Indian Languages Database
Record Details
The British Empire in America: containing the history of the discovery, settlement, progress and present state of all the British colonies, on the continent and islands of America.
London: Printed for John Nicholson..., Benjamin Tooke..., and Richard Parker and Ralph Smith, 1708
Physical Description: 2 v. : folded maps, music ; 20 cm. (8vo)
Call number: D708/ O44b
Accession number: 08926
Notes: Includes brief discussions and samples of Indian languages from diverse areas in North America and the Caribbean. Vol. 1 (North America) contains: a brief specimen of festival music, with words, sung by “those that dwell about Port royal... called the Souriquois” [Micmac] (p. 24); several terms in Massachuset (some in three dialects, including Martha’s Vineyard), with English equivalents (p. 101); several terms from New York-Long Island [Algonquian languages - Connecticut/Quiripi/Quinnipiac? Montauk/Patchoag/Unquachog?], with English equivalents (p. 123); a dozen terms from Pennsylvania [Iroquoian language - Susquehannock? / Algonquian language - Delaware?] (p. 159), with English equivalents; and from Hudson’s Bay, approximately 30 words and phrases in use among the Cuscudidah [King Cuscudidah: Attikamek subgroup, Algonquian language family?], with English equivalents (p. 401). “The History of St. Christophers” in vol. 2 (West Indies) contains remarks on the language of the “Charibbeans”, including differences between men’s and women’s speech; sample vocabulary, with English equivalents, given for both sexes (p. 230-231).
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Languages: Algonquian languages / Atikamekw / Carib / Iroquoian languages / Massachuset / Micmac
Genre: Specimen / Vocabulary
Region: Caribbean Islands / North America
