1895-96.] THE BLACKFOOT LANGUAGE. 12i> 



" coined " for things unknown to them when they lived together as the 

 netsepoye, i.e., the people that speak the same language, are the results 

 of the advent of the white race and their superior civilization. 



ORTHOGRAPHY. 



A Standard system of orthography is a necessity in reducing any 

 language to writing. Students of Indian languages not being guided by 

 a standard system, generally adopt a phonetic method of spelling, which 

 varies with the mental training or acute perception of the individual. A 

 "key" to the individual systems must then accompany every book writ- 

 ten in the language for the use of others, and oftentimes this is very diffi- 

 cult of application in studying the language. Having used a system of 

 my own for several years, I was ultimately induced to abandon it after an 

 examination of the universal alphabet of the Bureau of Ethnology, Wash- 

 ington, United States. This was in my opinion preferable to the Standard 

 Alphabet of Lepsius, and I therefoie selected the letters with their com- 

 binations which were suitable for expressing the sounds of the Blackfoot 

 Language. Instead of arranging this standard system in different 

 sections, treating of vowels, consonants, diphthongs and double letters, 

 the whole has been placed consecutively, thus becoming a " key " which 

 can be easily memorized and is ready for reference. 



THE ALPHABET. 



a as in far, father : as sinaksin = a book or letter, 



a as in law, all : as napikwan = a white man. 



ai as in aisle, and as / in pine : as kunaitupi = all the people, 



au as on in out and oiv in how : as mamyauyekwan = a fish eater, 



e as in they, like a in fate : as asetuqta = a small stream, 



e as in then, met : as nitonoetsi = I am hungry, 



h as in ha, he : as hau ! hau = a form of salutation, 



i as in pique, machine : as imita = a dog. 



i as in pick, pin : as kipitaki = an old woman, 



k as in kick : as kaksakin = an axe. 



m as in man, money : as manikupi — a young man. 



n as in nun, now : as notas = my horse, 



o as in note : as oqke = water, 



p as in pipe : as ponokamita = a horse, 



q as cJi in loch — guttural : as oqkotoki = a stone. 



s as in sauce : as sokasim = an outer garment or coat, 



t as in touch : neetiiqta = a river, 



u as in rule, full : puqsiput = come thou here. 

 9 



