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Record Details
A correspondence between the Rev. John Heckewelder, of Bethlehem, and Peter S. Duponceau, Esq. corresponding secretary of the Historical and Literary Committee of the American Philosophical Society, respecting the languages of the American Indians.
Philadelphia: Abraham Small, 1819
Physical Description: [5], 356-448, [2] ; 24 cm.
Call number: DC/ A512to/ 1819
Accession number: 05478b
Notes: Consists of 26 letters (including 2 written by Dr. Caspar Wistar) discussing grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation of Delaware and other Indian languages, including extensive commentary on Zeisberger’s study of Delaware. Contains references to works by Barton, Breton, Carver, Crantz, Dencke, Edwards, Egede, Lahontan, Luther, Molina, Monboddo, Sagard, Vater, Volney, and Williams, and to works on world and universal languages. Compares Zeisberger’s Delaware numerals with Swedish transcriptions of same (corresponding to those in Martin Luther, Lutheri Cathechismus, öfwersatt på American-Virginiske Spraket, translated by Johannes Campanius, Stockholm, 1696) and with Lahontan’s Algonquin versions (p. 374-375), as well as numerals used by the Minsi with those used by the Unami, both of the Lenape or Delaware nation (p. 381). Discusses Delaware formations from roots, e.g. “wulit” for “good” (p. 394-395) and terms for people/nation/tribe in various languages (p. 404-405); gives the Lord’s Prayer in Delaware with word-for-word English translation in parallel column (p. 439-441).
Published as second part of Transactions of the Historical and Literary Committee of the American Philosophical Society, held at Philadelphia, for Promoting Useful Knowledge, vol. 1, Philadelphia, 1819, with as first part author’s An account of the history, manners, and customs, of the Indian nations, who once inhabited Pennsylvania and the neighbouring states, and as second part author’s Words, phrases, and short dialogues, in the language of the Lenni Lenape, or Delaware Indians.
JCB copy, with autograph of Nicholas Brown Junior on recto of front flyleaf, contains numerous annotations in either Nicholas Brown’s or Moses Brown’s hand.
To access digital facsimile copy of book, click here.
Languages: Algonquin / Delaware / Munsee / Ojibwa / Unami
Genre: Grammar / Vocabulary
Region: North America
