FOOTNOTES:
[256] I am indebted to the untiring patience of Mr. Kipp, who is thoroughly familiar with this language, for this extensive vocabulary which I wrote down with the help of several Mandans. My attempt at a grammar, as I have already said, was interrupted by illness. Mr. Gallatin (ibid., p. 125) includes the Mandans with the Minnitarris; but he had no vocabulary of their language and could, therefore, in no wise form a correct judgment. The signatures to the treaty which he mentions (pp. 125 and 379) were translated into the Minnitarri language because of the lack of a Mandan interpreter. This is shown clearly from the words matsa (man) and lahpeetzee, or lachpitzi (bear), both of which are pure Minnitarri words. I hope by means of the following examples of the Mandan language to refute many of the errors regarding this people which were formerly spread abroad.—Maximilian.
Comment by Ed. For a brief biography of James Kipp, see our volume xxii, p. 345, note 319.
Notes on the Grammar of the Mandan Language[257]
Prepositions
From (German, von; French, de), tá.
Near (German, unweit; French, proche, près de), askásch.
To (German, nach; French, à), óh.
Examples:
I come from Ruhptare: Ruhptáre ä̍ta wa huh-rusch; i.e., Ruhptare from I come.
I go to Ruhptare: Ruhptáre hiddä wa dä̍hhusch; i.e., Ruhptare to I go.
For "close to" or "hard by," they say also "on the margin of." On the margin of Ruhptare: Ruhptáre i̍wakachta (ach guttural); from i̍wakachta, on the margin of the water, a pond, etc.
Interjections
There are nearly as many interjections as in our language.
Ä̍h-hä-hä! (run together), an expression of surprise.
Ji̍a (nasal), used in case of exertion which is not wholly successful.
Héi! héi! héi! (German, shrill, pronounced with the tongue), thank you, thank you.
Wáh i sack chárackä! (ch guttural), oh, my God (German, mein Gott)!
Schá! oh (German ach).
Wáh-ah! or o̍hsch! ho there!
Conjunctions
And, káni.
Or, does not occur in our form; at least, it is difficult to discover.
Examples:
A man and a dog, numánk kani manissuérutä.
The one or the other, kotä̍wäcktosch; kitosch signifies that the event is yet to happen.
Kotä̍wa, which is it? in this expression it is difficult to find our word "or."
The Definite Article
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Nom., the man, numangkä. | Nom., the men, númank-keréhsch. |
| Gen., of the man, numangkä-óh. | Gen., of the men, numangkáke. |
| Dat., to the man, numangkä. | Dat., to the men, numank-keréhsch |
| Accus., the man, numangkä. | |
| Voc., O! thou man, numangkä. | |
| Abl., from the man, numank-dä̍ta. |
Examples:
Gen. The knife of the man whom I have seen: numank uahä̍ssiro óh támanhisch; i.e., the man whom I have seen, this is his knife.
Dat. I will give this to a man and not to a woman: numangkä wáh kuhk tusch mi̍hhä wah wach kuhnichtusch; i.e., to a man I will give it woman I will not give.
Accus. I saw a man do this: numangkä áhska uáhissache uahähsch; i.e., a man this do I have seen.
Abl. The knife comes from the man to whom you have given it: numank dä̍ta mánhi sakuh-rusch-idä̍ta waruschesch.
The Indefinite Article
Nom., a man, numánk.
Gen., of a man, numánk.
Dat., to a man, numánk-ä, or numankä̍.
Accus., a man, numank.
Example:
Gen. The head of a man, numank-pa.
Remark. No difference in form is made for sex; and in the case of human beings, appears to be only occasionally indicated by an ending. They say: a man, numánk-máchana; and in exactly the same way, a woman, mi̍hha-máchana; an egg, máh-ni̍hka-máchana. The case where the sexes are indicated is when, for instance, some one addresses a person and tells him he should do something; if it is a man the syllable tá is affixed, if a woman the syllable na.
Auxiliary Verbs
To be, kitóhsch. This word does not occur frequently.
Examples:
To be rich: wá kah dä hun; i.e., much wealth.
To be tall is good: háschka kä schihsch; i.e., tall that is good.
I am tall: máh káschkasch; máh, I.
You are tall: ni̍h káschkasch.
He is tall: ih káschkasch.
We are tall: núh dä̍ta háschkasch.
You are tall: ni̍h dä̍ta haschkasch.
They are tall: i̍h dä̍ta háschkasch.
To do, isä̍kosch:
I shall do it: waë wasácktosch.
You will do it: wa idá sácktosch.
He will do it: ih wah esácktosch.
We shall do it: nuh dä̍ta esácktosch.
You will do it: nih dä̍ta i̍hda sä̍cktosch.
They will do it: ih dä̍ta ih säcktosch.
Dä̍ta always signifies the plural in this use.
Do not do it: (imperative): káhdä isä̍ckta.
To do: isä̍ckosch.
Done: kúhrusch.
Doing: isäkka-mánkahusch (an French).
To have, wakáhtosch.
I shall have him (or it): wa káhktosch.
He will have him (or it): ih wa káhktosch; or, in káhktosch (n French; in nasal).
We shall have him (or it): núh káhktosch.
You will have him (or it): wa ra káhktosch.
They will have him (or it): ih onn na káhktosch.
I shall not have him (or it): wa wa kánechosch (ch guttural).
I shall have: wa káhktosch.
Nouns
Singular
The old man: waratóhka-chihosch (ch guttural).
The old woman: rokánka-chihénn (ch guttural).
The fish-hook: poïkini̍h (o and i separated).
The arm: a̍hdä.
The branch: o̍hchancha (ch guttural; an French).
The eye: istá.
The eyelid: istá-rupchä̍.
The axe: óhmanatä.
Plural
The old men: waratóhka-keri̍sch; really keréhsch.
The old women: rokánke-keri̍sh.
The fish-hooks: poïkini̍h-keréhsch.
The arms: a̍hdä-keréhsch.
The branches: o̍hchancha-keréhsch.
The eyelids: istá-rupchi-keréhsch.
The axes: o̍hmanat-keréhsch.
A great forest: mánna-keréhsch; i.e., many trees, from mánna, tree.
Remark. From these instances it is easy to derive the rule that to form the plural of nouns the word keréhsch is affixed. It is occasionally pronounced kerisch, and denotes plurality.
Exceptions:
Máhna, the year; the plural is not mána-keréhsch, but manáhna, the years, or better, the winters.
Both arms, i.e., the arms, are called in the plural, a̍hdä-náhta; the legs, dóhke-náhta. This exception is due to the fact that the number of arms on the body is definitely known; they are never more than two, so the plural is "both."
The word keréhsch also signifies in some few cases that objects of only one kind are included, yet always in the plural. Thus, when one enters a lodge where old men or women are assembled, he would say waratóhka-keréhsch, only old men; or rokánka-keréhsch, only or merely old women; waschi̍-keréhsch, merely white men; waschipsi(waschi-psih)-keréhsch, merely negroes, etc.
Declension of the Noun
The word "from," motion towards the speaker, is expressed by tá; as in hutá, come here. The word "to," motion from the speaker, is expressed by the word ä̍ta.
Exception:
Idä̍ta-keréhsch, the others; in this expression keréhsch is usually omitted, and only idä̍ta used.
Proper Names
The names of these Indians always have a meaning, and often include a whole phrase. All familiar objects and their different states are drawn upon for the names of persons, and these are often very vulgar. I have given some of them above.
Adjectives
Adjectives are placed after the nouns; e.g., meni̍ss-schóttä, horse white, not as in German and English, the white horse.
Examples:
Mandeck suck-sä (an French), the red bird; i.e., bird the red.
Numank-chárakä (ch guttural), the brave man.
Passán-schi̍hsch (an French), the beautiful river.
Mani̍ssuarut-psi̍hsch, the black dog.
Comparison
The comparative degree is formed by affixing the word opáchadehsch, or opáchádähsch (ch guttural), i.e., more. The superlative degree is formed by affixing the word mi̍hkasch, i.e., the most.
Good, schihsch: better, schi̍h-opa̍chadehsch: best, schi̍h-mi̍hkasch.
Bad, chi̍cosch: worse, chikä̍-opáchadehsch: worst, chi̍k-ä-mi̍hkasch.
Near, askahá: nearer, aská-opáchadähsch: nearest (next), aská-mihkasch.
Much, hunsch: more, hun (un like French oun)-opáchadähsch: most, hun-mi̍hkasch.
Old, chihósch (ch guttural): older, chihä-opáchadähsch: oldest, chihä-mi̍hkasch.
Sure (certain), does not occur: they say instead, true, tkúschosch; truer, tkschä̍-opa̍chadäsch: truest, tkuscha-mihkasch.
Great (tall), háschka: greater, háschka-opáchadähsch: greatest, ha̍schka-mi̍hkasch.
Wise, schi̍rukosch: wiser, schi̍ruko-pa̍chadähsch: wisest, schi̍ruko-mi̍hkasch.
Remark. Occasionally the comparative and superlative are used together in order to give greater emphasis.
Example:
The most beautiful river: pa̍ssanhä(or pássahä)-koschi̍-opachadäh-mi̍hkasch.
Use of Adjectives as Nouns
The rich man, ko-wakáhdä-hunsch; ko, the.
The poor, ko-áhchkereh-keri̍sch (ch guttural; second e ½).
The divine (godlike), máh-choppenih-tá.
The beautiful, they say "the good," ko-schi̍hsch.
The colors are expressed in the plural just as in German and English.
Example:
The greens (the various greens), wi̍hra-tohä̍-tatá-keréhsch; i.e., wi̍hra-tohä̍, green; tatá, the various.
Indefinite Numerals
These answer the question, how many times? or; how often?
Once, schanáhre-máchanasch.
A single one, máchana-i̍ncha (in the second word, in almost like i nasal).
Twice, schanáhre-numpóhsch; and so on to and including ten. First, second, third, etc. are expressed in like manner.
Stosch (with the point of the tongue), a single one.
The Positive Degree
That is large (great): äth-háschkasch.
That is good: äth-schi̍hsch.
That is bad: äth-chikósch (ch guttural).
That is much: äth-hunsch (un like French oun).
It is long: háschkasch.
It is thick: chtä̍hsch; from the word chtä̍, thick.
It is beautiful: schi̍hsch; from schi̍h, beautiful.
In these instances, therefore, sch is added [to form the positive].
Numerals
Cardinals
There are as many expressions for them as in the language of civilized peoples, from one to 1,000,000, etc.
One, máchana (ch guttural).
Two, numpä̍ (m French, um like French oum).
Three, náhmeni (e ½).
Four, tóhpe (e ½); often shortened to tóhp; tóhposch, there are four.
Five, kächón (ch guttural; on French).
Six, ki̍hma.
Seven, kúhpa.
Eight, tä̍ttake (e or a umlaut).
Nine, máchpe (ach guttural; e about ½).
Ten, pitágh (gh guttural); really pi̍rakosch, but it is very much shortened.
Eleven, a̍hga-ma̍chana (ga guttural).
Twelve, a̍hga-numpä̍.
Thirteen, a̍hga-náhmeni.
Fourteen, a̍hk-tóhp.
Sixteen, a̍h-ki̍hma.
Seventeen, a̍h-kúhpa.
Eighteen, ahk-tä̍ttake.
Nineteen, a̍hga-ma̍chpe (ch guttural).
Twenty, nompá-piráhg (om French).
Twenty-one, nompá-pirákä-roh-máchana.
Thirty, na̍hmeni-ampi̍rakosch.
Forty, tóhpa-pi̍rakosch.
Fifty, kächón-ampi̍rakosch.
Sixty, ki̍hma-ampi̍rakosch.
Seventy, kúhpa-ampi̍rakosch.
Eighty, ta̍ttake-ampi̍rakosch.
Ninety, máchpe-ampi̍rakosch.
One hundred, éhsuck-máchana.
One hundred and one, éhsuck-máchana-roh-máchanasch.
One hundred and two, éhsuck-máchana-roh-numpóhsch.
Two hundred, éhsuck-numpá.
Three hundred, éhsuck-náhmeni.
One thousand, isúkki-kákohi.
One thousand and one, isúkki-kákohi-roh-máchanasch.
One thousand one hundred, isúck-áhga-máchanasch; i.e., eleven hundred.
Two thousand, isúck-ikákohi-numpóhsch.
Ten thousand, isúck-ikákohi-pi̍rakosch.
One hundred thousand, isúck-ikákohi-isuck-mácha-pi̍rakosch; i.e., one thousand ten times one hundred.
Ordinals
The first, ko-ónti (on French).
The second, ko-númpä-hank.
The third, ko-náhmeni-hank.
The fourth, ko-tóhp-hank.
They continue in like manner, Ko, the, is always prefixed; and hank is always affixed; it is equivalent to German "te," or French ième.
The thousandth, ko-sukkikáhkohi-hank.
The last, ko-i̍hkaháhschä.
Fractions
One half, i̍hschanhä (an French).
There is a word for half; the other fractions are expressed by saying "a part."
Pronouns
[No attempt has been made by the translator to rearrange these confused forms.]
I, you, he, we, you, they; she and it are lacking.
Second Person Singular
Nom., you, i̍h.
Gen., of you, nittá.
Dat., to you, ni̍h.
Accus., you, ni̍h.
Example:
Mi̍h ni̍h rotkä̍, I shall strike you; i.e., I you shall strike.
Example of the first person:
You are ashamed of me: man-nan i̍hnkidichihsch (n French; ch guttural); i.e., of me you are ashamed (German, shame yourself).
| Third Person Singular | Third Person Plural |
|---|---|
| Nom., he, i̍h. | Nom., we, núh. |
| Gen., of him (his), i̍hta. | Gen., of us, nuthá. |
| Dat., to him, i̍hta. | Dat., to us, róh. |
| Accus., him, i̍h. | Accus., us, róh. |
Example:
His eye has served him ill: i̍hta istá i̍h kirúchikosch; i.e., his eye him has served ill; i̍hta istá, his eye.
These notes were interrupted by sickness.
Addenda
I eat, wawarutóhsch.
You eat, wararustosch.
He eats, i̍hwarutohsch.
We eat, wanurutohsch.
You eat, i̍hwarutochedesch.
They eat, roh-waruta-mankahusch.
I have eaten, wawarut-makibchasch (ch guttural).
I shall eat, wawarustosch.
I would eat, ihua-haraposch (run together).
Eat (imper sing), warustá (ta short).
Eat (imper plur), wárutenistá.
Eating, warútta-mánkahusch.