619 
VOCABULAEY 
OF 
WORDS OF THE WESTERN ESQUIMAUX. 
This vocabulary contains a collection of words made by Mr. Collie, Mr.Osnier, and myself 
from straggling parties of Esquimaux, whom we met principally in Kotzebue Sound. It 
agrees in many respects with that given by Captain Parry in his second voyage, particularly in 
the numerals, the elements, and celestial bodies, and the names of animals which are common 
to both places, and leaves no doubt of the two languages being radically the same ; though, 
as might be expected, the idioms are somewhat different. 
Captain Parry’s remarks upon the language of the Eastern Esquimaux seem to apply 
equally to that of the Western nation, of which the very few words beginning with h, d, I, 
g, r, u, and the absence of the lettersyj q, v, x, may be adduced as instances. The Western 
Esquimaux also appear to have the peculiarity of varying their pronunciation, but without ma- 
terially softening the words. On the whole, the Western Esquimaux language has more gut- 
turals, and the words in general have a harsher sound than those of the Eastern tribe. 
My knowledge of the language is too limited to enable me to offer any further remarks 
on this subject, and I can only submit the vocabidary as it is, persuaded, from the care that 
has been bestowed upon it, that it will prove useful to persons who may visit the N. W. 
coast of America. , At the same time I cannot vouch for a perfect understanding always 
subsisting between the inquirer and the respondent, though I have reason to think it was 
not often otherwise. The most ridiculous mistakes have occasionally been made by col- 
lectors of words of barbarous languages, and I W’as early warned to be careful, by being 
innocently enrolled in the number of persons who had been deceived. I one day showed 
an Esquimaux an engraving of a musk bull, to which he immediately applied the name 
of Mignune, and I wrote in my vocabulary accordingly, but I soon afterwards disco- 
vered that the word applied only to the material with which the bull appeared to be drawn, 
that is, plumbago, of which the Esquimaux have a great deal, and that the proper name for 
the animal was a very different word. 
The initials in the small column denote the collector ; those words which have a C 
affixed to them are to be pronounced according to the following directions : 
“ A is either d (fat), or H (far), as in Walker’s English Pronouncing Dictionary. This 
letter is generally marked, and when it is not, its association with the consonants will point out 
the particular sound to be used*. E is generally the e of the above-mentioned Dictionary, 
but when marked e, it is to be pronounced as in me. Ei is to be pronounced as in German, 
ein, eisel, geiser. Eu as in French. I as in pin. 0 as in n6t, or otherwise, as marked. 
Oo as in moon. U as in lub. 
El is according to the Spanish pronunciation, and gl, where mentioned, according to the 
Italian ; where not, as in English. Qu as in English . as in French, and R still m.ore roughly 
guttural, as in the Northumbrian dialect. This mark (i) always points out a guttural pro- 
* Au is to be sounded as aout in French— very nearly as ou in the Enghsh word sound. At is heard in 
wild. G is hard, unless otherwise mentioned. 
4 K 2 
