THE ODAHWAH INDIAN LANGUAGE. 481 



THE ODAHWAH INDIAN LANGUAGE. 



BY F. ASSIKINACK, 



A WAEEIOE OF THE ODAHWAHS. 



It is my intention to submit in this paper a few remarks on the lan- 

 guage spoken by the above named Tribe of Indians, with the view of 

 showing at least some of the peculiarities in it. On the question 

 whether the languages spoken by the different Tribes in America 

 descend from one common stock, as some writers seem to think, I 

 will not at present undertake to offer any opinion; but I am perfectly 

 satisfied in my own mind that there are Indian Tribes who differ from 

 each other in language as much as the English, French, and German 

 differ from one another in their respective languages. The undermen- 

 tioned Tribes may be considered as speaking nearly the same language, 

 disagreeing merely in small matters, such as letters, syllables, termina- 

 tions, and by using in a few instances totally different terms : namely, 

 the Ojibwas, Odahwahs, Omissahgees, (Mississages as they are com- 

 monly called), and Odashkwahguhmees. Perhaps the reader may 

 wish to know the reason for my not employing the terms, " Ottawa " 

 and " Chippewa," in this and my other papers ; in answer, I would 

 simply state, that I believe the writers who first made use of these 

 terms, meant to write, Odahwah and Ojibwa, and having not the 

 slightest doubt that the latter are the correct proper names by which 

 certain Indian Tribes are known in America, I have thought it right 

 to introduce them in these papers for the information of those who 

 may do me the honor to read them. Having made these statements 

 I may now observe that there appear to be twenty-one letters in the 

 Odahwah alphabet. The letters which are wanting, are F, L, E, V 

 and X. From the circumstance of not having these letters in our 

 own tongue, we find great difficulty in pronouncing words where these 

 letters occur, when we commence to learn the English language. 

 Other Tribes appear to be laboring under greater difficulties arising 

 from the deficiency of letters in their alphabet, or rather, the sounds 

 in the language suggestive of corresponding alphabetic signs. The 

 Mohawk Indians, for example, I understand, have only nineteen letters^ 

 and no labials at all, and are liable to put B when P should be used ; T 

 in place of D ; G instead of C ; and this defect is noticeable both ia. 

 their conversation and writings, I mean of course when they make 

 use of the English language. 



