Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1864-05-27
Froa the Le~istoa Journ-i.
The Indians on the Aniroscoggin.
Br y. 7. TEUE. N. u.
CHAPTER XII.
TuFIn IaNgrsgU
THEIR LANGUAGE.

- n lAta -. NAANAANA run
the Mississippi river 70 tie eastern shores
q North America The tribes an Maine
we're called Abnakis. or more properly
Nanbanakki. people OF the aurora bOrealis.
Their language was a dialect Of the Algoa-
quin. Th- lang uage oi each tribe wAs 10 a
certain extent diAlecsie. through they could
understand each other without an interpre-
ter. An un~ritten language Is always
changeable. and words an use among the
Indians two hundred years ago arc scAreely
recognized BY theiF descendanis 81 to-day
- that The language Of the Penobsoots At
ibe present tine Is only dIaleet Of the
ancient Abnaki
he Indian languAges early attracted the
attention Of The 6rsi settlers Of this country.
Wa Pvun m letter written IN I6S3 thus
speaks. must say that kno~ Of no
language spoken in Europe. that has word.
oi more sweetness or greatness. IN Accent
and emphasis than theirs. for instance.
OrsciOn. SLak. Marian. all OF winch are
names 81 places. and have a grandeur In
them OF word. % sweetness. Anna. -
mother. lfiimus - brother. malta no hatta
% have. matte ne batia. Il bAse not Sepaaen
the name 0f place Menanfe. the nane Of
a person
Any person ~bo has heard the Penobscot
indians speak ia their own laneuAge eaa
bai Dc struck with their peruliary smooth
articulation 0i~0r,ls. reminding one Of the
Italian.
oae peculiarly Of their language Is the
faet that toe liquid sound. "a AMI are sab
s',tuted for each other. The Penobseots
pronounce Carriiuns Calnitunk. We o.
ten witness the same dIfheultv in soun-
children who wall substitute The r for the
and wee versa. / believe the Indian. on
tins continent generally fnl IL difHcuit 10
pronounce the letter r. An a@asIng err
cumstancs occurred 20 some expIorers in
orcgou. They were engaged in boiling
some uce for their neal when some Indians
came near and wished o know wLAt that
Was. On being told % vas rice. 70 the no
small amusement Of the company they i'm
rnstiEfely pronounced il Ice. and ihis vas
the best they oosld 10 after al the saorts
% their white neighbon 70 set them right.
The Massaehusetts Indians invariably pro-
nounccd Winslow. Winsnow
Their difficulty IN pronoancing Engiish
words May be seen IN the iollowing Jesus.
Zesu-. Franci. Pisneis. Mar. Mall. Aaron.
Aalon.
One % tb- most remarkable oeuliarities
% the a ASonqain language was tbe facility
with which they compounded words. Their
names of locaiits. vere formed in TIA. wav.
Like the Hebrcv they male use of prefses
and ahiEes. and 10 this way leave us a ri-h
legacy IN the namcs 20 places The defni-
ton of these names need only % Pc known
De more fany appreciated
They bal hai fer aijectivcs. bot ti.ir
place va supplied ~ writing one noun De-.
f.re another. re former havinr fbo force
az ara adjective. Take the Indian name
for lewiston Falls. Auiri. there i.. ron.
clay. poutpok hii'. 60 elay-land falls. % ani
We have transmitted % us a name which
th- present generation of rc,idcats can de-
ciie ~hether it vas appropriate 90 tbat Local
ity
T. --... 49,. -. p
-.--..-.--,
-..-r,'.-,s Os' =
-. 49, !. '"He'
s.......,.t..-t---t,--',.-'.-' -
.s.f. .-,-ct
-.t.-.-.,-.-.- -.---
-..,,i.......-. -, ...,.-.
.. c.-l...- o..