Omaha and Ponka letters / by James Owen Dorsey.

  • James Owen Dorsey
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Omaha and Ponka letters / by James Owen Dorsey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    By J, Owen Dorsey. INTRODUCTION. Since 1872, it lias been the good fortune of the author to record two hundred and thirty-eight letters (epistles) in the (jfJegiha, which is the language spoken by the Omaha and Ponka tribes of North American Indians. One hundred and sixty-one of these letters, with numerous myths, legends, and historical papers, appear in u Contributions to North American Ethnology. Vol.vi. The (pegiha language. Myths, Stories, and Letters;” and it has been decided to publish the rest of the letters in the present form. It is thought that the accompanying texts will be found interesting, not only because of their linguistic value, but also on account of their sociologic references. EXPLANATION OF CHARACTERS OCCURRING IN THE TEXTS. a as in father ; German, liaben. a+ a prolonged a; always a final sound. an a nasalized a. an+ a prolonged nasalized a. ‘a an initially exploded a. ‘au a nasalized ‘a. a nearly as a in what, and o in hot; German, man sagt. ‘a an initially exploded a, as in wes‘a, snahe. an a nasalized a. a as in hat. b as in be, rub. c as sh in shall. o a medial sh, between sh and zh. Not synthetic. Occurs be¬ fore n in (fegiha and before n and r in jyfiwere. c as ill in thin (not used in (fegiha). A jyoiwere sound. 5 a medial tli or g (not heard in (pegiha). A j^oiwere sound. Not synthetic. <f as th in then, the. See r.
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