Appendix:Notes on Narragansett Indian Vocabulary

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In 1769, Ezra Stiles collected a list of vocabulary items for the Narragansett language, a now-extinct Native American language of the Algonquian family that was once spoken in the northeastern US state of Rhode Island. This page reproduces that list. Some of the items were written by Stiles in Hebrew script, in addition to Latin script. The numbering was not present in the original manuscript. For further information about this vocabulary, consult Cowan (1973), cited below.

Narraganset Indian, Sept 6 1769
Number English Narragansett Hebrew script
1 (p. 1) man yĕnh יינה (yinh)
2 woman wenȳgh
3 boy muckachux
4 girl squauhses
5 baby nunnese
6 bear konooh
7 squirrel shenneague
8 goose co'unkh
9 duck quēquēēkum
10 water nupph
11 sky keesk
12 fish ēpanue
13 bass suckequog
14 eels neshuongok נשֻועק (nšuwʿq)
15 oyster uponuhhug וּפּונֻחוּג (ûpwnuḥûg)
16 tree a tucksh תוּכש (tûkš)
17 sea kikhonnohh כיקחֹנּוֹח (kyqḥōnnôḥ)
18 cow kokopyduk
19 rushes muskechōge
20 (p. 2) wigwam weekho, weekecho, weeshsho
21 canoe umpshu
22 sachem saunchum סאוּנשוּם (sʾûnšûm), סָנשוּם (sânšûm)
23 queen saunch sqauh סאָנש סכוּאָ (sʾânš skûʾâ)
24 river sepe or sebe
25 brook sebuezes, sebuizzus
26 fox mishquāsmps
27 yes nuk
28 no mattucks
29 Indian corn accoquiss
30 beans masquezĕtch
31 chestnut waumpmunch
32 Englishman waunnuxuk
33 (p. 3) dog ayimp, aujimp
34 puppy aujimis
35 basket munnōtgh
36 hand kētche
37 face skeezup
38 eyes wiskezuesqush, -zueksh
39 fingers weechick
40 eat comomeechun
41 drink kudukdun
42 run koquish
43 stop taugucksha
44 foot kusseet
45 look gongkonup עֹנעקֹנופּ (ʿōnʿqōnwp)

Further reading

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