Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/234

193 A SYNOPSIS OF THE INDIAN TRIBES. [iNTROD. guages. Their merit seems to consist in their innumerable analogical and most convenient derivatives; in the happy manner by which, through the insertion of a single particle, not only tenses and our common moods, but almost every possible modification of the action, is specially expressed; in the flexibility of the several parts of speech, which has enabled the Indian to enrich his language with so many graphic compound words, and, almost at will, to create new words, perfectly intelligible to the hearer, for every new object or idea. Thus, for instance, the horse is called by the Chippeways, paibaizhikogazhi, and by the Delawares, nanayanges. Both are compound significative words; the literal meaning of the first being "the animal with united (solid) hoofs," of the second, "the animal that carries on its back."

The several Indian languages seem to differ considerably in their respective powers and methods of compounding words. Our information on that subject is as yet very imperfect for most of them. But the designation of the several modifications of which the action is susceptible, by particles prefixed, affixed, or inserted, either significative, arbitrary, or the meaning of which is lost, appears to be a feature common to all. An illustration of this principle is found in the formation of the tenses, of the passive voice, and of the negative form in various languages. It will be seen by the tables in the Appendix, that the number of tenses is not the same in all. All indeed have a present, a preterite, and a future; but we find in some a pluperfect, in others a double future, sometimes referring to the nearer or greater length of time which may elapse before the action takes place, sometimes implying respectively, as in the English will and shall, a voluntary act or an obligation. In some of the languages, that of Chili for instance, there are tenses, the nice shades of distinction between which may not be precisely understood by foreigners. A peculiarity common to many is the use of the present for the preterite. In the Cherokee, a form derived from the participle has been resorted to, in order to designate with precision the present ("I tying" meaning "I do now tie"). In the language of Chili, an insulated tense, unconnected with the regular general system, has been added for the same purpose.