154 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



The Iroquois language, Avliicli is the proper representative of their intellectual 

 life, compares favorably Avith that of any other in the circle of the foniily, witli 

 respect to the fulness of its vocables, and to the regularity of its grammatical 

 forms. In the table will be found favorable specimens of its vocables, of its inflec- 

 tions for gender, and of the flexibility of its pronouns. 



I. Iroquois. 1. MohaAvks. 2. Oneidas. 3. Onondagas. 4. Cayugas. 5. 

 Senecas. 6. Tuscaroras. 7. Two Mountain Iroquois. 



From the prominent position of the Iroquois in the Ganowanian family their 

 system of consanguinity and afiinity possesses a proportionate value. It is so fully 

 developed in all of its parts that it niay be taken as typical of the system of this 

 familv. The nomenclature of relationships is opulent, the classification of kindred 

 systematic, and the plan itself, although complicated, and apparently arbitrary and 

 artificial, is yet simple, and in logical accordance with the principles of discrimina- 

 tion upon which it is founded. As the standard form, it is advisable to examine 

 it minutely. When traced out step by step, through its entire range, a perfect 

 knowledge of the system will be obtained, as Avell as of the fundamental conceptions 

 upon which it rests, Avhich Avill render an examination of the remaining forms 

 comparatively easy. i 



For convenience of reference a table of the Seneca-Iroquois and the Yankton- 

 Dakota forms is appended to this chapter. It contains the lineal and first, second, 

 third, and fourth collateral lines, in their several branches, in Avhich are given the 

 terms of relationship applied to the several persons described in the questions, Avith 

 a translation of each term into equivalent English. This method of arrangement 

 for presenting the system of a single nation is preferable to the one necessarily 

 used in the comparative Table, since it is brought out in a continuous form and 

 separate and apart from other forms. AYith the aid of this special table, and of 

 the diagrams AA'hich foUoAV, all the facilities are aff'ordcd that can be necessary for 

 the illustration and explanation of the system. As the Seneca system is developed 

 as to one of the indicatiA^e relationships, beyond that of the remaining Iroquois 

 nations, with the exception of the Tuscarora, theirs Avill be adopted as the standard 

 form of the Iroquois. The terms of relationship used in the illustrations, as aa'cU 

 as in the diagrams, are also in the Seneca dialect.' 



There are terms for grandfather and grandmother, Hoc'-sote and Oc'-soie ; for 

 father and mother, Ila-nili and Mj-ych' ; for son and daughter Ha-ah' -loiih and 

 Ka-ah'-iouk; and for grandson and daughter Ha-yada and Ka-yd'-da^ ; and no 

 terms for ancestors or descendants beyond those named. All above, without dis- 

 tinction, are grandfathers or grandmothers ; and all beloAV are grandsons or grand- 

 daughters. When it is necessary to be more specific the person is described. 



The relationships of brother and sister are conceived in the tAvofold form of 

 elder and younger, for each of AA'hich there are special terms, namely : Hd'-je^ my 

 elder brother ; Ah'-je, my elder sister ; Ila'-gd my younger brother ; lui'-gd, my 

 younger sister. These terms are applied, respectively, to each and all of the 

 brothers and sisters aa-Iio are older or younger than the person aa'Iio speaks. There 



' For notation see Fly Leaf to table appended to part II. 



