322 THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS AND THEIR FOLK-LORE 



THE MONTAGNAIS LANGUAGE 



The language of the Montagnais is difficult, and is 

 constantly changing. Many of the words employed 

 in the earliest books of devotion prepared for the use 

 of these Indians by their Jesuit missionaries are bare- 

 ly recognized by the Montagnais of to-day. The same 

 is true of some of the words contained in the vocabu- 

 lary prepared by Mr. James Mackenzie in 1808. As 

 an instance of this we give the names of the different 

 months of the year as furnished by Mr. Mackenzie, and 

 also as now in common use among these people : 



MR. MACKENZIE'S VERSION 



January (The great moon) Tshipishime. 



February (Snow falls from the leaves) Epiche-na-mas-kui Pishime. 



March (Eagle moon) Mitisu Pishime. 



April (Bustard moon) Nishique Pishime. 



May (Budding moon) Uabikum Pishime. 



June (Rutting moon) Ui-sha-ku Pishime. 



July (Moulting moon) Pinaueu Pishime. 



August (Caribou horns cast their moss) Ushe-kau Pishime. 



September (The leaf turns yellow) Uatshetshi Pishime. 



October (The leaf falls) Penatshi Pishime. 



November (The fall month) Takuatche Pishime. 



December (The hard or severe month).. T-She-pa-peu Pishime. 



FROM REV. FATHER ARNAUD'S MONTAGNAIS 

 CALENDAR, 1896 



January Tshe Piishum. 



February Epsiminiskueu Piishum. 



March Uenisk Piishum. 



April Shishippiishum. 



