NORTHWESTERN AMERICA. 537 



TS1HAIU8H, SKWALE, ETC. NSIITSHAWUS. 



nin/itui nuw6 n son 



mos tf.la-ii-(is face 



maqsvn u-dqsun nose 



pantylakdm /m/ify.latfcwus spring 



pansotot^i hansotGtyi winter 



(DmSiy. tawi-y. earth 



mutsuts tawOtsai snake . 



nibaty.1 vmwatyl we 



j>ti/itrts ty.la-ha.ntfs ten 



The following are the most important grammatical peculiarities of the Selish tongue, 

 from which it is probable that the other languages of this family do not materially 

 differ : 



1. There are various modes of forming the plural. That which may be termed the 

 regular method, is by prefixing the syllable uty.1, or as it is sometimes pronounced, 

 u-utyl or tttfl; as, ktitrkis, brother, pi. utylkat^kis; noy.onoy.&s, wife, p\. uty.ln6y.onoy.0s. 

 Another common mode, which has been already mentioned, is by the duplication of the 

 first part of the word, with sometimes a change of the vowel ; as, wa,y,trtlt, infant, pi. 

 wa,j.iea,yMlt; sinmk&ult, daughter, pi. stvmiumkadlt ; stitylam, canoe, pi. stity.ltity.lam. 

 Sometimes the plural is formed apparently after this principle, but in a very irregular 

 fashion; as fdiitum, girl, pi. yaugutvm; skikwuglostan, eye, pi. skiku~ut.y.lkwuglostan ; 

 tftott, boy, pi. tiloit. In some cases the plural is a peculiar word, entirely different from 

 the singular ; as, sunwdm, woman, pi. pety.lpity.lkwi, probably derived from petylki, the 

 word for woman in Kitunn/a ; but samsumddm, is sometimes used. Some nouns have 

 a double plural, as, iliimiy.om, chief, pi. uty.lililumi/.om. All these variations must, 

 of course, be learned by practice, as they depend upon no general principles. 



2. The plurals of adjectives are formed in the same way as those of nouns; as, iaidt, 

 strong, pi. uty.lin.iAt; y.aest, good, pi. y.usy.dest; taiaa, bad, pi. titaiaa. But there are 

 several which have the plural entirely different from the singular ; as, kivOtunt, great, 

 pl.pit stylet; kukwaioma, small, pi. tsitsimet. 



3. A diminutive of some words is formed in alt; as, skokosda, boy or son, skokosddlt, 

 little boy ; stumt$a&, daughter, stumtyaalt, little daughter, ydutvm, girl, has $egutum 

 for its diminutive. 



No cases have been distinguished in the language. 



4. The personal pronouns are 



koiad, I kaenpild, we 



anuwi or 6nm, thou npildpstump, ye 



tsunitylts, he tsaniity.lts, they 



Neither the dual nor the exclusive plural has been found to exist in the language. To 

 express " 1 and thou," a speaker would say kaenanuwi, lit. we-thou. So " I and John" 

 would be kaen-John, we-John. Kae or kaen is an abbreviated form of the first person 

 plural, used as a prefix. 



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