116 W. THALBITZER. 
S 3. — Even the name of the district itself Ammattalik ‘the place 
where caplins are found’ (caplin — Mallotus arcticus), was changed 
when a man died who bore the name of Caplin (Ammattak). Instead 
hereof a new word was formed, ke'rsagag, which probably means ‘the 
fare one is in the habit of gnawing; gnawing fare’ and the district 
was named Keersagalik ‘the place where gnawing fare is found.’ 
The rising generation learned to know the place by this name 
only, as I experienced myself when meeting, in 1914, near Cape 
Farewell, old Kuannia, an East-Greenlander immigrated to the West 
coast. He had been born at Ittoluartiwin on the East coast about 
halfways between Ammassalik and Cape Farewell, and as far back 
as his memory would carry him, he said, the most northerly place 
in the most renowned fiord on the East coast had been called Keer- 
sagalik and a caplin К‘егзадад, whereas it was improper to use the 
word am:at-ak (cf. also First Part р. 25). 
$4. — This custom of taboo was common, at one time, to all 
Eskimo, and also obtained on the West coast of Greenland in earlier 
times. Every case of word alteration spread as in wave circles north 
and south, though fading away at an indefinite distance. Undoubtedly 
the word originally used has often come to life again, if the taboo 
was forgotten, and when the intercourse with more distant neigh- 
bouring districts brought the word back again. I need not here give 
more. instances, but may refer to Rink in First Part (pp. 206 and 
209—212) and to my own material from Ammassalik (angakok words 
and taboo words, see later in this volume). 
$ 5. Archaism. — The special character of the East-Greenland 
language is also connected with the isolated situation, the same factor 
that has caused many archaic implements and forms of the culture 
from the Bering Straits to be retained here while they have disap- 
peared in West Greenland. When the Ammassalik Greenlander asks 
a question “what”? he does not say suna like the natives of the 
West coast, but kisé, for instance kise”na ‘what is it?’ If he says 
“no” he uses the word e:rge whereas the Westerner says na'x'a. In 
these and many similar cases the usus of the Eastcoast dialect re- 
tained old-fashioned words or forms of word that may be explained 
as archaic features of the language (without recourse having to be 
had to any theory of irregular inroads of alien dialects outside of 
Greenland). 
$6. Modern Influences. — However, since 1894 Ammassalik 
has become a missionary post under Danish administration and has 
