X.] 



STUDIES OF THE CHUKCH LANGUAGE. 



369 



spoke any European language, though one or two knew a couple 

 of English Avords and a Russian word of salutation. This was 

 a very unfortunate circumstance, which caused us much trouble. 

 But it was soon remedied by Lieut. Nordquist specially devoting 

 himself to the study of their language, and that with such zeal 

 and success that in a fortnight he could make himself pretty 

 well understood. The natives stated to De Long in the autumn 

 of 1879 that a person on the "man of war" which wintered on 

 the north coast, spoke Chukch exceedingly well. The difficulty 

 of studying the language was increased, to a not inconsiderable 

 degree, by the Chukches in their wish to co-operate with us in 

 finding a common speech being so courteous as not to correct, 

 but to adopt the mistakes, in the pronunciation or meaning of 

 words that were made on the Vega. As a fruit of his studies 

 Lieut. Nordquist has drawn up an extensive vocabulary of this 

 little known language, and given a sketch of its grammatical 

 structure.^ The knowledge of the Chukch language, which 



^ I give here an extract from the Vocabulary, that the reader may form 

 some idea of the language of the north-east point of Asia : — • 



Tndergin, heaven. 

 T'lrlir, the sun. 

 Yedlin, the moon. 

 AngdtUngan, a star. 

 Nutatschka, land. 

 Anglca, sea. 

 Ljedljenki, winter. 

 Edljek, summer. 

 EdJjongat, day. 

 Nekita, night. 

 Ayguon^ yesterday. 

 tetkin, to-day. 

 Ergatti, to-morrow. 

 Gnunian, north. 

 Emnungku, south. 

 Nikdyan, east. 

 KayradJjgin, west. 

 Tin tin, ice. 

 Atljatlj, snow. 

 Yeetedli, the aurora. 

 Yengeen, mist. 

 Tedljgio, storm. 

 Eek, tire. 

 Klja u///,aman,a human 



being. 

 Ordedlja, men. 

 Nediren, a woman. 

 Nenena, a child. 

 Empendtuchjo, father. 

 Empengait, mother. 

 LJeut, head. 

 Ljeutljka, face. 

 Dljedljadlin, eye. 



Liljdptkourgin, to see. 

 Huedljodlin, ear. 

 Huedljokodljdurgin, to 



hear. 

 Huddljomerk'm, to un- 

 derstand. 

 Huedljountdkurgin, not 



to understand. 

 Yekd, nose. 

 Yekergin, mouth. 

 Kametkuaurgin, to eat. 

 Yedlinedljourgin, to 



speak. 

 Mdmmah, a woman's 



breast. 

 Mammatkourgh), to 



give suck. 

 Yeet, foot. 



Retschaurgin, to stand. 

 Yetkatjergin, to lie. 

 Tschipiska, to sleep. 

 Kadljetschetuetjdkurgin, 



to learn. 

 Pintekatkdurgin, to be 



born. 

 Kaertrdljirgin, to die. 

 Kdmakatan,io be sick. 

 Kdmak, the Deity, a 



guardian S^nrit. 

 Ydranga, tent. 

 EtxchengeratUn, lamp. 

 drt/uor, sledge. 

 Atkuut, boat. 



AnetJjkatJj, fishing- 

 hook. 

 Anedljourgin, to angle. 

 Uddlin, knife. 

 Tsehupak, Kdmeak^ 

 ,dog. 



Umku, Polar bear. 

 Rerka, walrus. 

 Memetlj, seal. 

 Korang, reindeer. 

 Gdtlje, bird. 

 Enne, fish. 



Gurgur, dwarf-birch. 

 Kukatkokongadlin, wil- 

 low-bush. 

 Ge.m^ I. 

 Geninin, mine. 

 Get, you. 

 Genin, yours. 

 Enkan, he. 

 Muri, we. 

 Turi, you. 

 Mdyngin, much. 

 Fljukin, little. 

 Konjpong, all. 

 7, yes. 

 Etlje, no. 



Jfetschinka, thanks. 

 Ennen, one. 

 Nirak, two. 

 Nrok, three. 

 Nrak, four. 

 3IetlJi)igan, five. 

 B B 



