VOCABULARY 



OF 



WORDS OF THE WESTERN ESQUIMAUX. 



This vocabulary contains a collection of words made by 

 Mr. Collie, Mr. Osmer, and myself, from straggling parties 

 of Esquimaux, whom we met principally in Kotzebue Sound. 

 It agrees in many respects with that given by Captain Parry 

 in his second voyage, particularly in the numerals, the ele- 

 ments, and celestial bodies, and the names of animals which 

 are common to both places, and leaves no doubt of the two 

 languages being radically the same; though, as might be ex- 

 pected, the idioms are somewhat different. 



Captain Parry's remarks upon the language of the Eastern 

 Esquimaux seem to apply equally to that of the Western na- 

 tion, of which the very few words beginning with b, d, I, ff, r, 

 w, and the absence of the letters, J", q, v, x, may be adduced 

 as instances. The Western Esquimaux also appear to have 

 the peculiarity of varying their pronunciation, but without 

 materially softening the words. On the whole, the Western 

 Esquimaux language has more gutturals, and the words in 

 general have a harsher sound than those of the Eastern tribe. 



My knowledge of the language is too limited to enable me 

 to offer any further remarks on this subject, and I can only 

 submit the vocabulary as it is, persuaded, from the care that 

 has been bestowed upon it, that it will prove useful to per- 

 sons who may visit the N. W. coast of America. At the 

 same time I cannot vouch for a perfect understanding al- 

 ways subsisting between the inquirer and the respondent, 

 though I have reason to think it was not often otherwise. 

 The most ridiculous mistakes have occasionally been made 



