| Rama. | |
|---|---|
| Man, | nikikna, |
| Woman, | kuma, |
| Sun, | nunik, |
| Moon, | tukan, |
| Fire, | abung, |
| Water, | sii, |
| Head, | kiing, |
| Eye, | up, |
| Ear, | kuka, |
| Mouth, | kaka, |
| Nose, | taik. |
| Tongue, | kup. |
| Tooth, | siik. |
| Hand, | kuik. |
| Foot, | kaat. |
| House, | knu. |
| 1, | saiming. |
| 2, | puk sak. |
| 3, | pang sak. |
| 4, | kun kun beiso. |
| 5, | kwik astar. |
My informant writes me that the Ramas are about 250 in number, and are all Christians and able to speak and write English, except a few very old persons. Their language will probably be extinct in a few years. They are confined to their island in Blewfield Lagoon. It is particularly interesting, therefore, to fix their affinities before the opportunity passes. From the above vocabulary I think there is little doubt but that they are a branch of the Changuina or Dorasque stock, described pp. [174, 175]. The following words attest this, the Changuina forms being from A. L. Pinart’s Vocabulario Castellano-Dorasque, Dialectos Chumulu, Gualaca y Changuina (Paris, 1890):
| Rama. | Changuina. | |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, | nunik, | kĕlik u. |
| Fire, | abung, | kebug-al (fire-brand). |
| Water, | sii, | si. |
| Head, | kiing, | kin-unuma. |
| Ear, | kuka, | kuga. |
| Mouth, | kaka, | kaga. |
| Nose, | taik, | θakai. |
| Tongue, | kup, | kuba. |
| Tooth, | siik, | su. |
| Hand, | kuik, | kula. |
| House, | knu, | ku. |
The numerals for “two” and “three,” puk sak, pang sak, are doubtless the Cuna pocua, pagua. The Ramas, therefore, belong to the Isthmian tribes, and formed the vanguard of the South American immigration into North America. What time they moved northward and possessed themselves of their small island is unknown, but it was probably after the conquest. Mr. Siebärger writes me: “They were always kept under, even ill-treated, by the Musquito Indians, and are still very submissive and teachable.”
The following errata should be noted:
P. 69, line 3; for Nehaunies read Nahaunies.
Pp. 89, 95, 98 and 101, the numbers of the sections should read 7, 8, 9, 10, instead of 5, 6, 7, 8.
P. 169, line 17, for maternal read paternal.
P. 197, for Morropas read Malabas.
P. 251, line 11, for Wapiana read Woyawoi.