﻿XV 
  

   LANGUAGE 
  

  

  An 
  analysis 
  of 
  the 
  Omaha 
  language 
  or 
  a 
  presentation 
  of 
  its 
  vocab- 
  

   ulary, 
  grammar, 
  and 
  syntax 
  would 
  demand 
  a 
  fullness 
  of 
  treatment 
  

   that 
  is 
  not 
  possible 
  at 
  this 
  time. 
  A 
  few 
  words, 
  however, 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   medium 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  people 
  expressed 
  their 
  thoughts 
  are 
  fitting 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  make 
  more 
  complete 
  the 
  present 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  tribe. 
  

  

  The 
  Omaha 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  large 
  linguistic 
  group 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  

   Siouan." 
  The 
  numerous 
  tribes 
  which 
  form 
  this 
  group 
  may 
  be 
  classi- 
  

   fied 
  in 
  subgroups 
  by 
  placing 
  together 
  those 
  whose 
  speech 
  shows 
  com- 
  

   paratively 
  slight 
  dialectic 
  differences. 
  This 
  classification 
  has 
  been 
  

   accomplished 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Bureau 
  of 
  American 
  Ethnology, 
  

   the 
  Siouan 
  family 
  being 
  divided 
  into 
  seven 
  groups. 
  6 
  Group 
  II, 
  dep- 
  

   ilated 
  by 
  the 
  arbitrary 
  term 
  Dhe'giha 
  or 
  The'giha 
  (see 
  p. 
  37) 
  is 
  com- 
  

   posed 
  of 
  five 
  cognate 
  tribes: 
  The 
  Omaha, 
  Ponca, 
  Quapaw, 
  Osage, 
  

   and 
  Kansa. 
  

  

  Omaha 
  grammar 
  is 
  complex 
  rather 
  than 
  simple, 
  the 
  complexity 
  

   being 
  increased 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  particles 
  as 
  prefixes 
  and 
  suffixes 
  and 
  by 
  

   the 
  incorporation 
  of 
  pronouns. 
  By 
  these 
  means 
  a 
  word 
  is 
  modified 
  

   in 
  form 
  and 
  its 
  meaning 
  is 
  enhanced, 
  made 
  more 
  definite, 
  more 
  

   circumstantial, 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  impossible 
  in 
  any 
  European 
  language. 
  

   Such 
  a. 
  modified 
  word 
  may 
  require 
  a 
  sentence 
  for 
  translation 
  into 
  

   English. 
  

  

  Naturally 
  verbs 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  susceptible 
  to 
  modification, 
  but 
  nouns 
  

   are 
  not 
  exempt; 
  the 
  particles 
  joined 
  to 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  generally 
  adjec- 
  

   tival 
  in 
  character 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  listener 
  always 
  learns 
  something 
  of 
  the 
  

   character, 
  appearance, 
  or 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  object 
  spoken 
  of. 
  A 
  few 
  

   simple 
  examples 
  may 
  make 
  clearer 
  the 
  above 
  statement 
  : 
  

  

  Shi 
  n 
  'nuda 
  to" 
  Shi 
  n 
  'nuda 
  ke 
  Xthabe' 
  te 
  Xthabe' 
  ke 
  

  

  Dog 
  (the) 
  standing 
  dog 
  (the) 
  lying 
  tree 
  (the) 
  standing 
  tree 
  (the) 
  lying 
  

  

  Zho 
  n 
  'hide 
  tho" 
  

  

  stump 
  (the) 
  round 
  

  

  (i 
  This 
  term 
  I 
  ii-urs 
  e\ 
  idence 
  ;'is 
  to 
  the 
  early 
  method 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  Indian 
  tribes 
  were 
  generally 
  

   obtained. 
  Tin- 
  question, 
  " 
  \\ 
  ho 
  lives 
  beyond 
  you?" 
  put 
  to 
  a 
  tribe 
  was 
  apt 
  to 
  elicit 
  the 
  answer, 
  "t 
  lur 
  

   enemies!" 
  In 
  this 
  fashion 
  the 
  Chippewa 
  replied 
  through 
  their 
  French 
  interpreter, 
  who 
  corrupted 
  the 
  

   native 
  word 
  into 
  Nadowissioux, 
  "snake-like," 
  metaphorically 
  meaning 
  "enemies." 
  The 
  final 
  syllable, 
  

  

  lUghl 
  M 
  11 
  "i 
  I 
  he 
  I 
  ii 
  neh 
  and 
  became 
  fastened 
  as 
  a 
  common 
  name 
  on 
  the 
  neighboring 
  Dakota 
  

  

  tribes, 
  ii 
  was 
  finally 
  transferred 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  linguistic 
  group 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  Dakota 
  belon 
  ; 
  bj 
  Albert 
  

   Gallatin 
  in 
  his 
  monumental 
  work. 
  A 
  Synopsis 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  Tribes 
  in 
  North 
  America 
  ( 
  Tram. 
  A 
  m. 
  A 
  ntiq. 
  

   See,. 
  Arclueologto 
  A 
  mericana, 
  u. 
  Worcester, 
  Mas;.. 
  L836). 
  

  

  !>See 
  Handbook 
  of 
  American 
  Indians. 
  Bull. 
  30, 
  Bur. 
  -I 
  m. 
  Ethnol, 
  pi. 
  2, 
  579. 
  

  

  COS 
  

  

  