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, mēēah, mish,
we, us, oangkeeah,
thou, nēēah, nish,

ye, you, neeah pee,

him, eeah, hey,

he, eeah, ish, his, eetahwah. they, eeahpee, them, eeahpee, heyna, theirs, ēētahwahpee, father, atay, thy father, nee atay, his father, atay hookoo. 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.

Miah wonah i,

Oangkeah wonah ipie,

Neeah thseetshoo,

Oakekah eeah ēē,

Wahtah hey eetawah,

Eeoh tah wahtahpee,

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, hõttõk achukma, a good man; hõttõk 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.'

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

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

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.

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.'

'I

Pronouns absolute or separate.

un-no-a, me, | un-no, mine.

chish-no-a,

thine.

thee, chish-no, him, il-lap, his, hers. pish-no-a, us, pish-no, ours. hup-pish-no-a, us, hup-pish-no, ours. huch-ish-no-a, you, huch-ish-no, yours. them, il-lap,

Pishno is both dual and plural.

theirs.

Hopishno is only plural. When a number of persons in conversation are giving an account of something in which they are all concerned, they say, hopishno. But when they are relating to others something, in which the hearers are not concerned, they say, pishno.

Hochisno is dual and plural. as the Chahtas, to express the (vulgus.)

Perhaps it was originally dual; plural, often add the word okla

The possessive pronouns are always prefixed to nouns expressing kindred.

The possessive pronouns, used in composition, when united

to nouns, are,

1. When prefixed to nouns expressing kindred, or to the names of the members of the body, or to the word "dog":

(okla, multitude,' sometimes used for the third person plural.) 2. When prefixed to other nouns :

3d Person.

in, im, okla,

He, she, it, and they, are wanting. They are implied in the verb, and the subject of discourse determines whether the singular or plural is intended; as, pisa, he, she, or they see.' Sometimes the word okla is used; okla pisa, they, the multitude, see.' The same remark applies to him, her, it, and them, as, pisa, he sees him, it, or them,' according to the subject of discourse.

Adjectives have all the variations of neuter verbs, including the participial, frequentative, and negative forms.

The verb of existence does not occur in a separate form.

Neuter or intransitive verbs are conjugated as the passive transitive verbs.*

Verbs in the Chahta language admit of various changes, to express the relations and states of things; as,

Pisa,

He is seeing,

Pihisa,

Piesa,

Pisachi, To make to see.

(The root of the verb.)
(Participle.)

He is in the habit of seeing, or he frequently sees. (Frequentative.)
He does not see.

(More emphatical than Pisa.)
(Causal form.)

Pisahanchi, He keeps or continues to make him see.

Each of the above has a negative form; as,

Besides this negative form of the verb, the language has several negative particles; as keyu, 'not'; aheld, 'cannot'; awa, cannot,' 'will not,'' shall not.'

Pisa keyu,

Pisachi keyu,
Pisa held,

Pisa wa,

Pisa na,

He does not see.

He does not make him see.

He cannot see; used in familiar conversation. He cannot see; the language of passion, used in public speaking and in animated discourse. Let him not see; used only in the imperative mood.

To express past time, the verb has several forms; as, tuk, tok, kamo, or komo, and chamo.

Pisa tuk, 'He has seen,' referring to what is just done, or to an action though commenced not completed.

*This is inferred from the examples given of the conjugations in the Spelling-Book of the verbs to sleep and to die. For the specimens of verbal forms see the appended tables, A, G.