Chapter XL: Introduction: OF THE PALÆONTOLOGICAL ROCKS.--After passing some fifty (6)

To constitute the plural, the letter _g_ is added to the conjugations; thus, _nesaugeaug_ means, I love them. But this is an animate plural, and can only be added to words of the vital class. Besides, if the verb or noun to be made plural does not end in a vowel, but in a consonant, the _g_ cannot be added without interposing a vowel. It results, therefore, that the vowel class of words have their plurals in _äg_, _eeg_, _ig_, _og_, or _ug_. But, if the class of words be non-vital and numerical, the plural is made in the letter _n_. But this letter cannot, as in the other form, be added, unless the word terminate in a vowel, when the regular plurals are _än_, _een_, _in_, _on_, or _un_. This simple principle clears up one cause of perplexity in the conjugations, and denotes a philosophical method, which divides the whole vocabulary into two classes; while this provision _supersedes_, it answers the purpose of _gender_. There is, in fact, no gender required by the conjugations, it being sufficient to denote the _vitality_ or _non-vitality_ of the class. Nothing can be clearer. This is one of the leading traits of the grammar of the language, upon the observance of which the best speakers pride themselves.

It does not, however, result that, because there is no gender required in the conjugations, the idea of sexuality is unknown to the nomenclature. Quite the contrary. The tenses for male and female, in the chief orders of creation, are _iaba_ and _nozha_. These words prefixed to the proper names of animals, produce expressions of precisely the same meaning, and also the same inelegance; as if we should say, male goose, female goose, male horse, and female horse, male man and female man. The term for man (_inini_) is masculine, and that for woman (_equa_) feminine in its construction. It is only in the conjugations that the principle of gender becomes lost in that of vitality.

7. _Active and passive voices._--The distinction between these two classes of verbs is made by the inflection _ego_. By adding this form to the active verb, its action is reversed, and thrown back on the nominative. Thus, the verb to carry is _nim bemön_, I carry; _nim bemön-ego_, I am carried. _Adowawa_ is the act of thumping, as a log by the waves on the shore._ Adowawa-ego_ is a log that is thumped by the waves on shore. _Nesaugeah_, I love; _Nesaugeigo_, I am loved. In the latter phrase, the personal term _au_ is dropped, and the long sound of _e_ slips into _i_, which converts the inflection into _igo_ instead of _ego_.

8. _Participles._--My impression is, that the Indians are in the habit of using participles, often to the exclusion of other proper forms of the verb. The vocabulary contains abundantly the indicative forms of the verb. To run, to rise, to see, to eat, to tie, to burn, to strike, to sing, to cry, to dance, are the common terms of parlance; but as soon as these terms come to be connected with the action of particular persons, this action appears to be spoken of as if existing--both the past and future tenses being thrown away; and the senses appear to be, I, you, he, or they; running, rising, seeing, eating, tying, burning, striking, singing, crying, dancing. At least, I have not been able to convince myself that the action is not referred to as existing. When the participles should be used, they, on the contrary, employ the indicative forms, by which such sentences are made as, he run, he walk, for running, walking.

The general want of the substantive verb, in their colloquial phrases, constantly leads to imperfect forms of syntax. Thus, _nëbä_ is the indicative, first person of the verb to sleep; but if the term, I am sleeping, be required, the phrase is _ne nëbä_, simply, I sleep. So, too, _tshägiz_ is the first person indicative to burn; but the colloquial phrase, I am burned, or burning, is _nen tshägiz_--the verb remaining in the indicative, and not taking the participle form.

It is not common to address persons by their familiar names, as with us--as John, or James. The very contrary is the usage of Indian society, the object being to conceal all personal names, unless they be forced out. If it be required to express this sentence, namely: Adario has gone out (or temporarily departed), but will soon return; the equivalent is _Ogima_, _ke mahjaun_, _panema_, _ke takooshin_. This sentence literally retranslated is, Chief, he gone; by and by, he (will) return--the noun chief being put for the personal noun Adario. It will be perceived that the pronoun _ke_ is repeated after the noun, making, chief, he gone. _Panema_ is an adverb which is undeclinable under all circumstances, and _tahkooshin_, the future tense of the verb to arrive, or come (by land). The phraseology is perfectly loaded with local or other particulars, which constantly limit the action of verbs to places, persons, and things.

XXV.

_A Vocabulary of the Odjibwa Algonquin Language._ BY H. R. SCHOOLCRAFT.

On referring to the manuscript of this vocabulary, it is found to fill a large folio volume, which puts it out of my power to insert it in this connection. It is hoped to bring it into the series of the Ethnological volumes, now in the process of being published at Philadelphia, under the auspices of Congress.