With the publication of
the subjoined vocabulary, in continuation of the philology of the
central or Iwillik tribes, the chain may be considered complete.
With these people many of the familiar sounds of the civilized
languages are found, as, for instance, the child's first words,
an-an-na (mother), ah-dad-ah (father), ah-mam-mah (the mother's breast),
ah-pa-pah (little piece of meat, either raw or cooked). Then there
is the very natural expression for pain or sickness--ah-ah. Many
words seem to indicate the meaning by imitating the action or sound
to be described, as the motion of the kittewake when it swoops down
toward you with its petulant cry, is well described by the word
e-sow'-ook-suck'-too and the vibratory motion of a swinging pendulum
by ow-look-a-tak'-took.
The superlative degree is expressed by the suffix adelo--as amasuet
(plenty) and amasuadelo (an immense number); also tapsummary (long ago)
and tapsumaneadelo (a very long time ago). Examples could be
multiplied, but are not necessary. The suffix aloo has somewhat of a
similar meaning, or as "Esquimau Joe" translated, it signifies "a big
thing;" thus, ivick (walrus), ivicaloo (a big walrus); shoongowyer
(beads), shoongowyaloo (big beads), etc. Persons are named usually
after some animate or inanimate object, and in repeating to you their
own or some one else's name they usually affix the word aloo, as
ishuark is a black salmon and also a man's name, but in mentioning the
name they always say Ishuark-aloo, though such ceremony is not indulged
in on ordinary occasions.
Pages:
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303