Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/80

 68 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews,

Paah fignifies to raife the voice, Voctfero for j, Phi, fignifies " the mouth," and A'ah> " to move." Opae is the name of a war- leader, be- caufe he is to move his mouth to O E A, or invoke YO HE WAR, while he carries the beloved ark to war, and is fanctifying himfelf and his party, that they may obtain fuccefs againft the enemy. But Pat-Minggo fignifies a far-off, or diftant chieftain. Pa yak Matahab^ is the high name of a war- leader, derived from Paab, to raife the voice to YAH, and Tabab-y " finilhed," meaning his war-gradation : the M prefixed to it, makes it a- fubftantive, according to the ufage of the Hebrews. Any thing liquid they term Ookcke, from Ookka and cbe : and Ookchaah fignifies " alive." It is drawn from Ookka, " water," C&, a note of refemblance, and Aab^ " mov ing ," /. e. a living creature refembles moving water. In like manner, Ookcba fignifies to awake out of fleep j and alfo to plant any vegetable fubftance, alluding to their three different ftates they firft were enabled to move about then reft, or fleep is neceffary, and alfo being planted in the earth but they hope that in due time, they mall be moved upward, after they have flept a while in the earth, by the omnipotent power of Tab. They have an idea of a refurrection of the dead body, according to the general belief of the Jews, and in conformity to St. Paul's philofophicat axiom, that corruption precedes generation, and a refurrection*.

Keenta fignifies " a beaver,'* Ookka " water," and Heenna " a path j" but, for a fmooth cadence,, they contract them into one word, Keextook* beenna - 9 which very expreflively fignifies " a beaver-dam."

The Indian compounded words, are generally pretty long; but thofe- that are radical, or fimple, are moftly fhort: very few, if any of them, ex^ ceed three or four fyllables. And, as their dialects are guttural, every word' contains fome confonants ; and thefe are the eflential characteriftics of lan guage. Where they deviate from, this rule, it is by religious emblems; which obv.ioufly proceeds from the great regard they paid to the names of the Deity -, efpecially, to the four-lettered,, divine, eflential name, by ufing the letters it contains, and the vowels it was originally pronounced with, to convey a virtuous idea ; or, by doubling, or tranfpofing them, to fignify the contrary.. In this they all agree. And, as this general cnftom mufl? proceed from one primary caufe, it feems to allure us, they were not in a 1 favage

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