Thomas Jefferson Papers

Enclosure: Peter S. Du Ponceau’s Comparison of the Nottoway and Iroquois Languages, [ca. 13 July 1820]

Enclosure

Peter S. Du Ponceau’s Comparison of the Nottoway and Iroquois Languages

[ca. 13 July 1820]

Affinities of the Nottoway language

with the Iroquois Dialects


Nottoway
The Sun Aheeta, Tuscarora. Heita
The Moon Tethrake, Onondago, Garáchqua
Ice Owees, Onond. Owissa, Tuscar: Oowisse
Fire Auteur, Onond. Otshishta, Yotécka. Huron, Atsista (Sagard).
Water Auwa, Tusc. Auweah
A Mountain Yenun; Tenunte, Tusc: Yooneneeunte, Wyandot or Huron (an Iroquois Dialect) Onunteh
Darkness, Asunta, Onond: Achsonta, Tusc: Autsonneah.
The Woods, Oraracoon, Tusc: Orenneh, a tree
A Swamp. Keenu, Tusc: Keenah, a river
God,
Heaven,
Quakerhunte
Quakeruntika
} Onond: Garochia, Heaven, ne Karongyage,
in heaven, Huron, haronhiaye,
au Ciel (Fath: Sagard).
Kerhun, Karhon, is found in these Nottoway words.
Man, Eniha, Tusc: Aneehhah
A young Man, Aquatio } Onond: Axhaa, a boy
a boy, Aqueianha Tusc: Woccanookne, a child
Aqua, Axa, Wocca, may easily have been corrupted from one another
A Woman Ekening, Onond: Echro.
Death, Anseehe, Seneca, Haneeh, Tusc: Aucreeah.
Hand or finger = Nunke, Oneida, Osnoongee, hands
The foot = Saseeke, Tusc: Auseekeh
The hair = Howerac, Tusc: Oowara.
The eyes = Unkoharac, Tusc: Okauhreh, Cochnewago (an Iroq. Dial.) Okaraah.
The mouth = Eskaharant, Tusc: Yeaskaren
Onond. Ixhagachrænta.
The ears = Suntunke, Oneid. Ohuntah
Tusc. Ohuntneh.
The tongue = Darsunke, Huron, Dachia (Father Sagard)
Wyandot, Uskunsheeaw (Prof. Barton)
The teeth = Otosag, Tusc: Otoseh.
The nose = Oteusag, Onond: Oniochsa, Tusc: Ocheoossah
Oteusag & Ocheoossah, are evidently the Same word, pronounced Otchoossach (ch, Greek χ. guttural)
Blood, Gātkum, Tusc: Kautkeh
Gāt, Gaut, Kaut, the Same, termination differs
Skin, Ohonag, Tusc: Enunkeh
Nails Yetunke Onond: Eechta.
A Cow = Toskerung, Onond: Tionkósquæront
A dog Cheer, Onond: Tschiera (Germ: pron. Cheera)1
Tusc: Cheeth, Seneca, Cheerah.
A Cat Tose, Onond: Taguh.
Summer = Genheke, Onond. Gagenhé
Oneida: Kau-waw-kun-heak-ke
The termination Kunheakke, appears the Same with Genheke
Winter = Goshera, Tusc: Kooséhhea
G. for. K:, r for the guttural hh.
A House, Onushag, Oneida, Kanoughsaw
Mohawk, Kanoughsagough
Onondago, Ganochsáye.
Meat, Oskaharag, Onond: Owáchra
Long (adj.) Ewis, Onond: Iòs (pron: Eeos)
Little Newisha, Onond: Niwa.
Cold Watorae, Onond: Otohri.

MS (DLC: TJ Papers, 218:38880–1); entirely in Du Ponceau’s hand; undated; with internal running head of “Nottoway” at page breaks editorially omitted.

The French missionary Gabriel sagard appended an unpaginated dictionary containing the Huron words herein to his Le Grand Voyage du Pays des Hurons, situé en l’Amerique vers la Mer douce, és derniers confins de la nouvelle France, dite Canada (Paris, 1632; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 3991). au ciel: “in the sky; in heaven.” The 1798 edition of Benjamin Smith barton, New Views of the Origin of the Tribes and Nations of America (Philadelphia, 1797; rev. ed., Philadelphia, 1798; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 3998; Poor, Jefferson’s Library description begins Nathaniel P. Poor, Catalogue. President Jefferson’s Library, 1829 description ends , 7 [no. 341]), lists “Undauchsheeau” as the Wyandot word for “tongue” (p. 111).

1Omitted closing parenthesis editorially supplied.

Index Entries

  • Barton, Benjamin Smith; and work on Indians search
  • Barton, Benjamin Smith; New Views of the Origin of the Tribes and Nations of America search
  • Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen; and Indians search
  • Du Ponceau, Peter Stephen; Comparison of the Nottoway and Iroquois Languages search
  • German language; and Indian words search
  • Huron Indians search
  • Indians, American; Huron search
  • Indians, American; Iroquois search
  • Indians, American; languages search
  • Indians, American; Mohawk search
  • Indians, American; Nottoway search
  • Indians, American; Oneida search
  • Indians, American; Onondaga search
  • Indians, American; Seneca search
  • Indians, American; Tuscarora search
  • Indians, American; Wyandot search
  • Iroquois Indians search
  • language; Indian (American) search
  • Mohawk Indians search
  • New Views of the Origin of the Tribes and Nations of America (B. S. Barton) search
  • Nottoway Indians search
  • Oneida Indians search
  • Onondaga Indians search
  • Sagard, Gabriel; and Indian languages search
  • Seneca Indians search
  • Tuscarora Indians search
  • Wyandot Indians search