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with either of these groups, but constitutes a peculiar kind. 

 His chief objection to its American character is his maintaining, 

 that the Eskimo, contrary to the latter, is not at all polysynthetic. 

 He asserts that polysynthetism requires that words can be formed 

 by juxtaposition of other words or independent stems, and that 

 this is a predominating rule in all the other North American ton- 

 gues, whereas in the Uralo - altaic languages the same compo- 

 sition is executed by adding dependent stems or imperfect words 

 to one principal word. Besides this he states about 4 gram- 

 matical properties, by which the Eskimo differs partly from the 

 Uralo-altaic and partly from the North American languages. As 

 I am no linguist I am not able fully to judge these assertions. 

 But I have always entertained the opinion, that polysynthetism 

 refers simply to the multitude of ideas that can be comprised 

 in one word, and I can also hardly believe that the contrast 

 alleged by L. A. is so complete as he describes. As to the 

 former criterion I believe that still the majorety of linguists 

 never can hesitate in granting the Eskimo in connection with 

 the other North American languages the most decided superi- 

 ority to those of the old world. As to the latter I expecially 

 consider the supposed absence or scarcity of true affixes in 

 Indian languages more than doubtful. I could adduce many 

 examples occusionally met with, of similarities in the construction 

 of words of the Eskimo with the American, and on the other 

 hand I know quite well the striking similarity with the Siberian 

 languages as to the mode of appending the affixes and the 

 dual and plural forms. But fragmentary remarks made on such 

 questions in favour of some theory can hardly be of any use. 

 A proper solution of these problems can only be expected from 

 thorough-going systematical investigation such as that now 

 instituted in the United States by eminent linguists and com- 

 prising the immense material collected from the numerous 

 aboriginal idioms of North America. 



