Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820 / Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832

by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

By these examples, it is perceived that the final d in aindâd is not essential to its primitive meaning; and that the place of the pronoun is, in respect to this word, invariably a suffix. Aindâd means, truly, not home, but his home. The plural is formed by the inflection in, except in the third person, where the sound of d sinks in j.

Inquiry 2.

Further remarks on the substantive—Local, diminutive, derogative, and tensal inflections—Mode in which the latter are employed to denote the disease of individuals, and to indicate the past and future seasons—Restricted or sexual terms—Conversion of the substantive into a verb, and the reciprocal character of the verb by which it is converted into a substantive—Derivative and compound substantives—Summary of the properties of this part of speech.

In the view which has been taken of the substantive in the preceding Inquiry, it has been deemed proper to exclude several topics, which, from their peculiarities, it was believed could be more satisfactorily discussed in a separate form. Of this character are those modifications of the substantive by which locality, diminution, a defective quality, and the past tense are expressed; by which various adjective and adverbial significations are given; and, finally, the substantives themselves converted into verbs. Such are also the mode of indicating the masculine and feminine (both merged, as we have shown, in the animate class), and those words which are of a strictly sexual character, or are restricted in their use either to males or females. Not less interesting is the manner of forming derivatives, and of conferring upon the derivatives so formed a personality, distinguished as either animate or inanimate, at the option of the speaker.

Much of the flexibility of the substantive is derived from these properties, and they undoubtedly add much to the figurative character of the language. Some of them have been thought analogous to case, particularly that inflection of the noun which indicates the locality of the object. But if so, then there would be equally strong reasons for establishing an adjective, and an adverbial, as well as a local case, and a plurality of forms in each. But it is believed that no such necessity exists. There is no regular declension of these forms, and they are all used under limitations and restrictions incompatible with the true principles of case.

It is under this view of the subject, that the discussion of these forms has been transferred, together with the other accidents of the substantive just adverted to, and reserved as the subject-matter of a separate inquiry. And in now proceeding to express the conclusions at which we have arrived touching these points, it will be an object so to compress and arrange the materials before us, as to present within a small compass the leading facts and examples upon which each separate position depends.

1. That quality of the noun which, in the shape of an inflection, denotes the relative situation of the object, by the contiguous position of some accessory object, is expressed in the English language by the prepositions in, into, at, or on. In the Indian, they are denoted by an inflection. Thus, the phrase "In the box," is rendered in the Indian by one word, mukukoong. Of this word, mukuk, simply, is box. The termination, oong, denoting the locality, not of the box, but of the object sought after. The expression appears to be precise, although there is no definite article in the language.

The substantive takes this form, most commonly, after a question has been put, as Anindi ni môkoman-ais? "Where is my penknife?" Mukukoong (in the box), addôpowin-ing (on the table), are definite replies to this question. But the form is not restricted to this relation. Chimân-ing n'guh pôz, "I shall embark in the canoe;" wakyigum n'ghu izhâ, "I shall go into the house," are perfectly correct, though somewhat formal expressions, when the canoe or the house are present to the speaker's view.

The meaning of these inflections has been restricted to in, into, at, and on, but they are the more appropriate forms of expressing the first three senses, there being other modes besides these of expressing the preposition on. These modes consist in the use of prepositions, and will be explained under that head. The choice of the one or the other is, however, with the speaker. Generally, the inflection is employed when there is some circumstance or condition of the noun either concealed or not fully apparent. Thus, Muzzinyigun-ing, is the appropriate term for "In the book," and may also be used to signify "On the book." But if it is meant only to signify on the book, something visible being referred to, the preposition ogidj would be used, that word indicating with certainty on, and never in. Wakyigun-ing indicates with clearness "In the house;" but if it is necessary to say "On the house," and it be meant at the same time to exclude any reference to the interior, the expression would be changed to ogidj wakyigun.

It will be proper further to remark in this place, in the way of limitation, that there is also a separate preposition signifying in. It is pinj. But the use of this word does not, in all cases, supersede the necessity of inflecting the noun. Thus, the expression pindigain, is literally walk in, or enter. But if it is intended to say, "Walk in the house," the local, and not the simple form of house must be used; and the expression is, Pindigain waky'igun-ing, "Enter in the house," the verbal form which this preposition pinj puts on, having no allusion to the act of walking, but merely implying position.