Maliseet Vocabulary
Encyclopedia
Maliseet Vocabulary is a book that provided the first published, substantial study of the Maliseet language. It was written by Montague Chamberlain
and published by the Harvard Cooperative Society, in 1899.
Maliseet Vocabulary has become a valuable source on the Maliseet language. Chamberlain credits Maliseet native James Pual of Apohaqui as his principal assistant in gathering Maliseet vocabulary. The book includes an introduction by Professor William F. Ganong
of Smith College
, who refers to the book as the first work in the field, and asserts that (as of 1899) the young people of the Maliseet "care nothing" for their language
and culture
, and that the conditions making the book
possible were rapidly slipping away with the passing of the (then-) present generation, although this prediction has fortunately not been borne out.
Maliseet Vocabulary includes English
translations for about 1,600 Maliseet words, arranged in 29 categories. Given Chamberlain's status as a naturalist
and bird
enthusiast, he managed to record 481 Maliseet words related to plants and animal
s, including 124 Maliseet words for different types of birds. Some of this profusion of natural-world vocabulary is also inherent in the Maliseet culture: for example, the book includes six different Maliseet words for birch
bark, depending on the status of the bark. 98 of the words are place name proper nouns, and 156 words are listed as of post-European-contact origin (mostly constructed of Maliseet roots while a few are transliterations of English and French
words), including fourteen words related to gun
s.
The main section listing vocabulary is preceded by an introduction to the Maliseet alphabet
, and is followed by sample phrases and sentences, conjugations of a sample verb ("mu-sal'-te-wa'-kûn", to love
), and a short sample narrative of a Maliseet legend
, "How the Bear Gens [extended family] Began". The conjugation example lists 95 different usages of the verb "to love".
Montague Chamberlain
Montague Chamberlain was a Canadian-American businessman, naturalist, and ethnographer.Chamberlain was born in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He spent the first few decades of his life as a bookkeeper and later manager of a grocery company in St. John. In his mid-twenties, he also became a...
and published by the Harvard Cooperative Society, in 1899.
Maliseet Vocabulary has become a valuable source on the Maliseet language. Chamberlain credits Maliseet native James Pual of Apohaqui as his principal assistant in gathering Maliseet vocabulary. The book includes an introduction by Professor William F. Ganong
William Francis Ganong
William Francis Ganong, M.A., Ph.D., LL.D., F.R.S.C., was a Canadian botanist, historian and cartographer. His botany career was spent mainly as a professor at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts...
of Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, who refers to the book as the first work in the field, and asserts that (as of 1899) the young people of the Maliseet "care nothing" for their language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, and that the conditions making the book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
possible were rapidly slipping away with the passing of the (then-) present generation, although this prediction has fortunately not been borne out.
Maliseet Vocabulary includes English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translations for about 1,600 Maliseet words, arranged in 29 categories. Given Chamberlain's status as a naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
enthusiast, he managed to record 481 Maliseet words related to plants and animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, including 124 Maliseet words for different types of birds. Some of this profusion of natural-world vocabulary is also inherent in the Maliseet culture: for example, the book includes six different Maliseet words for birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
bark, depending on the status of the bark. 98 of the words are place name proper nouns, and 156 words are listed as of post-European-contact origin (mostly constructed of Maliseet roots while a few are transliterations of English and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
words), including fourteen words related to gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s.
The main section listing vocabulary is preceded by an introduction to the Maliseet alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
, and is followed by sample phrases and sentences, conjugations of a sample verb ("mu-sal'-te-wa'-kûn", to love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
), and a short sample narrative of a Maliseet legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
, "How the Bear Gens [extended family] Began". The conjugation example lists 95 different usages of the verb "to love".
External links
- Maliseet Vocabulary by Montague Chamberlain; most of the is text hosted free online by the Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute at the University of New BrunswickUniversity of New BrunswickThe University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
.