Thomas Jefferson Papers

VIII. Jefferson’s Vocabulary of the Unquachog Indians, [14 June 1791]

VIII. Jefferson’s Vocabulary of the Unquachog Indians

[14 June 1791]

Unquachogs. About 20. souls. They constitute the Pusspátock settlement in the town of Brookhaven S. side of Long island.

The language they speak is a dialect differing a little from the Indians settled near Southampton called Shinicocks and also from those of Montock called Montocks. The three tribes can barely understand each other.

quadrupeds {   cow. čowsen — turkey nahiam.
  horse. hosses   chicken. kekeeps.
  sheep sheeps.   potato. panac.
  hog. hog.   squash. áscoot
  dog. arsúm   wheat. maróomar
— fox. sqúirrútes — bread. ap.
— squirrel. moccás.   mouse. poquáttas
— rabbet móh-tux   rat. no name.
— deer. hátk   rye. rye
birds { — bird. aswássas. — oats. oats.
— crow. concónchus.   tobacco. tobac.
  gull. arráx   hominy. samp.
— goose. hakénah   meat. wéeows.
— eagle wéquaran. — stone. sun.
— duck. nanásecus.
— dove. má-owks.
— clay. { púckwe
squoint
— fish hawk. manamáquas.   sand yaac
— quail. ohócotees — water. núp
— partridge. ápacus — dirt. puckwé
  whippoorwill. whácorees.   the whole world. wáame-pámakíu.
insects { — snake. skwk
— bug seukr — sky. ke-isk
  worm. húquer — cloud. pamayaúxen
— fly. mucháwas. — rain. súkerun
  musketo. murráquitch — snow. soáchop
plants { —tree. péewye. — ice. copátn
— pine. cw — hail. mosécan
— oak. húchemus. — sun. háquaqua
— hiccory. wusqúat — moon. neépa.
  appletree. appeesanck. — star. aráqusac
  peach tree. péachesanck — fire. ruht. yuht.
  cherry tree. chérrysanck.   whale oil. púttapapúm.
— grape. cátamenón.   greese. pum.
  plumb tree. sassémenac.   whale. púttap.
  strawberries. wotáhomon. — fish. opéramac.
— mulberry tree. accacúmenoc.   oyster. apóonahac.
  rose. wósowancon.   clam. poquahoc.
  Indn. corn. sowháwmen. —a man. run.
 
— woman. squah. — husband. ks-haḿps
— child. peewútstut — wife. keé-us
— boy. macúchax.   gr. child. cówhees
  lad. rungcump. — milk. wampachú-unk
— girl. squásses.   peas. no name.
  lass. yúnksquas.   beans. mais-cusseet
— head. okéyununc. — black. shickayo.
— hair. wé-usk — white. wámpayo
— eyes. skésuc. — red. sqúayo
— nose. cochóy — yellow. weesa-wayo
— mouth. cúttoh — blue. seewamp-wayo
— teeth. képut — green. uscusquáyo
— lips. kussissit. — rainbow papuhmúncsunc
— chin. cotuḿpcan   bow. atúmp.
— cheek. canánno   arrow. neep.
— ear. catáwoc.   tomahawk. chékenas.
— neck. keésquish.   a pot. coquées
  shoulder. péquan   a bed. apúnna
— arm. copút-te   a blanket. aquéewants.
  elbow. keésquan.   axe. ochégan.
— hand. coŕitché — house. weécho.
— finger. coŕitcheus.   door. squnt.
— nail. cocássac   chimney. hamánek
— back. cúpsquan   gourd. <quai> whorámmok.
  skin. cuttaqúras   watermelon. Waghtiwhorámmok
— belly. cráckish
  hip. corúcan   wampum. whampump.
— thigh. copómac   mocassens. mocússenus
  knee. cucúttuc — good. woréecan
— leg. coráun. — bad. mattateáyuh.
— foot. cusseéd — clever. weáyuh.
— grt. toe. cumsquáusseet — handsome. woreeco.
— little toe. peewasticonseet — ugly. neeho wuchayuk
— father cws   a cross <angry> fellow. cheeáscota.
— mother cẃca
— brother contàyux — a river seépus
— sister. keéssums — ocean. cutstúk
— child. neechuntz.   a bay. petápagh
  aunt cacácas — to walk. copumusah
  uncle nisséis — to stand. cotofer
  Gr father numpsoonk — to lie down. cutchéepur
  Gr. mother. nánnax — to sit. kiummatap.
 
— to run. quáquees   10. payac.
— to break. pẃksa   11. nápan-naquut
—to bend. co-unkarúnneman   12. napan-ees
  to cut with a knife.   13. napan-us
    poquesímman.   14. napan-yóut
  to cut with an axe.   15. napan-napá
    poquatáhaman   16. napan-nacuttah.
— to kill. wúhnsa.     &c. to 19.
  war. ayutówac   20. neésun-chog
— peace. weéhsaac   21. neesun chognaquut
  to hunt. peénsaac.   30. sowunchog
— I. née   40. yauhwunchóg
— you. kee   50. napáatsunchóg.
— he. naácum.   60. nacúttahtsunchog
  <she. wéena>   70. tumpawatsunchog.
— small peéwátsu     &c.
    1. naqúut   <100 norit sunchog>
    2. nées — 100. noquut pasit
    3. nus — 200. nees pasu
    4. yaut   <300>
    5. pa [or] napáa   <god> god. mánto.
    6. nacúttah [or] cúttah   a great god. masakéetmúnd.
    7. túmpawa   devil. máttateáshet
    8. swah. — thunder. pataquáhamoc.
    9. nẃre — lightening. wowosúmpsa.

The orthography is English. This Vocabulary was taken by Th: J. June 13. 1791.1 in presence of James Madison and Genl. Floyd. There remain but three persons of this tribe now who can speak it’s language. These are old women. From two of these, brought together, this vocabulary was taken. A young woman of the same tribe was also present who knew something of the language.

MS (PPAP); written on an address leaf entirely in TJ’s hand except for the address: “Honble Thomas Jefferson Esq.” which is in the hand of Robert R. Livingston (see Editorial Note). Tr (same); in hand of Peter S. Du Ponceau, transcribed in his volume of “Indian Vocabularies Collected September 1820,” p. 46–8.

1Thus in MS. The travel notes in the Account Book show that TJ “visited the Unquachog Indians” on the 14th.

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