188 



MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE 



[ETH. ANN. 19 



into Alaska, ami eastward to the great divide (if the Ru<-ky muuntains. In the 

 southwest the Xavaho-Apache language is understood by nearly all the Indians of 

 Arizona and New Mexico, while on the plains the Sioux language in the north and 

 the Comanche in the south hold almost the same position. In addition to these we 

 have also the noted "sign language," a gesture system used and perfectly understood 

 as a fluent means of communication among all the hunting tribes of the plains from 

 the Saskatchewan to the Rio Grande. 



(3) Dialects (page 17): The linguistic affinity of the Cherokee and northern 

 Iroquoian dialects, although now well estal)lished, is not usually obvious on the 

 surface, but requires a close analysis of wonls, with a knowledge of the laws of pho- 

 netic changes, to make it appear. The superficial agreement is perhaps most apparent 

 between the Mohawk and the Eastern (Lower) Cherokee dialects, as both of these 

 lack the labials entirely and use r instead of /. In the short table given below the 

 Iroquois words are taken, with slight changes in the alphabet used, from Hewitt's 

 manuscripts, the Cherokee from those of the author: 



Comparison of Cherokee dialects 



