478 Adjectives of Color in Indian Languages. (August, 
latter applying also to complexion of the human skin, while both 
originally referred to the dark hue of clouds. When speaking of 
night or evening, they use the term tch’muka, “it is dark, 
obscure.” 
That certain radicals undergo a slight vocalic or consonantic 
gradation in many of these color-names to indicate diversity of 
shade, is obvious. Such changes we observe in metsmétsli, 
makma’kli, makmakli; in pa/Ipali, pa’kpakli; in kaka’kli and 
ka-uka-uli. 
The idiom of the Wes-Fercés is spoken by the populous Indian, 
tribe of this name which inhabits the northern part of Idaho 
Territory. This language was adopted during the course of this 
century by the Cayuse tribe, on Columbia river, and belongs to the 
linguistic family of the so called Sahaptin, a Selish term of unknown 
signification. The other dialects. belonging to this family are 
those of the Warm Springs, Walawala and Yumatilla, in Oregon, 
the Yakima, Klikatat and Palus, in Washington Territory. 
In the Nez-Percé, as well as in the Klamath, the true adjectives 
of color are formed by reduplication of the monosyllabic radix, in 
the Nez-Percé, in some instances, even by redoublement of a dis- 
syllabic root. | 
The term for whzte is also that for clear, transparent (said of — 
water) yaizaiy, while light-gray, light-cream color is puypuz, OF 
paypazy. A somewhat darker gray, or darker cream, drab or 
light-yellow is .ka-uyka-uz, also pronounced ka-uyka’-uz, ka- 
uka-u, and used for the metallic shine of silver. : 
The d/we shades are all rendered by yishyush, yúsyus, the 
light or sky-blue being ma’ykuts yushyush (ma’ykuts, High, cleat; 
the deep-blue, payu yushyush. In the same manner are the 
ferent shades of green, tsiztsiz, distinguished from each poe 
ma’ykuts tsiytsiz being bluish-green or pale-greenish. Tsiztsiz, 
for itself, means the green color of grass, and can stand for grass. 
Another light-yellow, drab or cream color is shélu-shélu 
wakush (wakush means resembling, alike to), a darker shade of it, 
 payu shélishélu; du, as said of horses, is pa’tkuiki, a lighter 
dun, between the foregoing and ka-uzka’-uy, is tako-wakush. 
Dun-grayish, or mouse-colored, is lakélkoli, while mogsmogs, 
_ maysmays is auburn, sorrel, and may be said of the yolk of egg, 
of the brown bear, of blonde hair. The name of the Indian who 
~ lately accompanied Chief Joseph on his trip from the Indian 
co he to the Ep is Tchútli móksmoks, “ Yellow Bow.” 
