PHILOLOGY OF THE OTJAnInICHE 51 



constructed word, a mongrel orthography, such as is 

 sometimes found enclosed between parentheses in the 

 pronouncing dictionaries. And the absurdity of the 

 seeking is found in the variety of the grotesque re- 

 sults already indicated. As well, it seems to me, 

 might we object to the French form of the word 

 "champagne," and persist in writing it "shampain" 

 or " shampane," as to persevere in the anglicization of 

 " ouananiche." 



The forked-tail — lake trout — gray trout — lunge or 

 touladi is fortunate in the almost universal mainte- 

 nance for the name of its species, of the original 

 French orthographical illustration of the Indian sound 

 represented by the pronunciation of " namaycush." 

 But in the case of another North American fish — 

 Esox nobilior — whose popular title in its original form, 

 like that of the ouananiche and namaycush, comes 

 down to us, as correctly claimed by Mr. Mather, from 

 its Indian nomenclature, an apparent desire to get 

 away from French orthography has produced a some- 

 what similar confusion of language to that already 

 described in the case of the ouananiche. The original 

 spelling of the Indian name was undoubtedly "mas- 

 kinonge," and such it is still called in the statutes 

 of Canada. According to Bishop Lafleche, of Three 

 Kivers, a recognized authority upon Indian customs 

 and dialects, and in his early life a devoted mission- 

 ary to the Northwest, " maskinonge " is derived from 

 maskh* (deformed) and Tcinonje (a pike), and was ap- 

 plied to the Esox nobilior by the Indians, because it 



* In tlie Rapport sur les missions du diocese de Quebec, No. 12, 

 April, 1857, p. 103. 



