Language and Folklore. 261 
/: ea ea quser genani 3 The gull’s sharp sight 
ge-nagarpoa:/ 4 Have I for my sharp sight |?). 
ea ea 
NOTES. — 1-4. ge'ya (or gina’, gina, the narrator’s pronunciation was un- 
certain), was explained for me as ‘a sight instrument, a spy-glass.’ The inter- 
pretations are uncertain, as there are several words resembling it which refer 
to a beak ог а nose. Ponojortor’s gern'im'i (see above) seems to point to the 
stem word giner-, from which the West Greenlanders have formed a word 
for a spy-glass (gernut, gernut, qin'ut, all three forms occur). But what is the 
gull’s ‘eye-glass’? Does the word stand in relation to the verb ge’pawog, which 
is used of the eye’s attitude (squint eyes, Mongolian eyes)? Perhaps squint 
eyes are considered to be parental sharp-sighted. Or are we, by ge'na, 
(gina), to think of giya’i 1)‘a person’s or an animal’s nostril’, 2) a protuber- 
ance at the root of certain birds’ beak (the swan’s, for instance) ? Several 
interpretations are possible then, of which, however, only one can be the 
right one. Most likely the narrator’s suggestion of spy-glass points in the 
right direction, as this word may have had a more primitive meaning in the 
Ammassalik language before the European sight instrument was known (and 
introduced) there, something like ‘sharp eye’ or ‘peep-hole.’ A bear is, as is 
well known, killed easily enough when once it has been discovered, but on 
account of mimicry (white on the white ice) it is difficult to discover. 
C. BURIAL AND MOURNING 
No. 68. Hunter’s Mourning after a Death. 
Mitsuarnianna. 
Formula for a mourner to be said on the third day after the day of 
death or the day of burial. It it used to insure fine hunting weather, in as 
much as the kaiak paddler employs it before setting out on his OUND: 
“Poor land” means land without living thing (game). 
ea ea | pecamana 5 Poor it is 
pe‘‘ca'man a 1 Poor it is slarman'a 6 This air, 
nuna mana 2 This land, ре‘са`тап‘`а 7 Poor it is 
pecaman'a 3 Poor it is imarmana 8 This sea, 
siki mana 4 This ice, pecamana 9 Poor it is. 
No. 69. Success when Hunting, after Mourning. 
Qiwinasaaq. 
Formula for a hunter when mourning has ceased and he again goes 
hunting in his kaiak. As usual in those magic formule the names of the seal 
is indicated with words from the ritualistic language. 
ea ea tkirmana ki”kaluäcsa-tua 1 This bay’s only common seal 
nat-orpak:ia 2 I come across it. 
