826 THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS AND THEIK FOLK-LOEE 



consequently say ntitamau for "sell," instead oi 

 ntatauan. 



So exhaustive are the various forms of the Monta- 

 gnais verbs that one of the Jesuit missionaries, who was 

 an authority on the language, described it as consist- 

 ing almost exclusively of them. There are no less than 

 ten conjugations of these verbs. That to which any 

 particular one belongs is determined by the termina- 

 tion of not less than two of its inflected parts ; the 

 usual test being the relation between the first and 

 third persons singular of the preseftit indicative. A 

 verb, for instance, of which the first *and third persons 

 singular of the present indicative en^ in an and au re- 

 spectively, belongs to the first conjugation. 



The following diagram, prepared at my request by 

 the Rev. Father Lemoine, author of a manuscript 

 Montagnais grammar and dictionary, shows the dis- 

 tinguishing features of the various conjugations : 



1 „„ „, „„ ( Shatshitan I love. 



1. an-au, as \ „ 



( Sliatshitau He loves, 



2. an-eu, as ( Ashtuan I extinguish. 



t Ashtueu ;.. He extinguishes. 



3. en^am, as ] ^'P^'" r/"^"""' 



( Tipeltam .He governs. 



. . ( Shaskieu I light. 



4. en-im, as J , , .. _ °. , 



( Shaskum He lights. 



t- ( liinikashon, or -un 1 am called. 



5. on.oi'UQ-o, as...-^ J. ., , u ■ „ j 



( Ijmikasho He is called. 



6. iu-in, as.. 



7. in-iu, as., 



8. in-o, as.,. 



Takushiu ^..I arrive. 



Takushin He arrives. 



Miloshin I am handsome. 



Mlloshiu v-He is handsome. 



Ilinishin I am clever. 



Ilinisho ,..He is clever. 



