222, LABRADOR 
Certain articles of importance are granted the superior 
form of the verb: among these are dshamits, ‘‘snow-shoes’’; 
ashtesh,‘ gloves’’; wuiash, “meat”; and the names of the dif- 
ferent furs. Curiously, perhaps, for with aboriginal races the 
flesh is weak in this connection, ishkut/eu-a’ put, ‘“ whiskey,” 
is not given the higher genre, nor shuliau, “‘ money ”’ (silver), 
while wapamin, “ apple,” is. 
New names have come with the white régime: — 
Horse, Kaptlikishiao — he that has but a single toe. 
Cow, Uishauatituk — the yellow deer. 
Turkey, Mishildo — great partridge. 
Cat, Mirish. 
Iron, Assukumdn — kettle-metal or material. 
Tin, Uapukuman — white-metal. 
Gun, Passigan — thunderer. 
Soap, Uapdkiigan — whitener. 
Spy-glass, T’ushkdpitshigan — instrument for seeing far. 
The ending s or sh, as in wapush, “rabbit,” and mush, 
“cat,” is a diminutive. Such is T'shipshas (lake), “ Little 
Tshipshau,”’ and Mistassinis, “ Little Mistassini.” The latter 
name signifies ‘‘Great Stone,’ from a large boulder on the 
shore of that lake, which is regarded as having occult 
influences. Almost all the names of fish and other crea- 
tures are plainly descriptive. 
It may be inferred that not much borrowing from other 
languages has occurred for a long time. Considering how 
few of our common names, such as horse, dog, cod, trout, 
not to mention names of inanimate objects, have any 
descriptive meaning to us, as words, this survival of original 
meanings in the Indian emphasizes the compositeness, at 
least, of our English tongue. 
Wa- as a prefix means white; was- or wash-, bright 
