Page:Archæologia Americana—volume 2, 1836.djvu/336

 300 A SYNOPSIS OF THE INDIAN TRIBES. [iNTROD. The most usual of those pronouns are : .kiive Voice. Slhgvlar. Plural. First person, go, wage ; unque ; Second person, se, wassa, sa ; swa ; Third person, mas. ho, waho ; hoti ; Third person, tern, go, tgo ; gati. Passive Voice. Singular. Plural. First person, junki ; tiunqua ; Second person, jetsa ; jetswa ; Third person, mas. huwa ; huwati ; Third person, fern, guwa ; guwati. When the verb begins with wa or t, the pronoun is inserted between the rirst and second syllable of the verb, instead of being prefixed to it. There are two future tenses corresponding with the English will and shall. The first, or simple future, is formed by prefixing en, 'rz ; and the future imperative by prefixing na to the pronoun ; the Imper- ative by inserting or prefixing a, (the second person singular being thus converted from sa into assa). The preterite tense is formed by affixing to the present a termination, ochne, squa, cJita, &c, varying according to the termination of the verb. In every other respect, the verbs are conjugated like the present of the indicative, the differences of number, gender, and person being distinguished only by the pronouns as above stated. Various preposi- tions meaning in, on, to, under, near, &c, and some conjunctions, (as se, ' for,' ' because,') may be affixed to the verb and modify or alter its meaning. No mention is made by Zeisberger of a subjunctive mood, of a dual or special plural, or of transitions. The few specimens of those of the Mohawk, collected by Mr. Dwight, are not sufficient for any general inference. But Zeisberger's Grammar, translated by Mr. Duponceau, from which the preceding notes have been extracted, and which is in the library of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, con- tains much additional interesting information ; and it is desirable that it should be published. A very voluminous manuscript German and Onondago dictionary, compiled by Mr. Zeisberger, is also in the same library. Examples have been given of the relative position of the particles which denote tenses, voice, and negation, both with each other, and with respect to the pronoun and to the verb proper. The view even of that branch of the subject is not complete ; and materials are wanted to throw any light on the selection, or position of the various prepositions or other particles, which, being either prefixed, affixed, or inserted, modify or alter the meaning of the verb. Although the Chilian Grammar of Father Febres is far more complete and satisfactory than any we have of our Indian languages, he has not been able to give more than a few very partial rules ; and declares the choice and collocation of those par- ticles to be the most difficult part of the language, and to be acquired only by usage. Note. Zeisberger's paradigms having been examined first in order, his definition of moods has been followed throughout — e. g. what Eliot more properly calls tho suppositive mood, is here termed the subjunctive.