North American [Mythology] (Volume 10) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1916. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... NOTES 1. Spelling. -- Kabluna (kavdlundk, qadluna are variants) is the Eskimo's word for "white man"; kablunait is the plural. Similarly, tornit (tunnit) is the plural of tunek (tuniq, tunnek); tornait of tornak (tornaq, tornai); angakut of angakok, other forms of which are angekkok, angatkuk, angaqok, etc. These differences in spelling are due in part to dialectic variations in Eskimo speech, in part to the phonetic symbols adopted by investigators. Their number in a language comparatively so stable as is Eskimo illustrates the difficulties which beset the writer on American Indian subjects in choosing proper representation for the sounds of aboriginal words. These difficulties arise from a number of causes. In the first place, aboriginal tongues, having no written forms, are extremely plastic in their phonetics. Dialects of the same language vary from tribe to tribe; within a single tribe different clans or families show dialectic peculiarities; while individual pronunciation varies not only from man to man but from time to time. In the second place, the printed records vary in every conceivable fashion. Divergent systems of transliteration are employed by different investigators, publications, and ethnological bureaux; translations from French and Spanish have introduced foreign forms into English; usage changes for old words from early to later times; and finally few men whose writings are extensive adhere consistently to chosen forms; indeed, not infrequently the form for the same word varies in an identical writing. In formulating rules of spelling for a general work, a number of considerations call for regard. First, it is undesirable even to seek to follow the phonetic niceties represented by the more elaborate transliterative systems, which rep...