1895-96.] THE BLACKFOOT LANGUAGE. 137 



Aioqtokoqsio = he is sick. 



Aioqtokoqsin = sickness. 



Aioqtokoqsapyoyis = an hospital ; Hterally, a sick house. 



GENDER. 



There are two genders, the animate and inanimate. As in the 

 English language, the adjective undergoes no change when applied 

 alternately to masculine and feminine, so there is none in the Blackfoot 

 language. Thus, we say : 



Matomaitupi = the first man. Matomakio = the first woman. 

 Aqsitupi = a good man. Aqsiakio = a good woman. 



The pronoun ostoyi has no distinction of sex — signifying he, she, it. 

 There being no grammatical change resulting from the distinction of 

 sex, two genders only are used— the animate, relating to things having 

 life, and the inanimate, which refers to things without life. There are 

 some inanimate things, however, that are treated as if they possessed 

 life. Nearly all names of implements are clased as animates, as : 



Kaksakin =r an axe. Kaksakiks = axes. 



Namaye and Namau = a bow or gun. Namayiks = bows, guns. 



Apsinamau = an arrow gun, i.e., a bow. 



Istoan = a knife. Istoeks = knives. 



Notoan =: my knife. Notoaks = my knives. 



Trees, plants, and various objects of vegetable nature have the termi- 

 nation for the animate gender, as : 



Mistcis r= a tree. Mistceks = trees. 



Puqtoki = a pine tree. Puqtokiks = pine trees. 



Inanimate objects, which are related to the native religion of the 

 Indians and are held as sacred, are classed as animates, as : 



Natos = the sun. Natosiks = suns,also moons and months 



Omuqkatos = the great sun. 



Kukutos = a star. Kukiitosiks = .stans. 



KokumekcsTm — the moon. Kokumekesimiks = moons. 



Neetuqta — a river. Neetuqtaks = rivers. 



