THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS AND THEIE FOLK-LOEE 325 



verbs. " Mitshui " (to eat) will serve as an example. 

 The imperative form, second person singular, is 

 " Mitshu." 



Present Indicative. 



Ni mitshon I eat. 



Tshi mitshon Thou eatest, 



Mitsho He eats. 



Ni mitslionan We eat. 



Tshi mitshoDOu You eat. 



Mitshots Tbey eat. 



Future Indieatim. 



Nika mitshon I will eat. 



Tshika mitshon Thou wilt eat. 



Etc. 



Ifi mitshon is one of several transitive verbs in Mon- 

 tagnais, which are modified in form according as they 

 have animate or inanimate objects. Many inanimate 

 things are endowed with life in the minds of the Ind- 

 ians, especially if they are of value to them. Bread 

 may be taken as an example. In the woods they can 

 seldom obtain it. They will therefore say ni muau 

 pohuejiJcan for " I eat bread," while " T eat an onion " 

 is simply ni mitshon shihaTcushu. If it is fish, in 

 general, that they eat, or a poor variety of it, they 

 similarly employ the ordinary form of the verb — ni 

 mitshon. If it be trout or ouananiche, on the other 

 hand, or any other tasty and valued species, the 

 form is ni muau. It is the same thing with them 

 in selling as in eating. "I sell a fish" is ntatauan 

 nameshe. "I sell a salmon" is ntitamau o^icha- 

 choumac. Furs, to them, have value of course, and 

 so are animate ; and in speaking of them they will 



