Page:A Dictionary of the Biloxi and Ofo Languages.djvu/11

 The name of this tribe, as first suggested by Mr. Mooney, is evidently a corruption of that by which they call themselves, “Taˊnĕks aⁿˊya,” or “Taˊnĕks aⁿyaˊdi,” and Dorsey states that this “agrees with the laws of Siouan consonant changes (t to p, and n to d and l),”ᵃ though its present form is due rather to a metamorphosis undergone in being taken over into the Mobilian trade language. This is indicated perhaps by Iberville in speaking of “the Annocchy, whom the Bayogoula called ‘Biloochy.’”ᵇ The, t was probably pronounced very lightly. Regarding the signification of Taˊnĕks aⁿˊya Dorsey says, “Tanĕks is apparently related to tâni, ‘to be in advance of another,’ and taⁿniki, ‘first.’ The second word, aⁿyaˊdi, means ‘people.’ The whole name, therefore, may be translated, First People. This reminds us of the name by which the Winnebago Indians call themselves, ‘Hotcañgara,’ First Speech, in which tcañga is a variant of a word signifying ‘first.’”ᶜ

The size of this tribe and the place occupied by it in the history of the Gulf region were very insignificant, yet from many points of view its career verges on the romantic. There is no mention of Biloxi or Annocchy in any of the De Soto narratives, and indeed the region where they were found in later days was some distance from the route which De Soto followed. On the other hand, the first Indians met by Iberville in 1699, when he came to establish a permanent Louisiana settlement, were members of this tribe,ᵈ and thus it came about that the only known relatives of our familiar Dakota, Crows, and Osage on the entire Gulf coast gave their name to the first capitals of Louisiana, old and new Biloxi. The Biloxi village was not, however, on Biloxi bay, as has been erroneously stated, but on Pascagoula river several miles to the eastward in the neighborhood of two other tribes called Pascagoula and Moctobi. The first visit to this tribe was made by Bienville in June, 1699, after Iberville’s return to Europe. Sauvolle observes that the three tribes above mentioned lived together on

ᵃ Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, XXX, 268, 1898

ᵇ Margry, Découvertes, IV, 172. It is significant that Iberville, who met Biloxi Indians before encountering any others, is the only one who gives the form Annicchy. In addition to the page above cited, this form occurs on pages 154, 155, 157 and 163 of the same volume. In English it would be Anokshy.

ᶜ Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, XXX, 267-268, 1898. The interpretation of Hotcafigara, however, is probably erroneous.

ᵈ Margry, (p. cit., IV, 152-154.