OMAHA AND PONKA LETTERS. 
By J. OWEN DORSEY. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Since 1872, it has been the good fortune of the author to record two 
hundred and thirty-eight letters (epistles) in the (egiha, which is the 
language spoken by the Omaha and Ponka tribes of North American 
Indians. 
One hundred and sixty-one of these letters, with numerous myths, 
legends, and historical papers, appear in ‘Contributions to North 
American Ethnology. Vol.vi. The (egiha language. Myths, Stories, 
and Letters;” and it has been decided to publish the rest of the letters 
in the present form. 
It is thought that the accompanying texts will be found interesting, 
not only because of their linguistic value, but also on account of their 
sociologic references. 
EXPLANATION OF CHARACTERS OCCURRING IN THE TEXTS. 
a as in father ; German, haben. 
at a prolonged a; always a final sound. 
an a nasalized a. 
ant a prolonged nasalized a. 
‘a an initially exploded a. 
‘ae a nasalized ‘a, 
a nearly as ain what, and o in hot; German, man sagt. 
‘B an initially exploded d@, as in wés‘a, snake. 
an a nasalized a. 
a as in hat. 
b as in be, rub. 
c as sh in shall. 
9 a medial sh, between sh and zh. Not synthetic. Occurs be- 
fore n in Gegiha and before n and r in zoiwere. 
¢ as th in thin (not used in @egiha). A zoiwere sound. 
5 a medial th or ¢ (not heard in @egiha). A yoiwere sound. 
Not synthetic. 
(: as th in then, the. Seer. 
ab | 
