Hence, if we pass from the area illustrated by the specimens before us—specimens from a terra incognita—to the region of known dialects, we have (after a few Puru and Mundrucu samples from the south bank of the Amazons), as languages nearest in respect to their geographical localities—
East.—-The, Carib dialects, of which the nearest is Sir R. Schomburgk’s Guinau.
North.—The Maypure and Saliva families.
West.—The Zapara.
South.—The languages of the Province of Moxos.
To the Zapara the present vocabularies are the least like; and perhaps they are most like the Carib dialects. Now the Carib dialects have numerous affinities—some of them of a very remarkable kind. In the first place they have them with the Maypure and Saliva; next, they have them with the Guarani; thirdly, there is the statement (accompanied by a table which partially verifies it) in the ‘Mithridates’ that the Moxos and Maypure have several important elements in common.
The following Tables are formed from a very slight collation, viz. from one with short specimens of Guiana languages by Sir R. Schomburgk, and the equally scanty lists in D’Orbigny’s ‘Homme Américain.’ They are laid before the reader less on account of their own merits than for the sake of counteracting the common (but erroneous) belief that the South American tongues are wholly unconnected in respect to their vocabularies. The extent to which the commoner roots occur in different languages may be surmised from even so short a table as the subjoined.
| English | Head. |
| Cobeu | i-pobu. |
| Carabisi | yu-bupo. |
| Accaway | yu-popo. |
| Macusi | pupei. |
| Woyawai | i-pawa. |
| Arecuna | o-puwei. |
| ——— | o-pei. |
| English | Mouth. |
| Uainambeu | eri-numa. |
| Baniwa (I.) | no-numa. |
| Barre | no-numa. |
| Baniwa (J.) | wa-noma. |
| Baniwa (T.M.) | e-noma. |
| Tariana | no-numa. |
| Guinau | noma. |
| English | Nose. |
| Baniwa (T.M.) | ny-apeu. |
| Aturia | ohipe. |
| Dauri | ohebe. |
| Juri | youcone. |
| Tucano | ich-kena. |
| Sœrikong | akone. |
| Salivi | incuu. |
| English | Hand. |
| Uainambeu | eri-kiapi. |
| Baniwa (I.) | nu-capi. |
| Barre | nu-cabi. |
| Baniwa (J.) | wa-cavi. |
| Guinau | in-kabo. |
| Mawakwa | ngn-kowa. |
| Atorai | un-kuai. |
| Arawàk | de-cabbu. |
| Maypure | nu-capi. |
| English | Foot. |
| Uainambeu | er-upa. |
| Baniwa (I.) | nu-hipi. |
| Macusi | hupu. |
| Taruma | appa. |
| Cobeu | ki-bouba. |
| Carabisi | pupu. |
| Saliva | caa-bapa. |
| English | Water. |
| Baniwa (I.) | uni. |
| Barre | uni. |
| Baniwa (J.) | weni. |
| Baniwa (T.M.) | weni. |
| Tariana | uni. |
| Guinau | oni. |
| Mawakwa | wune. |
| Taruma | ona-bo. |
| Arawak | wuni-abo. |
| Maypure | weni. |
| Sarabeca | une. |
| Paioceneca | une. |
| Moxa | une. |
| Pacaguara | jene. |
| English | Water. |
| Tucano | oghcogh. |
| Cobeu | oghcogh. |
| Saliva | cagua. |
| English | Fire. |
| Baniwa (I.) | tidge. |
| Guinau | tsheke. |
| Mawakwa | tshikase. |
| Wapisiana | tegherre. |
| Atorai | tegherre. |
| Dauri | tekerre. |
| Sarabeca | tikiai. |
| Mataguayo | itag. |
| Baniwa (J.) | cathi. |
| Maypure | cãtti. |
| Araucanian | cutal. |
| English | Fire. |
| Juri | ii. |
| Taruma | hua. |
| English | Bow. |
| Uainambeu | paro. |
| Atorai[3] | parauri. |
| English | Arrow. |
| Baniwa (I.) | capoui. |
| Taruma | cupa. |
| English | Tree. |
| Tucano | yukena. |
| Zapara | nackuna. |
| English | Sun. |
| Cobeu | ouia. |
| Carabisi | wehu. |
| Accaway | wiyheu. |
| Macusi | weh. |
| Arecuna | wae. |
| English | Sun. |
| Juri | iye. |
| Warau | yah. |
| Maypure | khie. |
| English | Sun. |
| Uainambeu | camiu. |
| Baniwa (I.) | camuí. |
| Barre | camu. |
| Guiana | kamuhu. |
| Woyawai | kamu. |
| Mawakwa | kamu. |
| Wapisiana | kamo. |
| Atorai | kamoi. |
| Dauri | tamoi. |
| Sarebeca | caame. |
| English | Moon. |
| Uainambeu | cari. |
| Baniwa (I.) | keri. |
| Quichua | killa. |
| Mataguayo | guela. |
| Guinau | kewari. |
| Mawakwa | kirsu. |
| Wapisiana | keirrh. |
| Atorai | keirrhe. |
| Dauri | kaiira. |
| Baniwa (J.) | enu. |
| Carabisi | nuna. |
| English | Star. |
| Baniwa (I.) | kiwiri. |
| Wapescana | weri. |
| English | One. |
| Uainambeu | apari. |
| Mawakwa | apaura. |
| Arawak | abaru. |
| English | One. |
| Tariana | paita. |
| Wapisiana | peit-e-ieppa. |
| Atorai | peit-aghpa. |
| Dauri | weit-appa. |
[3] In several of the other Carib dialects the root p–r = arrow.
THE END.