PHILOLOGY OF THE OUANANICHE * 



The Indian origin of the name of the fish was re- 

 ferred to in the opening chapter of the book. The 

 well-known Montagnais missionary, Father Arnaud, 

 of the Oblats, one of the best living authorities on the 

 Indian dialects spoken in the land of the ouananiche, 

 traces the word back to the same aboriginal dialect as 

 the names "Canada," "Quebec," "Stadacona." ^'■Kan- 

 atats ! Kanatats!" — according to Father Arnaud, 

 " They are strangers," or " Who are thejV — exclaimed 

 the aboriginal inhabitants of what isnow Quebec when 

 they caught sight of the first European arrivals in the 

 St. Lawrence ; and " Kanata," or " Canada," was thus 

 understood by the new-comers to be the name of the 

 country, and was so applied. The Indians' next ex- 

 clamation was, '■'■Kepek! KepekP^ ("Disembark!" or 

 " Come ashore !"), and being mistaken by the French- 

 men for the name of the promontory behind the na- 

 tives, upon which the upper town of Quebec is now 



*Much of the contents of this chapter has been drawn from the 

 author's paper entitled "The Philology of the Ouananiche — A Plea 

 for the Recognition of Piiority in Nomen^latui'e," read for him 

 by George Stewart, L,I>., LL.D., D.C.L., F.R.G.S., F.R.S.C., be- 

 fore the Royal Society of Canada, in May, 1894. 



