Argument XXII.
When the Israelites gave names to their children or others, they chose such appellatives as suited best with their circumstances, and the times. This custom was as early as the Patriarchal age; for we find Abram was changed into Abraham; Sarai into Sarah, Jacob into Israel;—and afterwards Oshea, Joshua, Solomon, Jedidiah, &c. &c. This custom is a standing rule with the Indians, and I never observed the least deviation from it. They give their children names, expressive of their tempers, outward appearances, and other various circumstances; a male child, they will call Choola, “the fox;” and a female, Pakahle, “the blossom, or flower.” The father and mother of the former are called Choollingge, and Choollishke, “the father and mother of the fox;” in like manner, those of the latter, Pakahlingge, and Pakahlishke; for Ingge signifies the father, and Ishke the mother. In private life they are so termed till that child dies; but after that period they are called by the name of their next surviving child, or if they have none, by their own name: and it is not known they ever mention the name of the child that is extinct. They only faintly allude to it, saying, “the one that is dead,” to prevent new grief, as they had before mourned the appointed time. They who have no children of their own, adopt others, and assume their names, in the manner already mentioned. This was of divine appointment, to comfort the barren, and was analogous to the kindred method of counting with the Hebrews: instead of surnames, they used in their genealogies the name of the father, and prefixed Ben, “a son,” to the person’s name. And thus the Greeks, in early times. No nation used surnames, except the Romans after their league and union with the Sabines. And they did not introduce that custom, with the least view of distinguishing their families, but as a politic seal to their strong compact of friendship; for as the Romans prefixed Sabine names to their own, the Sabines took Roman names in like manner. A specimen of the Indian war-names, will illustrate this argument with more clearness. {191}
They crown a warrior, who has killed a distinguished enemy, with the name, Yanasabe, “the buffalo-killer;” Yanasa is a buffalo, compounded of Yah, the divine essence, and Asa, “there, or here is,” as formerly mentioned: and Abe is their constant war-period, signifying, by their rhetorical figure “one who kills another.” It signifies also to murder a person, or beat him severely. This proper name signifies, the prosperous killer, or destroyer of the buffalo, or strong man—it cannot possibly be derived from אבה, Abeh, which signifies good-will, brotherly love, or tender affection; but from אבל, Abele, grief, sorrow, or mourning, as an effect of that hostile act.
Anoah, with the Indians, is the name of a rambling person, or one of unsettled residence, and Anoah ookproo, is literally a bad rambling person, “a renagadoe:” likewise Anoah ookproo’shto makes it a superlative, on account of the abbreviation of Ishto, one of the divine names which they subjoin. In like manner, Noabe is the war-name of a person who kills a rambling enemy, or one detached as a scout, spy, or the like. It consists of the patriarchal name, Noah, and Abe, “to kill,” according to the Hebrew original, of which it is a contraction, to make it smoother, and to indulge a rapidity of expression. There is so strong an agreement between this compounded proper name, and two ancient Hebrew proper names, that it displays the greatest affinity between the warfaring red and white Hebrews; especially as it so clearly alludes to the divine history of the first homicide, and the words are adapted to their proper significations.
Because the Choktah did not till lately trim their hair, the other tribes through contempt of their custom, called them Pas’ Pharáàh,“long hair,”[[85]] and they in return, gave them the contemptuous name, Skoobálè’shtó, “very naked, or bare heads,” compounded of Skooba, Ale, and Ishto: the same word, or Waksishto, with Hasseh prefixed, expresses the penem præputio detecto; which shews they lately retained a glimmering, though confused notion of the law of circumcision, and the prohibition of not polling their hair. They call a crow, Pharah; and Pas’pharáàbe is the proper name of a warrior, who killed an enemy wearing long hair. It is a triple compound from Pásèh, “the hair of one’s head,”[head,”] Pharaah “long,” and Abe, “killing,” which they croud together. They likewise say, their tongue is not {192} Pharakto, “forked,” thereby alluding probably to the formerly-hateful name of the Egyptian kings, Pharaoh.
When the Indians distinguish themselves in war, their names are always compounded,—drawn from certain roots suitable to their intention, and expressive of the characters of the persons, so that their names joined together, often convey a clear and distinct idea of several circumstances—as of the time and place, where the battle was fought, of the number and rank of their captives, and the slain.[[86]] The following is a specimen: one initiating in war-titles, is called Tannip-Abe, “a killer of the enemy;”—he who kills a person carrying a kettle, is crowned Soonak-Abe-Tuska; the first word signifies a kettle, and the last a warrior. Minggáshtàbe signifies “one who killed a very great chieftain,” compounded of Mingo, Ash, and Abe. Pae-Máshtàbe, is, one in the way of war-gradation, or below the highest in rank, Pae signifying “far off.” Tisshu Mashtabe is the name of a warrior who kills the war-chieftain’s waiter carrying the beloved ark. Shulashum-mashtabe, the name of the late Choktah great war-leader, our firm friend Red-shoes, is compounded of Shulass’, “Maccaseenes,” or deer skin-shoes, Humma, “red,” Ash, “the divine fire;” T is inserted for the sake of a bold sound, or to express the multiplicity of the exploits he performed, in killing the enemy. In treating of their language, I observed, they end their proper names with a vowel, and contract their war-titles, to give more smoothness, and a rapidity of expression. Etehk is the general name they give to any female creature, but by adding their constant war-period to it, it signifies “weary;” as Chetehkabe, “you are weary:” to make it a superlative, they say Chetehkabe-O: or Chetehkabeshto.
The Cheerake call a dull stalking fellow, Sooreh, “the turkey-buzzard,” and one of an ill temper, Kana Cheesteche, “the wasp,” or a person resembling the dangerous Canaan rabbit, being compounded of the abbreviated name of Canaan, and Cheesto “a rabbit,” which the Israelites were not to meddle with. One of our chief traders, who was very loquacious, they called Sekakee, “the grass-hopper,” derived from Sekako, “to make haste.” To one of a hoarse voice, they gave the name, Kanoona, “the bull-frog.” {193}
The Katahba Indians call their chief old interpreter, on account of his obscene language, Emate-Atikke, “the smock-interpreter.” The “raven,” is one of the Cheerake favourite war-names. Carolina and Georgia remember Quorinnah, “the raven,” of Huwhase-town; he was one of the most daring warriors of the whole nation, and by far the most intelligent, and this name, or war-appellative, admirably suited his well-known character. Though with all the Indian nations, the raven is deemed an impure bird, yet they have a kind of sacred regard to it, whether from the traditional knowledge of Noah’s employing it while he was in the ark, or from that bird having fed Elijah in the wilderness (as some suppose) cannot be determined; however with our supposed red Hebrews the name points out an indefatigable, keen, successful warrior.