater proportion of the Cherokee than of European languages.

Most adjectives, and many substantives, may assume verbal prefixes, and be used as verbs; substantives and many adjectives only in the present tense, but other adjectives in the most simple forms of present, past, and future.

There are very few abstract terms, though the language is not entirely destitute of such.

NOTES ON THE SELECT SENTENCES.

BY REV. S. A. WORCESTER.

12. Anciently, at common meetings of acquaintances, no salutation was used. When friends met after a separation of considerable time, they expressed their joy by exclaiming, 'We see each other!'

3-16. See answer to grammatical query 5. There is no distinction of gender denoted by inflections. Inflections of verbs distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, but pronouns 32

VOL. II.

make no distinction. The verbs give, take, carry, bring, and a few others, mark several distinctions in the form of the object, as solid, (in shape) long, flexible, liquid, thick (as mud), &c.

17-26. Cases of nouns are not distinguished by inflections of the nouns themselves. All such offices are performed by the verbs; except the relation of possession, which is denoted by possessive pronouns, except in the cases noted in the answer to the second grammatical query.

63-71. See answer to grammatical query 11 — 63, 65, 66. The verb ge-taw-ha, and thence we-taw-ha, wa-ne-taw-ha, is formed from the verb ge-ha (considered as a verb of place), in the same manner as the forms derived from other verbs, denoting that the action is performed in different places, as we say in English, here and there. See derived verbs under query 7, 71. I should have no hesitancy in regard to the correctness of this translation of the clause in Ex. iv. 3, were it not for the allusion to it in the last clause, "I am hath sent me ;" where the verb ge-ha, 'I exist,' must be used instead of naqua-sti, I am such,' 'I am that.'

72-100. (See query 5, Ans.)

77-79. No distinction is here seen between the verb governing a person and that governing a thing, except in the length of the first syllable. It is not so with the greater number of verbs. A-ska-ya-tsi-ga-lung-i-ha, 'I am tying a man'; nungya ga-lung-i-ha, I am tying a stone.' Tsi-yung-ni-ha, 'I am striking him '; nung-ya gung-ni-ha, 'I am striking a stone.'

78. The use or omission of the final syllable, ha, and, in the past tense, of the final, gi, depends on the verb's closing a sentence or preceding another word; though in familiar conversation it is often omitted in both cases.

80-81. The form wi-tsi-kaw-wa-ti-ha, in distinction from tsi-gaw-wa-ti-ha, denotes that the object seen is at a distance. In ordinary cases the prefixing of the syllable wi, or simply of the letter w, if the word begins with a vowel, denotes that the action is performed at a distance from the speaker.

82-95. In numbers 91-93, it will be seen that a different verb is used. The verb u-lu-tsung-gi indicates the arrival at the place of speaking, and the verb ta-yu-law-sung-gi the leaving a distant place in a direction towards the speaker. The latter would be used in all the cases from 82 to 95, if the place, from which the person spoken of comes, be in the mind of the speaker, but the verb u-lu-tsung-gi cannot be used in numbers 93-95.

SIOUX.-Dahcota Dialect.

[Extracted from grammatical notices, communicated many years ago by General Cass to the War Department.]

The plural of nouns is formed by adding the termination pee to the singular. If this ends in pee, the termination pee is added to the verb or adjective. The plural of verbs appears to be formed in the same manner. Sometimes a whole sentence being in the singular number, the termination pee added to the last word, whether verb, pronoun, or adjective, makes the whole sentence plural.

The comparative of adjectives is generally formed by prefixing kahpeiah; and the superlative by prefixing ecoatah. Sometimes khindgah is used for the comparative: in other cases the abbreviations ee and eeoo are used for the comparative; and in the word 'great,' eeoatah is used for the comparative and kapeyah for the superlative.

The preterite tense is formed by the termination kong, the future by ktay or hakata; the subjunctive by tshesh, or konsh. (Mr. Atwater quotes a Grammar of Mr. Marsh, which I have not seen, and gives the following forms: mendooza, 'old' ; preterite, mendooza kong; future plural, oohapekata; subjunctive, mendoohaoonkonsh; infinitive, oohape.)

The pronouns are;

I, mēëah, mish,
we, us, oangkeeah,
thou, neeah, nish,

me, ma,

mine, mēētahwah.

ours, oangkeeahlaherahpee.

thee, neeahnah, thine, neētahwah. yours, neetahwahpee.

ye, you, neeah pee,

him, eeah, hey,

his, eetahwah.

he, eeah, ish, they, eeahpee, father, atay, mother, eenah, my mother, nee hoong, his mother, hoongkoo. my elder brother, tscheeing, my younger brother, meesoongkah. my elder sister, meetungkee, my younger sister, meetungkshee. my son, meetshingkshee; thy son, neetshingkshee; his son, thshingkshee; my daughter, meetshoongkshee; thy daughter, neetshoongkshee.

them, eeahpee, heyna, theirs, eetahwahpee. thy father, nee atay, his father, atay hookoo.

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Eeoh tah wahtahpee,

I have now come.

we have now come.

to thee I gave it.

down the river he has gone.

canoe that is his.

theirs are the canoes.

Mahzahkhong tuay neetshoopee, guns the who gave you.

CHOCTAW, OR CHAHTA.

[Extracted from "Missionary Spelling-Book," first edition, 1825, and Mr. Alfred Wright's Notes to the Vocabulary, 1828.]

Nouns have but one form in the singular and plural numbers. Nouns in the Chahta language have no plural form. This defect is in part remedied, by means of verbs and adjectives, many of which, especially the former, have a plural form; as,

1. Hottok vt gomma hikia, a man stands there. Hottok vt gomma hiohli, men stand there.

2. By adjectives; as, hottok achukma, a good man; hottōk hochukma, good men.

Nouns are not varied under two general classes of animated beings and inanimate objects.

The gender of nouns is distinguished by using with the noun, a distinct term, which signifies male or female.

Compound nouns are generally formed by uniting to the simple noun or to a verb, certain significative nouns used for that purpose, or certain inseparable particles.

EXAMPLES.

From isht, a cause' or 'instrument,' prefixed to a verb, as, ishtittibe, a weapon,' from ittibe, 'to fight.'

From a, a-i, or i prefixed to verbs, and meaning place where or in which (a used before a consonant ;) as, anuse,' a roost,' from nuse,' to sleep'; ayutta, a dwelling-place,' from yutta, ' to stand.'

From ushe, a son' or 'offspring,' suffixed to another noun; as, i-yushe, ‘a toe,' from iye 'the foot'; oklushe, 'a tribe,' from okla, people,' nation.'

From uppe, a stalk' or 'trunk,' suffixed to another noun; as,

nussupe, 'an oak' (generic for every species of oak,), from nusse, an acorn.'

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From itte, 'wood' or 'tree,' prefixed to another word; as, ittefobussa, 'a pole,' from fobussa, 'slim'; itteshamfe, ‘a joiner,' from shamfe, 'to shave.'

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From nippe, flesh' or 'meat,' affixed or suffixed to other words; as, nippehumma, a mulatto,' from humma, 'red'; issenippe, venison,' from isse, 'deer.'

From hishe, hair,' suffixed; as, ittehishe, leaf of a tree,' from itte, tree.'

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From na or nan, 'a being' or 'thing,' prefixed; as, nanpissa, 'a spy,' from pissa, 'to see '; nanachunle, a tailor,' from achanle, to sew.'

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Many other nouns are compounded by the simple union of

two or more.

Adjectives are generally indeclinable. A few are inflected in the plural number, viz.

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Adjectives are compared by adding inshale for comparative and inshatale for superlative: achukma, good'; achukma inshale, 'better'; achukma inshatale, 'best.'

But they generally say, 'In being good I am superior to you ;' or, I am superior to all.' In the first case they use for superior, the word inshale; and, in the last case, inshatale, which respectively mean, I am better than you'; 'I am the best of all.'

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