M
Mad. See Angry and Crazy.
Make or Manufacture. Hammer the top of one fist with the other two or three times, giving both hands a twisting motion. (Sheeaka. Adopted from the Deaf.) Compare Work, which is mostly used by Indians for Make.
Fr. fabriquer; Ger. anfertigen.
Make up one’s mind. See Decide.
Man or Male (The one alone; the erect one). Right G held up at height of chin, palm forward; many Cheyennes make it back forward. For Boy sign Man then drop the hand down to a level that indicates height, and turn it palm to you.
Fr. l’homme; Ger. der Mann.
Mandan. See Indian Tribes.
Manitoba (Red River Country). Give signs for Country, River, Red (suggested).
Manner. See Way.
Man who. See Doer.
Many (Many tens). Hold up both hands, face high, half closed, palms forward; throw them forward in 5 shape. Repeat several times. See also Heap and Much.
Fr. plusieurs; Ger. viele.
Many times, Often, or All the time. Hold out left arm level, hand flat palm in; tap it a few times with right G hand from near wrist, moving each time an inch or so toward elbow. Compare Cheyenne.
Fr. souvent; Ger. oft.
Married or Marry (Side by side, united as one). Sign Trade, that is, Bargain; then lay right G beside left G touching, both pointing forward level, not moved. (C) The Cheyennes omit Trade. Compare Equal, Parallel, and Mates.
Fr. marié, épouser; Ger. verheiratet, heiraten.
Marten or Sable. Sign Weasel; that is, curve right G and push it forward, back up, in bounds; indicate size, yellow throat; then, running up a tree. This is a suggested description, as I found no established sign.
Fr. la marte, la zibeline; Ger. der Marder, der Zobel.
Match. Strike an imaginary match on right thigh, or left arm.
Fr. l’allumette; Ger. das Streichholz.
Mate or Partner (One teepee and side by side). The G fingers in tent form, then up side by side, touching. (Sheeaka.)
Mate or Chum. Sign Friend, Same.
Fr. le camarade, le compagnon; Ger. der Kamerad.
May or Maybe. See Perhaps.
Me. Touch one’s own chest with the tips of the compressed fingers of the right hand. (Sheeaka.) Compare I.
Fr. moi; Ger. mich.
Meals. For Breakfast, sign Eat and Sunrise; for Lunch, sign Eat and Noon; for Dinner, sign Eat and Sundown.
Fr. les repas; Ger. die Mahlzeiten.
Mean or Intend. Sign Want and Say.
Fr. avoir en vue, vouloir dire; Ger. beabsichtigen, meinen.
Mean or Stingy. Sign Heart and Few.
Fr. avare; Ger. geizig.
Meanwhile. See While.
Meat (1). Hold out the flat left, back up; then with the flat right, palm up, slice pieces off the left palm. This is generally used, but often with left palm up.
Meat or Flesh (2). With right index finger and thumb, grasp the flesh between left index finger and thumb. (Sioux and Blackfoot.) Note, if this be done by putting the right at the under side of the left, it is the same as the next sign.
Meat (3). Lay the flat left hand, little finger down, between the thumb and fingers of the flat right, as far in as possible; then pat the back of the left by opening and closing the right a little and add Buffalo. In conversation, Buffalo without the first sign is often used for Meat, just as we use Beef. The first part of this is much like Thick and Thin, but the whole of the left fingers are involved and the right hand is not slid along.
The right in this, it will be noted, shows the pose of the hand when holding a thick piece of meat to be cut up for drying.
Clark says there is no sign for Meat; yet, obviously, his sign for Bacon is compounded of Meat, Thin, and Greasy; and the sign he gives for Cutting up, means Cutting up meat.
Meat (4). With right index and thumb, pinch the flesh at the palmar base of the left thumb. (Father Isadore says this is fixed and universal among the Comanches.)
Fr. la viande; Ger. das Fleisch.
Medal. Make a circle of right thumb and index (other fingers closed); lay it little finger in, on the centre of the breast. (C) Compare Policeman.
Fr. la médaille; Ger. die Medaille.
Medicine, Mystery, Holy, Sacred, or Wonderful (In the sense of Sacred Mystery). Hold V right hand close to forehead, palm forward, pointing up, separated; move the hand upward, twisting it so that the tips of the extended fingers will describe a spiral curve. This is hardly translatable.
Fr. le mystère sacré; Ger. das heilige Geheimnis.
Medicine (A curative drug or potion). Hold out left C back to left and pour into it from a bottle in right C hand. If a powder, pour on flat left palm. If a pill, pour on palm and afterward pick up with index and thumb. (Pop.) Sign Medicine and Eat. (Cheyenne, recent.)
Fr. la médecine, le remède; Ger. die Arznei.
Medicine-Man or Shaman. Make signs for Man and Medicine.
Fr. le magicien, le médecin; Ger. der Medizinmann, der Schamane.
Meet. Hold forefingers of both G hands a foot apart, pointing up, left farthest off; move together till touching at the tips. Compare Trade, Mistake, and Avoid.
Fr. rencontrer; Ger. treffen, begegnen.
Melancholy. Incline the head slightly forward and rest forehead on left hand, left forearm close to body. Understood by Cheyennes, but they prefer Heart on the Ground.
Fr. triste; Ger. schwermütig.
Melt, Fade, Die out, Dissolve. Hold up both “5” hands six inches apart, fingers pointing up, palms toward
you; let the hands drop and slide aside, gradually assuming compressed position, backs up. (Sheeaka.)
Melt. Sign Wipe out, but slide the right palm over the left toward the tips in small jerks, then over and beyond.
Fr. fondre; Ger. schmelzen, vergehen.
Memories. Head hung forward; right A hand dropped a foot under chin; then sign Time, Back. (Blackfoot.)
Fr. les souvenirs; Ger. die Erinnerungen.
Memory or Remembering. Sign Heart and Know.
Fr. la mémoire, se rappeler; Ger. das Gedächtnis, sich erinnern.
Mend. Lay the right G along to overlap the left G, then hammer on the left with right fist. (Sheeaka.) Note, this is mending iron or wood; to mend clothes, lay one index on other as above, then with right sew over edge of left. (Blackfoot.) The Cheyennes usually sign Make and Good. Compare Fix.
Fr. raccommoder; Ger. ausbessern, reparieren.
Mercy. In the Roman Arena, the appeal for mercy was made by stretching the hand with first and second fingers raised and touching; others closed. (Pop.)
Fr. la clémence, la miséricorde; Ger. das Erbarmen, die Gnade.
Mercy on Another. See Pity.
Mercy on Me. See Pity.
Merry. See Glad.
Message, i.e., Spoken. See Speech.
Metal. Sign Hard and describe or point to a piece of the metal in question. Or sign Strong, Hard.
Fr. le métal; Ger. das Metall.
Meteor. Sign Star and with hand up high sign Fire and let it drop in a wavy line across the sky.
Fr. le météore; Ger. das Meteor, die Feuerkugel.
Midday or Noon. Sun and Straight up.
Fr. le midi; Ger. der Mittag.
Middle (The point dividing in half). Hold out the left G hand, finger level. Drop the right G hand down onto it at the middle joint. Compare Half and Centre.
Middle. Strike down with lower edge of flat right between the fingers of left V held pointing up.
Fr. le milieu; Ger. die Mitte.
Middle one. Hold up three fingers of left, tap the two outer with right G, then bend the middle one down.
Fr. celui au milieu; Ger. der Mittlere.
Midnight. Sign Night and Middle.
Fr. le minuit; Ger. die Mitternacht.
Mile (Stake, measure, and stake). Hold out closed left at arm’s length in front of shoulder, back up, index and thumb joined at top; drop it six inches, point down; then place index and thumb of similar right against it and swing right out level to right for two or three feet and drop it as before.
Fr. le mille; Ger. die Meile.
Milk. With both S hands make motion of milking.
Fr. le lait; Ger. die Milch.
Milky Way (Spirit’s Trail). Die and Way, and sweep the right hand high across the sky to show where.
Fr. la voie lactée; Ger. die Milchstrasze.
Mingle. See Mix.
Mink. Sign Water, Creek, and Animal. (Blackfoot.) Sometimes indicate size.
Fr. le foutereau, le mink; Ger. der Mink, der Nerz.
Minute (Division of time). See Time. Hold left O hand horizontal for Watch; tap around it with right G finger for hours; then for minute add One, Small, and Time. Second would be the same with added signs Few or Very. (Sheeaka.)
Fr. la minute; Ger. die Minute.
Minute (Very small). Sign Small.
Fr. trés petit; Ger. winzig.
Mirage. Hold right 5 hand high, opposite left shoulder, back out, pointing to left; move it horizontally to right with a tremulous motion. (C)
Fr. le mirage; Ger. die Luftspiegelung.
Mirror. Flat right, points up, opposite face, shaken a little forward and back as though adjusting the distance. Sometimes sign Look first.
Fr. le miroir; Ger. der Spiegel.
Mislead. Sign Way, then thrust right G to right and to left, but not straight. Or sign Tell, Straight, Not.
Fr. égarer; Ger. verleiten.
Miss. See Avoid.
Mist. See Fog.
Mistake (Mark missed). Hold up left G hand, then pass it by with right G hand.
Fr. l’erreur; Ger. der Irrtum.
Mix or Mingle. Hold up the 5 hands, face high, points up, palm to palm touching; rotate one against the other. If in cookery, imitate the movement of stirring. Compare Play.
Fr. mélanger; Ger. mischen.
Moccasin. Pass the open hands over feet from toe to ankle. Usually but one hand is used, and it need not touch the foot.
Fr. le mocassin; Ger. der Mokassin.
Mockery or Insolent defiance. Spread the right hand with fingers straight, point of thumb to point of nose, little finger toward the enemy. (Pop.) Not Indian originally, but all understand it now.
Fr. la moquerie, la dérision; Ger. die Verspottung.
Modesty. Cover the eyes with one flat hand, its fingers well apart. (Pop.) See Ashamed and Fog.
Fr. la modestie; Ger. die Sittsamkeit, die Bescheidenheit.
Money (Coin). With right thumb and index, others closed, make a horizontal circle. Compare Sun, Fruit, and Leaf.
Fr. l’argent; Ger. das Geld.
Money (Paper). Sign Writing and Money.
Money (Bills). Draw the flat left hand edgewise between the thumb and fingers of the right; then on left palm indicate shape. (C)
Fr. billets de banque; Ger. die Banknoten.
Monkey (Man’s face, dog’s run). Sign Face, Man, Dog, Goes.
Fr. le singe; Ger. der Affe.
Month (One Moon). Sign for One and Moon and Die.
Fr. le mois; Ger. der Monat.
Each tribe had, of course, its own names for the months. I have selected the ones most likely to be widely popular, without regard to their origin.
January (Snow Moon). Sign Moon and Snow.
Fr. le janvier; Ger. der Januar.
February (Hunger Moon). Sign Moon and Hunger.
Fr. le février; Ger. der Februar.
March (Crow Moon). Sign Moon and Crow.
Fr. le mars; Ger. der März.
April (Grass Moon). Sign Moon and Short grass.
Fr. l’avril; Ger. der April.
May (Planting Moon). Sign Moon and Planting.
Fr. le mai; Ger. der Mai.
June (Rose Moon). Sign Moon and Rose.
Fr. le juin; Ger. der Juni.
July (Thunder Moon). Sign Moon and Lightning.
Fr. le juillet; Ger. der Juli.
August (Red Moon). Sign for Moon and Red.
Fr. l’août; Ger. der August.
September (Hunting Moon). Sign Moon and then draw a bow as in hunting.
Fr. le septembre; Ger. der September.
October (Leaf-falling Moon). Sign Moon and Leaf-falling.
Fr. l’octobre; Ger. der Oktober.
November (Mad Moon). Sign Moon and Mad.
Fr. le novembre; Ger. der November.
December (Long Night). Sign Moon, Night, and Long.
Fr. le décembre; Ger. der Dezember.
Moon (Horns in the sky, or crescent). Close right hand except thumb and first finger, which forms a half-circle or crescent, held above the right ear, back of hand forward. Sometimes expressed as Night and Sun.
Fr. la lune; Ger. der Mond.
Moose (Elk with flat horns). Hold up flat hands for horns; but swing both backward and forward to indicate width; then, with both “L” hands, indicate the hanging muzzle. (Blackfoot.)
Fr. l’orignal; Ger. das Elentier, der Elch.
More. Hold out the flat left hand, palm up; then with right make as though throwing sand on it more and more, three times. (Sheeaka.) Compare Most. See Repeat, Add to, and Ahead.
Fr. plus; Ger. mehr.
Morning or Day (Opening up). Both hands palms down, flat, near together. Sweep them up, out, and apart; turning the palms up. The same as Day.
Morning or Dawn. Hold out both arms level, full length, side by side, hands flat, backs forward, tips touching; raise them slowly to half height.
Fr. le matin; Ger. der Morgen.
Mosquito. With right index and thumb make as though pricking right cheek with a thorn; then slap the place with right palm.
Fr. le moustique; Ger. der Moskito, die Stechmücke.
Most. Sign More, then raise the right flat hand high above it. (Sheeaka.) Or sign Ahead, All.
Fr. le plus; Ger. meist, am Meisten.
Mother (Nurse or parent, female). With the finger tips of the right hand, make as though drawing milk from the left breast; add the sign for Female if necessary. (Scott.) Note the left breast for Mother, nearer the heart; the right breast is for Father.
Fr. la mère; Ger. die Mutter.
Mother-in-law. Sign Brother-in-law, Old, Woman.
Fr. la belle-mère; Ger. die Schwiegermutter.
Motor car. Make signs for Wheels, Horse, Not. Or sign Fire twice then make as though holding and turning steering wheel.
Fr. l’automobile; Ger. das Automobil.
Mound or Low Hill. Flat hands together, backs up; separated and swept down to show shape. Compare Heap, which is just the reverse; also see Box.
Fr. la petite éminence; Ger. der Erdhügel.
Mount (A horse). Hold right V to right side pointing up; swing it up to right, over and down, points down, onto flat left, which is held thumb up. Or, omit left. (Blackfoot.)
Fr. monter; Ger. steigen.
Mountain. Hold up A hand as in Hill, but higher, and add Hard. Use both hands alternately up and down in various places for plural. Compare Hill and Lump.
Fr. la montagne; Ger. der Berg.
Mountain Lion, Cat. Sign Cat, Long tail, and Jump. (C) Or with both L hands indicate large round tracks; then, with right G, pointed down, raised and down, each time, indicate the zigzag trail. (Paiute sign, given me by C. B. Ruggles.)
Fr. le couguar;
Ger. der Kuguar.
Mountain Pass. See Gap.
Mourn. With the flat hands used like knives, backs up, little fingers as though sharp edges, make as though to cut off the hair at each side of the head, and add Cry.
Fr. s’affliger; Ger. trauern.
Mouse (Night nibbler). Sign Animal, with very small jumps, indicate size and Night; then, with right forefinger and thumb, nibble at left G forefinger.
Fr. la souris; Ger. die Maus.
Move, To move camp (Teepee poles, travois). Both G hands in front, backs out; lay right forefinger on left at middle joint, crossing at an angle of 45 degrees, and push both hands forward in slight jerks, each jerk a day’s journey.
Fr. changer de place, déménager; Ger. fortziehen, wegrücken.
Mowing machine. Sign Grass and Knife; the last at right lower than waist. Add Wagon if needed to indicate horse mower.
Fr. la machine à faucher; Ger. die Mähmaschine.
Much or Many. Hold curved 5 hands, palm to palm, a foot apart; swing down together and up face high, closing them; swing a little apart at the finish.
Much (Heap.) Hold the flat hands so the palms are toward each other, the left lower, and draw them apart, the left downward, the right upward. The extent to which they are drawn apart indicates the quantity. Compare Big, Great, Heap, Increase, and Decrease.
Fr. beaucoup; Ger. viel.
Much, Too. See Excessive.
Mud. See Soft.
Mule. Hold extended hands alongside of ears, palms to front, fingers pointing upward; by wrist action, flop the hands to front and rear, representing motion of mule’s ears.
Fr. le mulet; Ger. das Maultier.
Murder. Sign Kill and Free. Meaning an unjustified killing.
Fr. le meurtre; Ger. der Mord.
Must. See Have to; also Begin or Push. See Imperative.
Muskrat or Musquash. Sign Beaver and Small.
Muskrat (Tail, swimming and lump). Hold out right G, back up, nearly level, pointing forward and to left; shake it, draw it to right; then hold up compressed right hand, back up, pointing forward, and grasp right wrist on lower side with left hand. (Blackfoot.)
Fr. le rat musqué du Canada, l’ondatra; Ger. die Bisamratte.
My, Mine, or My own. Sign Possession; that is, hold out the A hand, thumb straight up; then swing it in till it touches the breast; or sometimes lay the spread flat hand on the breast. (Sheeaka.) See I.
My, Mine, or My own. Touch breast with point of compressed right, then sign Possession.
Fr. mon; Ger. mein.
Mystery. See Medicine.