a. Ojibwâi,a Chippewa.Ojibwaig,Chippewas.
e. Ojee,a Fly.Ojeeg,Flies.
i. Kosénân, Our father, (in.)Kosenân-ig,Our fathers, (in.)
o. Ahmô,a Bee.Ahm-ôg,Bees.
u. Ais,a Shell.Ais-ug,Shells.

Inanimate Plural.

a. Ishkôdai,Fire.Ishkôdain,Fires.
e. Waddôp,Alder.Waddôp-een,Alders.
i. Adetaig,Fruit.Adetaig-in,Fruits.
o. Nôdin,Wind.Nôdin-ôn,Winds.
u. Meen,Berry,Meen-un,Berries.

Where a noun terminates with a vowel in the singular, the addition of the g, or n, shows at once, both the plural and the gender. In other instances, as in peenai, a partridge—seebi, a river—it requires a consonant to precede the plural vowel, in conformity with a rule previously stated. Thus, peenai, is rendered peenai-wug—and seebi, seebi-wun. Where the noun singular terminates in the broad, instead of the long sound of a, as in ôgimâ, a chief ishpatinâ, a hill, the plural is ogim-ag, ishpatinân. But these are mere modifications of two of the above forms, and are by no means entitled to be considered as additional plurals.

Comparatively few substantives, are without number. The following may be enumerated.

Missun´,Fire wood.
Pinggwi,Ashes.
Méjim,Food.
Kôn,Snow.
Mishk´wi,Blood.
Ukkukkuzhas,Coals.
Ussáimâ,Tobacco.
Naigow,Sand.
Ahioun,Mist.
Kimmiwun,Rain.
Ossâkumig,Moss.
Unitshimin,Peas.

Others may be found, and indeed, a few others are known. But it is less an object, in this lecture to pursue exceptions into their minutest ramifications, than to sketch broad rules, applicable, if not to every word, to at least a majority of words in the language.

There is, however, one exception from the general use of number, so peculiar in itself, that not to point it out, would be an unpardonable remissness, in giving the outlines of a language, in which it is an object, neither to extenuate faults, nor to overrate beauties. This exception consists in the want of number in the third person of the declensions of animate nouns, and the conjugation of animate verbs. Not, that such words are destitute of number, in their simple forms, or when used under circumstances requiring no change of these simple forms—no prefixes and no inflections. But it will be seen, at a glance, how very limited such an application of words must be, in a transpositive language.

Thus mang and kâg (loon and porcupine) take the plural inflection wug, becoming mang wug and kag wug (loons and porcupines.) So, in their pronominal declension—

My loonNi mangoom
Thy loonKi mangoom
My porcupineNi gâgoom
Thy porcupineKi gâgoom
My loonsNi mangoomug
Thy loonsKi mangoomug
My porcupinesNi gâgoomug
Thy porcupinesKi gâgoomug