Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/272

 236 A SYNOPSIS OF THE INDIAN TRIBES. [iNTROD. But some appear to be used as our prepositions. Some conjunctions appear also to be suffix ; as se, 'for/ ' be- cause ' ; satgatto, sattoch garriaxse, ' you eat, you are hungry because,* HURONS OR WYANDOTS. The deficiencies in Zeisberger's Grammar may, though but very imperfectly, be partly supplied by the information respect- ing the language of the Hurons or Wyandots, transmitted by Father Brebeuf, the most eminent of the French Missionaries to that Nation. It is contained in a copious account of that Nation (First Part, Chap, iv.) given by him under the date of 16th July, 1636, and makes part of the relations of New France for that year. We annex its translation. LANGUAGE OF THE HURONS. This is only a foretaste, in order to show some of its par- ticular character, until a grammar and a dictionary can be prepared. They have a letter common to the Montagnes and the Algonkins for which we have none corresponding, and which we express by khi. They have neither b,f, I, m,p,j, v, x, or z. Most of their words are composed of vowels. They want all the labial letters; which is the reason why they all open their lips so ungracefully, and you can hardly understand their whistling or when they speak in a low tone. As they have almost no virtue nor religion nor science nor police, they have no simple words significative of whatever is connected with those. And we are much embarrassed in explaining to them many fine things derived from such knowledge. But compound words are in great use and have the same force as the adjective and substantive united together. Andatarasse, ' fresh bread.' Achitetsi, ' a long foot.' The variety of those compounded words is very great, and the key of the secret of their language. They have the same various genders as ourselves, the same variety of number as the Greeks.* Moreover a kind
 * Alluding to the dual.