56 PHILOLOGY OF THE OTTANANICHE 



sometimes when-na-nishe. In fact, those Indians who 

 have been much associated with English-speaking 

 anglers can be readily encouraged "to pronounce the 

 word in as many different ways as the latter have of 

 spelling it. These Montagnais seem to have a weak- 

 ness for assenting to everything. It is almost as diflS- 

 cult to get a negative reply to a question from them 

 as to find one who will say " no " to the offer of a 

 coup or " drop " from the angler's flask. Ask one of 

 them if " winninish " is the correct pronunciation, and 

 ten chances to one he will answer "yes." Ask him a 

 minute afterwards if " whon-na-nishe " is not correct, 

 and he will say " certainly." Those who believe that 

 the pronunciation should be " ow-wan-na-nishe " can, in 

 the same manner, obtain just as easy a confirmation 

 of their theory. Mr. Cheney tested the matter in my 

 presence at Eoberval, in August, 1-894, to the com- 

 plete satisfaction of both of us ; and our Indians, some 

 of the most intelligent of the tribe, said " yes " to all 

 the different forms of pronunciation that he proposed. 

 The fact undoubtedly is that thej'' have no confidence 

 in their own judgment in matters of this kind — at all 

 events, in the presence of un monsieur — and naturally 

 deferring to the views of those whom they know to be 

 much better educated than themselves, have become 

 unsettled in their own minds as to the proper pronun- 

 ciation of the name, because of the various sounds 

 given it by the different fishermen for whom they 

 have acted as guides. But if one of the more intelli- 

 gent of the older warriors of the tribe be shown the 

 fish and asked its name without any previous sugges- 

 tions of the pronunciation, he will invariably say 



