Talk:Wampanoag

Sources:
 * Indian Grammar Begun (by John Eliot)
 * A Key Into the Language of America (Roger Williams)
 * Observations on the Indian Language (Experience Mayhew)

The wording of the book will need to be modernized, else it will be suggested that it be moved to Wikisource instead as a public-domain source document. -- Adrignola talk contribs 13:00, 2 February 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes, naturally. Not only the wording but a lot else. These public domain texts are just springboards to help get this project started--Linesdata (talk) 15:28, 2 February 2010 (UTC)

Experience Mayhew
Portions of Experience Mayhew, Observations on the Indian language. They can be proofread and corrected and inserted and used where needed:

9. Respecting verbs several things may be observed, as (1) There is no compleat and intire word for the verb substantive as am, art, is &c. In Indian if a thing be asserted to exist, the way this is done is by adding to the Nown or its relative pronoun a silable or two that have the Nature or signification of y® verb substantative, as we say, God is. The Indian of thi« is Mannitoo oo* The first too syllabils stand for God the Latter assert his existance. This may be expressed another way, but I reckon this y* best. (2) Other verbs there be both active and passive, as noowomon I Love him, Nowomonit am Loved. (3) The most Indian verbs are personal, yet there are some impersonals, as quenaitet It is necessary. (4) Indian verbs have both Modes and Tenses belonging to y™. The potential is expressed or sig- nified as it is in English, the other five are known by a deferent conjuga- tion or formation of the verbs. The present Tense and the preter or pre- ter imperfect, are also signified in y® verb itself. The other Tenses are known by such Signs as they are known by in English. (5) Verbes in Indian are both possitive and negative, as Koowomonush I Love thee, Koowomonunoo I love thee not, wdmosek Love thou me, wamosekkon love thou me not &c. Now generally concerning Indian verbes I may say, That in the various conjugations or different formation of them a very great part of y* Indian Language does consist,^ for y'in are comprised not only, being, doing, suffering and enjoying, but all y® persons concerned both agents and objects, the preter and present tense, and the object for whom as well as to whom the act is done, &c.

10. Indian Adverbs are words, attending on their Verbs and shew the Quallity of y* actions Signified by y"*, also their extention, duration, ces- sation &c. such as in English end in ly, comonly in Indian end in e, as Strongly is in Indian munntikke : and there is this some what remarkable in y™, that where we say very strongly, they make the same word the more emphatical by dubbling a Syllible in it with a little variation, and say mam- onukke, kakunupe, as the one should say in English strong strongly or quick quickly. In the other parts of Speach I do not at present think of anything remarkable.

11. I may further observe that Indian words, especially, the names of persons and things are generally very significant, by far more so than those of y® English, as the Hebrew also are : For with them, the way vsed was to call every place^ Person and thing by a name taken from some thing remarkable in it or attending of it. Thus the place where I dwell is in In- dian called Nempanicklickanuk in English The place of Thunder-clefts, because there was once a Tree there Split in piecees by the Thunder. This is one reason of y* length of Indian words, they are long that it may appear the better what they Signifie. So Sin is called Matche-usseonk^ an evil work or deed.

12. I shall observe to you that the Indian Language •delighteth greatly in compounding of words ; in w°^ way they freequently make one word out of several, and then one such word will comprehend what in English is four, five or six ; but as by this means they often have much in a Little room, so it is also true that this some times makes their words very long, the Rules of their Language calling for it. It may be you would be will- ing to understand the Indian way of compounding words. I shall there- fore briefly hint something of it to you, and here (1 ) observe that the words out of which the composition is made are not put at length into y^ word formed out of y"*, but some remarkable part of each of y™, as some one Syllable or two, such as will show what y* words are. — (2) That in such composition of words, the Pronoun, or all y® Persons, I, 2, 3, Singular and Plural may be, and always are, occasion calling for it, affixed unto Nowns both substantive and adjective, and also unto verbs, I think, of every sort except y® impersonal, yea & to the Adverb also. (3) The Nown substantive, and nown Adjective, or Adnown, are ordi- narily made one word ; and so also y* verb and y* Adverb, yea (4) one and the same word may in this way Comprehend in it. An act, The agent by whom performed, The object towards whom, The time when and the manner how : yea tho there are two Agents, which are each of y™ the others object, this with what is already said may be all in one word. For example. These English words, We did strongly Love one another^ may be but one word in Indian viz, nummunnvkkoowdmonitiimwnnonup : So they strongly loved one another^ is in Indian, munnehk-wamontoopaneh These indeed are Long words, and well they may considering how much they com- prehend in them. However I will give you an Instance of one consider- ably longer • viz : J^up'pahk-niih'to^e'pe-naU'iDtU'chtU'Chiih'quo'karneh-chanehchore-nin-nu-mun-nonok here are 58 letters and 22 Syllables, if I do not miss count y"". The English of this long word is, Our well skilled Look- ing Glass makers. But after the reading of so long a word you had need be refreshed with some that are shorter, and have a great deal in a litle room, I will therefore mention some such, as Nookoosh, I have a Father. Noosis, I have a grandchild. Wdmontek, Love ye one another. Wekpittit- tuk, Let us eat together. Nishshehehahkon, Mamosekkon, Kummootukkon, These three words are the 6, 7, & 8 commandments. Sekinyoatekleog do not ye hate one another. Noosh My Father, Koosh Thy Father, Ookskok, his father, Nooshun our Father, Kooshoo your Father, Oohshoowook Their Father, Nooksha my father that was, (but now is not)

P. S. I might have noted respecting verbs, That when an act is con- tinued or repeated, one Syllable in y® verb is with y® change of one Letter repeated as I love thee in Indian is Koowdmonish, but I Love thee [con- stantly] is Koowowamonish, and thus it is in every mode of y® verb.