296* THE SERI INDIANS [eth.anm.it 



Language 



The bases for definite knowledge of the Seri tongne are the five 

 vocabularies described on other pages (13, 95, 97, 102, and 107). 



The earliest of these vocabularies, comprising eleven terms, was col- 

 lected in Ilermosillo in 1850 by Senor Lavandera, presumably from the 

 tribal outlaw Kolusio, and transmitted to Senor Ramirez for discussion. 

 This pioneer vocabulary is superseded by those of later date. 



The second Seri word-collection was made by Commissioner Bartlett 

 at Hermosillo in 1852; it was obtained from Kolusio, and comprises 

 some two hundred words. 



The third vocabulary was obtained at Hermosillo during or about 

 18G0, doubtless from Kolusio, by Senor Tenochio; it comprises about 

 one hundred terms; it was discussed and published by Senor Pimentel, 

 and served as a basis for the first scientific classification of the tribe 

 and their collinguals. 



The fourth Seri vocabulary was that obtained by M Pinart at Her- 

 mosillo in 1879, almost certainly from Kolusio; it comprises over six 

 hundred words, witli a few short phrases. 



The latest word collection is the Bureau (or McGee) vocabulary, 

 obtained on the Seri frontier in 1894 through Mashcm, subchief of the 

 tribe; it comprises some three hundred vocables with a few short 

 phrases, accompanied by explanatory notes. 



The several collections are entirely independent: Lavandera's record 

 was made in Spanish, at the request of Kamirez; Bartlett was not 

 aware of the earlier record, and wrote in English; Tenochio knew 

 nothing- of Bartletfs work, was probably not aware of Lavandera's, 

 and wrote in Spanish; Pinart, though French in blood and mother- 

 tongue, was fully conversant with Spanish, in which his record was 

 made, and apparently knew nothing of the earlier vocabularies; while 

 the Bureau recorder had not seen any of the earlier records and had 

 shadowy knowledge of the existence of two of them only at the time of, 

 making his own. 



Naturally the several vocabularies overlap to a considerable extent, 

 and thus a&brd means of verification. Those of Bartlett, Tenochio, 

 and Pinart, all obtained from the same informant, are notably consist- 

 ent, despite the diversity in language on the part of the recorders; and 

 their corresjjondence with the Bureau vocabulary is hardly less close 

 (excei)t for the comparative absence of terms for alien concepts in the 

 latter record) than their agreement among each other. Accordingly-, 

 the linguistic collections, although far less full than would be desira- 

 ble, are fairly satisfactory so far as vocables are concerned ; but unhap- 

 pily the few short phrases in the Pinart and Bureau collections are 

 quite too meager to elucidate the grammatic structure of the language. 



The aggregate number of vocables in the several records is some 

 seven hundred. Of these over 97 per cent are apparently distinctive, 



