Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/50

 o8 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews.

phatical, fonorous, and bold and often, both in letters and fignification, fynonymous with the Hebrew language. It is a common and aid remark, that there is no language, in which fome Hebrew words are not to be found. Probably Hebrew was the firft, and only language, till diftance of time and place introduced a change, and then foon followed a mixture of others. The accidental pofuion of the characters, might alfo coincide with fome Hebrew words, in various dialecls, without the leaft intention. As the true pronun ciation of the Hebrew characters, is loft in a confiderable degree, it is too difficult a tafk, for a fkilful Hebraift, to afcertain a fatisfactory identity of language, between the Jews, and American Aborigines ; much more fo to an Indian trader, who profefles but a fmall acquaintance with the Hebrew, and that acquired by his own application. However, I will endeavour to make up the deficiency of Hebrew, with a plenty of good folid Indian roots:

The Indian nouns have neither cafes nor declenfions. They are invariably the fame, through both numbers, after the Hebrew manner. In their verbs, they likewife fometimes ufe the preterperfect, inftead of the prefent tenfe of the indicative mood ; as Blahfas Aiahre, Apeefahre, " Yefterday I went and faw i" and Eemmako Aiabre, Afeefabre, " Now I go and fee." Like the Hebrews, they have no comparative, or fuperlative degree. They exprefs a preference, by the oppofite extremes ; as Chekufteens, " You are virtuous;" Sahakfe, " I am vicious." But it implies a comparative degree, and figni- fies, " You are more virtuous than I am." By prefixing the adverbs, which exprefs little, and much, to the former words, it conveys the fame meaning , the former of which is agreeable to the Hebrew idiom. And a double re petition of the fame adiective, makes a fuperlative, according to the Hebrew manner, as Laiwwa, Lawwa, " moft, or very many." To add hah to the end of an adjective, unlefs it is a noim of multitude like the former, makes it alfo a fuperlative, as Hakfe to bah, " They are moft, or very wicked." Hakfe fignifies vicious, probably when the vicious part of the Ifraelites were under the hand of the corrector, the judge repeated that word : ta, is a note of plurality, and bob an Hebrew accent of admiration ; which makes it a fuperlative. To join the name of God, or the leading vowel of the myfte- rious, great, divine name, to the end of a noun, likewife implies a fuperla tive -, as Hakfe-ijhto, or Hakfe-o, " He, or fhe, is very wicked." The former method of fpeech exactly agrees with the Hebrew idiom ; as the original text (hews, in innumerable inftances.

When

�� �