56 PHILOLOGY OF THE OUANANICHE 



sometimes when-na-nishe. In fact, those Indians who 

 have been much associated with English-speaking 

 anglers can be readily encouraged to pronounce the 

 word in as many different ways as the latter have of 

 spelling it. These Montagnais seem to have a weak- 

 ness for assenting to everything. It is almost as diffi- 

 cult to get a negative reply to a question from them 

 as to find one who will say " no " to the offer of a 

 coup or " drop " from the angler's flask. Ask one of 

 them if " winninish " is the correct pronunciation, and 

 ten chances to one he will answer " yes." Ask him a 

 minute afterwards if " whon-na-nishe " is not correct, 

 and he will say " certainly." Those who believe that 

 the pronunciation should be " ow-wan-na-nishe" can, in 

 the same manner, obtain just as easy a confirmation 

 of their theory. Mr. Cheney tested the matter in my 

 presence at Koberval, in August, 1894, to the com- 

 plete satisfaction of both of us ; and our Indians, some 

 of the most intelligent of the tribe, said " yes " to all 

 the different forms of pronunciation that he proposed. 

 The fact undoubtedly is that they have no confidence 

 in their own judgment in matters of this kind at all 

 events, in the presence of un monsieur and naturally 

 deferring to the views of those whom they know to be 

 much better educated than themselves, have become 

 unsettled in their own minds as to the proper pronun- 

 ciation of the name, because of the various sounds 

 given it by the different fishermen for whom they 

 have acted as guides. But if one of the more intelli- 

 gent of the older warriors of the tribe be shown the 

 fish and asked its name without any previous sugges- 

 tions of the pronunciation, he will invariably say 



