INDIAN TRIBES OF THE MISSOURI VALLEY. 395 
The first one ever taken, so far as I can learn, was published in “ Long’s Expedition to 
the Rocky Mountains,” and consists of about thirty words. In the “ Reise in das Junere 
Nord Amerikas, in 1832-1834,” Vol. II, Prince Neuwied gives us twenty words. Mr. 
Gallatin also obtained brief but excellent vocabularies from Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, who 
was for many years superintendent of Fort Union, near the mouth of the Yellowstone. 
In Vol. III of Schoolcraft, twenty-two words are compared with the Minnitaree. No 
idea, however, has ever been given in regard to the grammatical structure of the Aub-sa/- 
ro-ke or Crow language. ‘The following vocabulary and grammatical sketch I obtained 
from the Crows, with the aid of an intelligent Scotch trader, Mr. Robert Meldrum, who 
has lived thirty-three years with that tribe and speaks the language with the fluency of a 
native. I was also very much aided by a MS. vocabulary of over a thousand words, ob- 
tained by Rev. Mr. Brauninger, a Lutheran missionary among the Crows during the 
years 1859 and 1860, who was killed by a wandering war-party of Dakotas in the 
valley of Powder River during the summer of 1860. 
REMARKS ON THE GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURE OF THE AUB-SA’-RO-KE OR CROW LANGUAGE. 
I. Nowuwns. 
1. As a general rule, no change occurs in the termination of nouns to indicate number 
or case. There are a few exceptions to this rule, however, as, it-si’-ri, a horse, it-si/-ru, horses; 
da-ka’-ka, a bird, da-ka’-ku, birds. 
2. No change is made in the termination of nouns to indicate gender, but different 
words are used for male and female; as, ¢i’-ro-pe, a bull; bi-shi’-e, a cow; bat’-si, a man; mi’-a, 
OY, mi-a-kat-e, a Woman. 
Il ADJECTIVES. 
3. Adjectives follow the nouns which they qualify; as, it-si’-ri-ma-nitum’-a-kat, a gentle 
horse ; mi’-a-ha-bu’-ro-ka, a Virtuous woman. 
4, Sometimes the adjective assumes the plural termination; as, it-si’-ri-ship-it-uk, black 
horses; mi-ship-it’-uk, black rocks. 
5. The idea of comparison is expressed in the following graduated form ; as, it’-si, good; 
it-se’-e-shek, better ; it-se’-bat-saé’, very good, or powerful good; ka-wi’, bad; ka-wi-ka’-te, a little 
bad; ka-wi’-e-shek, quite bad, or worse; ka-wi/-a-bat-saé’, worst, or exceedingly bad; bat-sad, 
strong, or powerful ; a-ha¢’-kat, a little ; i-a’-kat, very small; i-san-ic’-kat, a little larger ; i-sa’-e-shék, 
larger than the last ; i-sa’-bat-saé’, very large. 
6. Wherever adjectives or nouns are used as verbs, they are conjugated like verbs ; as, 
hin--et’-dék, healthy, or well; mi’-hin-i-ct-dck, I am well, &c. 
7. The cardinal numerals are as follows: 
