Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples Part 38

The same authority obtained the above sentence in Ponka and Pani, together with the following signs for it, from individuals of those tribes. Those signs agreed between each other, but differed from the Dakota, as will be observed, in the signs _to my house_, as signifying _to my home_.

(1) Touch the breast with the tips of the extended fingers--_I_. This precedes the signs for Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5, which correspond to Nos.

1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Dakota; then follows: (6) place the tips of the extended fingers of the flat hands together, leaving the wrists about six inches apart--_lodge_, (7) and conclude by placing the clinched fists nearly at arm's length before the body, the right several inches above the left, then throw them toward the ground--about six or eight inches--the fists retaining their relative positions--_my, mine_.

a.n.a.lYSIS.

The following is the Ponka sentence as given by the gesturer in connection with the several gestures as made:

---- |Nan'-ba|jan ?i|a-ge'|ta min'-ke| ?i|wi'-wi-a te'-?a.

(1) | (3) | (2) | (4) | (5) |(6)| (7)

The following is the full sentence as spoken by Ponkas without regard to gesture, and its literal translation:

Nan'-ba| jan | ?i | a-ge' | ta'|min'-ke| ?i |wi'-wi-?a| te'-?a. |-- Two |night,| if, | I go |will| I who |lodge | my own | the, |to.

|sleep | when |homeward| | | | | one, | standing | object, |

The Pani gestures were given with the accompanying words, viz:

| Pit' ku-ret' | ka'-ha | wi | ta-tukh'-ta | a-ka'-ru | ru-ret'-i-ru.

(1)| (3) | (2) | (4)| (5) | (6) | (7) I | (In) two | nights | I | am going | house | to my.

The orthography in the above sentences, as in others where the original text is given (excepting the Dakota and Ojibwa), is that adopted by Maj. J.W. POWELL in the second edition of the _Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages_. _Was.h.i.+ngton_, 1880. The characters more particularly requiring explanation are the following, viz:

__, as _th_ in _then_, _though_.

_n_, as _ng_ in _sing_, _singer_; Sp. _luengo_.

_?_, an intermediate sound between _k_ and _g_ in _gig_.

_kh_, as the German _ch_, in _nacht_.

_?_, an intermediate sound between _t_ and _d_.

Nasalized vowels are written with a superior _n_, thus: _an_, _en_.

The following phrases were obtained by the same authority from Antonito, son of Antonio Azul, chief of the Pimas in Arizona.

I AM HUNGRY, GIVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT.

(1) Touch the breast with the tips of the extended fingers of the right hand--_I_, (2) place the outer edge of the flat and extended right hand against the pit of the stomach, palm upward, then make a sawing motion from side to side with the hand--_hunger_, (3) place the right hand before the face, back upward, and fingers pointing toward the mouth, then thrust the fingers rapidly to and from the mouth several times-_eat_.

a.n.a.lYSIS.

An-an'-t | pi'-hu-ki'um | ---- (1) | (2) | (3) I (have) | hunger | eat.

The last sign is so intimately connected with that for hunger, that no translation can be made.

GIVE ME A DRINK OF WATER.

(1) Place the tips of the index and thumb together, the remaining fingers curved, forming a cup, then pa.s.s it from a point about six inches before the chin, in a curve upward, backward and downward past the mouth--_water_, (2) then place the flat right hand at the height of the elbow in front of or slightly to the right of the body, palm up, and in pa.s.sing it slowly from left to right, give the hand a lateral motion at the wrist--_give me_.

a.n.a.lYSIS.

Shu'-wu-to | do'-i'.

(1) | (2) water | give me.

The following was also obtained by Dr. W.J. HOFFMAN from Ta-tan-ka Wa-kan, before referred to, at the time of his visit to Was.h.i.+ngton.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 303.]

I AM GOING HOME.

(1) Touch the breast with the extended index--_I_, (2) then pa.s.s it in a downward curve, outward and upward toward the right nearly to arm's length, as high as the shoulder--_am going (to)_, (3) and when at that point suddenly clinch the hand and throw it edgewise a short distance toward the ground--_my country, my home_.

a.n.a.lYSIS.

Ma-ko'-ce mi-ta'-wa kin e-kta' wa-gle' kta.

(3) (2) (1) Country || my own || the || to || I go home || will.

DIALOGUES.

_TENDOY-HUERITO DIALOGUE._

The following conversation took place at Was.h.i.+ngton in April, 1880, between TENDOY, chief of the Shoshoni and Banak Indians of Idaho, and HUERITO, one of the Apache chiefs from New Mexico, in the presence of Dr. W.J. HOFFMAN. Neither of these Indians spoke any language known to the other, or had ever met or heard of one another before that occasion:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 304.]

_Huerito_.--WHO ARE YOU?

Place the flat and extended right hand, palm forward, about twelve inches in front of and as high as the shoulder, then shake the hand from side to side as it is moved forward and upward--_question, who are you?_ Fig. 304.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 305.]

_Tendoy_.--SHOSHONI CHIEF.

Place the closed right hand near the right hip leaving the index only extended, palm down; then pa.s.s the hand toward the front and left, rotating it from side to side--_Shoshoni_, Fig. 305; then place the closed hand, with the index extended and pointing upward, near the right cheek, pa.s.s it upward as high as the head, then turn it forward and downward toward the ground, terminating with the movement a little below the initial point--_chief_. Fig. 306.

_Huerito_.--HOW OLD ARE YOU?

Clinch both hands and cross the forearms before the breast with a trembling motion--_cold--winter, year_, Fig. 307; then elevate the left hand as high as the neck and about twelve or fifteen inches before it, palm toward the face, with fingers extended and pointing upward; then, with the index, turn down one finger after another slowly, beginning at the little finger, until three or four are folded against the palm, and look inquiringly at the person addressed--_how many_? See Fig. 302.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 306.]