Historical and Literary Committee of Am. Philos. Society, p. 403.]
[Footnote 94: Ibid., p. 406.]
[Footnote 95: Preface to Duponceau's translation of Zeisberger's
Grammar, p. 21. On Duponceau's authority, Dr. Pickering accepted this
analysis and gave it currency by repeating it, in his admirable paper
on "Indian Languages," in the Encyclopædia Americana, vol. vi.]
We meet with similar analyses in almost every published list of Indian
names. Some examples have been given in the preceding pages of this
paper,--as in the interpretation of 'Winnipisiogee' (p. 32) by 'the
beautiful water of the high place,' _s_ or _[=e]s_ being regarded as
the fractional representative of '_kees_, high.' _Pemigewasset_ has
been translated by 'crooked place of pines' and 'crooked mountain pine
place,'--as if _k[oo]-a_, 'a pine,' or its plural _k[oo]-ash_, could
dispense in composition with its significant base, _k[oo]_, and appear
by a grammatical formative only.
6. No interpretation of a place-name is correct which makes _bad
grammar_ of the original. The apparatus of Indian synthesis was
cumbersome and perhaps inelegant, but it was nicely adjusted to its
work. The grammatical relations of words were never lost sight of. The
several components of a name had their established order, not
dependent upon the will or skill of the composer. When we read modern
advertisements of "cheap gentlemen's traveling bags" or "steel-faced
carpenters' claw hammers," we may construe such phrases with a
latitude which was not permitted to the Algonkins. If 'Connecticut'
means--as some have supposed it to mean--'long deer place,' it denotes
a place where _long deer_ abounded; if 'Piscataqua' was named 'great
deer river,' it was because the deer found _in_ that river were of
remarkable size. 'Coaquanock' or, as Heckewelder wrote it,
'Cuwequenaku,' the site of Philadelphia, may mean 'pine long-place'
but cannot mean 'long pine-place' or 'grove of long pine trees.' If
'Pemigewasset' is compounded of words signifying 'crooked,' 'pines,'
and 'place,' it denotes 'a place of crooked pines,'--not 'crooked
place of pines.'
Again--every Indian name is _complete within itself_. A mere
adjectival or qualificative cannot serve independently, leaving the
real ground-word to be supplied by the hearer. River names must
contain some element which denotes 'river;' names of lakes or ponds
something which stands for 'lake' or 'pond.' The Indians had not our
fashion of speech which permits Hudson's River to be called 'the
Hudson,' drops the word 'lake' from 'Champlain' or 'Erie,' and makes
"the Alleghanies" a geographical name. This difference must not be
lost sight of, in analysis or translation. _Agawam_ or _Auguan_ (a
name given to several localities in New England where there are low
flat meadows or marshes,) cannot be the equivalent of the Abnaki
_ag[oo]a[n]n_, which means 'a smoke-dried fish,'[96]--though
_ag[oo]a[n]na-ki_ or something like it (if such a name should be
found), might mean 'smoked-fish place.' _Chickahominy_ does not stand
for 'great corn,' nor _Pawcatuck_ for 'much or many deer;'[97] because
neither 'corn' nor 'deer' designates _place_ or implies fixed
location, and therefore neither can be made the ground-word of a
place-name. _Androscoggin_ or _Amoscoggin_ is not from the Abnaki
'_amaskohegan_, fish-spearing,'[98] for a similar reason (and
moreover, because the termination _-h[=e]gan_ denotes always an
_instrument_, never an _action_ or a _place_; it may belong to 'a
fish-spear,' but not to 'fish spearing' nor to the locality 'where
fish are speared.')
[Footnote 96: It was so interpreted in the Historical Magazine for
May, 1865 (p. 90).]
[Footnote 97: Ibid. To this interpretation of _Pawcatuck_ there is the
more obvious objection that a prefix signifying 'much or many' should
be followed not by _ahtuk_ or _attuk_, 'a deer,' but by the plural
_ahtukquog_.]
[Footnote 98: Etymological Vocabulary of Geographical Names, appended
to the last edition of Webster's Dictionary (1864). It may be proper
to remark in this connection, that the writer's responsibility for the
correctness of translations given in that vocabulary does not extend
beyond his own contributions to it.]
7. The locative post-position, _-et_, _-it_ or _-ut_,[99] means _in_,
_at_ or _on_,--not 'land' or 'place.' It locates, not the object to
the name of which it is affixed, but _something else_ as related to
that object,--which must be of such a nature that location can be
predicated of it. _Animate nouns_, that is, names of animate objects
cannot receive this affix. 'At the rock' (_ompsk-ut_), 'at the
mountain' (_wadchu-ut_), or 'in the country' (_ohk-it_, _auk-it_), is
intelligible, in Indian or English; 'at the deer,' 'at the bear,' or
'at the sturgeons,' would be nonsense in any language. When animate
nouns occur in place-names, they receive the formative of verbals, or
serve as adjectival prefixes to some localizing ground-word or
noun-generic.
[Footnote 99: Abnaki and Cree, _-k_ or _-g_,--Delaware and Chippewa,
_-ng_; or _-[n]g_,--with a connecting vowel.]
8. Finally,--in the analysis of geographical names, differences of
_language_ and _dialect_ must not be disregarded. In determining the
primary meaning of roots, great assistance may be had by the
comparison of derivatives in nearly related languages of the same
stock. But in American languages, the diversity of dialects is even
more remarkable than the identity and constancy of roots. Every tribe,
almost every village had its peculiarities of speech. Names
etymologically identical might have widely different meanings in two
languages, or even in two nations speaking substantially the same
language. The eastern Algonkin generic name for 'fish' (_nâma-us_,
Del. _namai-s_) is restricted by northern and western tribes to a
single species, the sturgeon (Chip. _namai´_,) as _the_ fish, par
excellence. _Attuk_, in Massachusetts was the common fallow-deer,--in
Canada and the north-west the caribou or reindeer. The Abnaki Indian
called his _dog_ (_atié_) by a name which the Chippewa gives his
_horse_ (_oti-un_; _n'di_, my horse).[100] The most common
noun-generic of river names in New England (_-tuk_, 'tidal river')
occurs rarely in those of Pennsylvania and Virginia, where it is
replaced by _-hanne_ ('rapid stream'), and is unknown to western
Algonkin tribes whose streams are undisturbed by tides. The analysis
of a geographical name must be sought in the language spoken by the
name-givers. The correct translation of a Connecticut or Narragansett
name is not likely to be attained by searching for its several
components in a Chippewa vocabulary; or of the name of a locality near
Hudson's River, by deriving its prefix from an Abnaki adverb and its
ground-word from a Chippewa participle,--as was actually done in a
recently published list of Indian names.
[Footnote 100: Both words have the same meaning,--that of 'a domestic
animal,' or literally, 'animate property;' 'he who _belongs_ to
me.']
INDIAN NAMES.
Abagadusset, Abequaduset, 39
Abnaki, 7
-ACADIE, 26, 27
_Acawme-_, 10
Accomack, 10
-ADCHU, -ACHU, 20
-ADENÉ, 21
Agamenticus, 10
Agoncy, 28
AHQUEDNE, 23
_Akoode-_, 28
Alleghany, 12
-AMAUG, 18
Amessagunticook, 25
Amoskeag, 25
_Anasqui-_, 41
Androscoggin, 25
Anmesookkantti, 25, 42
Annis-squam, 18
Aquednet, -nesit, 23
_Ashawi-_, 33
Ashawog, 33
ASHIM, 34
Ashimuit, 34
_Assini-_, 20
-AÛKE, 6
Baamcheenunganoo, 40
Bagadoose, 38
-BIK, 18
_Boonamoo-_, 27
Capawonk, 29
Cappowonganick, 29
Catumb, 19
Caucomgomoc, 17
Chabanakongkomuk, 35
CHABENUK, 35
Chawonock, 7
Chebegnadose, 39
Chippaquiddick, 23
Cobbosseecontee, 26, 42
Cobbscook, 42
-COMACO, 21
Connecticut, 8
Cuppacommock, 21
_-Ehtu_, _-ettu_, 23, 24
_Eshqua-_, 41
-GAMI, 17
Ganshow-hanne, 12
Gonic, 42
Hackensack, 30
-HAN, -HANNE, 8, 12
_Hassuni-_, 19
Higganum, 19
-HITTUCK, 8
Hoccanum, 30
HOCQUAUN, 30
Ishquagoma, 41
_Kabassé-_, 42
-KAMIGHÉ, 21
-KAOODI, 28
-KANTTI, 22
Katahdin, 21
_Kauposh-_, 42
Kearsarge, 20
_Keht-_, _kit-_, 12, 19, 21
Kehtetukqut, 12
Kennebec, 15
Kenjua, 43
Kenosha, 43
Ketumpscut, 19
-KI, 6
Kinougami, 17
Kiskatamenakook, 7
Kittanning, 12
Kittatinny, 21
Kitchigami, 17
Kitchi-sipi, 7
-KOMUK, 21
-KONTU, 23
Kunckquachu, 20
_Kuppo-_, 21, 29
Lackawanna, 12
Lenapewi-hittuck, 8
Machigamig, 17
Manati, 22
Manhasset, 23
Manhatan, 22
Manisses, 22
Manussing, 23
_Massa-_, _Masha-_, 15
Massachusetts, 20
Massapaug, 15
Massaugatucket, 32
Mashenips, 38
Maskinonjé, 43
Mattabeset, 35
Mattammiscontis, 25
Mattapan, -ient, 34
Mattapony, 35
Mattapoiset, 35
Matchebiguatus, 39
Mauch-chunk, 20
MENAN, 22
Mennewies, 23
Meesucontee, 25
Mianus, 37
Michigan, 17
Missinippi, 15
Missisaking, 31
Mississippi, 7
Misquamacuck, 42
Mistassini, 20
Miste-shipu, 7
Mitchigami, 17
Mohicannittuck, 8
Montauk, 23
Moosup, 37
Moshenupsuck, 38
-MSK (for -OMPSK), 18
Munhansick, 23
MUNNOH-HAN, 22
Mushauwomuk, 5, 35
Mystic, 8
NÂ[=I]AG, 29
Namasket, 42
Nameaug, 38
Namelake, 38
Narragansett, 29
Nashauekomuk, 21
NASHAUÉ, 21, 33
Nashua, Nashaway, 33
Natchaug, 33
Na[=u]mkeag, 43
Nayatt, Nayot, 29
_Nessaooa-_, 22
Newichawanock, 12
Nimpanickhickanuh, 37
NIPPE, NEBI, 14
Nippissing, 15
Noank, 29
_Nó[=e]u-_, 11
Norwottock, 11
Noyaug, 29
_Nunni-_, 16
Nunnepoag, 16
Nunkertunk, 29
Nyack, 29
Occoquan, 30
_Ogkome-_, 10
OGQUIDNE, 23
Ohio, 13
-OHKE, -OKE, 6
Okhúcquan, 30
Olighin-sipoú, 13
-OMPSK, 18
Oswego, 31
Ouschankamaug, 18
Pacatock, 8
_Paguan-_, 40
_Pahke-_, 16, 40
Pahquioque, 39
Paquabaug, 16, 40
Paquiaug, 39
Pascoag, 11
Pasquotank, 11
Passamaquoddy, 26, 43
Patuxet, -ent, 9
-PAUG, 15
_Pauqui-_, 39
Pauquepaug, 16
Pauat-, 9
Pautuck, 9
Pawating, 9
Pawcatuck, 8
Pawtucket, 8, 9
Pemadené, 41
_Pemi-_, 40
Pemaquid, 41
Pemetiq, 41
Pemigewasset, 41
_Pemiji-_, 40
Pemijigomé, 40
_Pen-_, 19
Penobscot, 19
Pequabuck, 16
Pequannoc, 40
_Pescatum-_, 26, 43
_Peske-_, 10
Pesquamscot, 11
Pettiquamscut, 18
Petuckquapock, 16
_Petukqui-_, 16, 18
Pikanghenahik, 30
_Pimé-_, 40
-PISK, -PSK, 18
Piscataqua, -quog, 11
Piscataway,-aquis, 11
Poaetquessing, 9
_Pohqui-_, 39
_Ponamo-_, 27
Poquannoc, 40
Poutaxat, 9
Powhatan, 10
Pymatuning, 38, 41
Pyquaag, 39
_Pummeecke-_, 40
Quansigamaug, 18
Quilutamende, 36
_Quinni-_, 8, 15
Quinnihticut, 8
Quinebaug, 16
Quinepoxet, 16
Quinnipiac, 15
-QUODDY, -KANTTI, 26, 27
Quonshapang, 43
Qussuk, 16
Quunkwadchu, 20
Saco, 30
Sagadahock, 30
Saganaw, 31
Saguenay, 31
Saquatucket, 32
Saugatuck, 32
Saukunk, 31
Segoonumakaddy, 27
Segubbunakaddy, 26
SEPU, SEIP, SIPI, 7
Shaume, 34
Shawmut, 36
Shawwunk, 33
Shubenacadie, 26
Shumuit, 34
Sicaiook, Suckiaug, 7
Soakatuck, 32
_Sonki-_, 16
Sonkipaug, 16
Sowanohke, 7
Squam, 18
Squamacut, 42
Squammagonic, 42
Squamscot, 18
_Sucki-_, 7
Swamscot, 18
-TCHUAN, 12
Temigami, 17
Tetiquet, Titicut, 11
Tomheganomset, 19
Tracady, -die, 28
-TUK, 8
UHQUÔN, 30
WADCHU, 20
Wampanoags, 6
_Wanashqué-_, 18, 41
Wangunbog, 16
Wapanachki, 7
Werowocomoco, 21
Winnepesaukee, 32, 33
Winnesquamsaukit, 18
Winnisimmit, 34
Wnogquetookoke, 30
Wonasquatucket, 41
WONKUN, WONGUN, 29
Wongattuck, 29
Wonkemaug, 18
Wongunpaug, 16
Wonnesquam, 18
Wuskowhánanaukit, 7