The inanimate forms, being without person, are simply rendered plural by in, changing maiskwaug to maiskwaug-in, &c. &c. The verbal signification which these forms assume, as indicated in the words am, art, is, are, is to be sought in the permutative change of the first syllable. Thus, o is changed to wä, muk to mäk, waub to wy-aub, ozau to wäzau, misk to maisk, &c. The pronoun, as is usual in the double compounds, is formed wholly by the inflections eyaun, eyun, &c.
The strong tendency of the adjective to assume a personal or pronomico-substantive form, leads to the employment of many words in a particular or exclusive sense; and, in any future practical attempts with the language, it will be found greatly to facilitate its acquisition, if the adjectives are arranged in distinct classes, separated by this characteristic principle of their application. The examples we have given are chiefly those which may be considered strictly animate or inanimate, admit of double forms, and are of general use. Many of the examples recorded in the original manuscripts employed in these inquiries, are of a more concrete character, and, at the same time, a more limited use. Thus, shaugwewe is a weak person; nökaugumme, a weak drink; nökaugwud, a weak or soft piece of wood. Sussägau is fine, but can only be applied to personal appearance; beesau, indicates fine grains. Keewushkwä is giddy, and keewushkwäbee, giddy with drink—both being restricted to the third person. Söngun and songizzi are the personal and impersonal forms of strong, as given above, but mushkowaugumme is strong drink. In like manner, the two words for hard, as above, are restricted to solid substances. Sunnuhgud is hard (to endure). Waindud is easy (to perform). Söngodää is brave; shaugedää, cowardly; keezhinghowizzi, active; kizheekau, swift; onaunegoozzi, lively; minwaindum, happy; gushkaindum, sorrowful; but all these forms are confined to the third person of the indicative, singular. Pibbigwun is a rough or knotted substance; pubbiggozzi, a rough person. Keenwau is long or tall (any solid mass). Kaynozid is a tall person. Tahkozid a short person. Wassayau is light; wassaubizzoo, the light of the eye; wasshauzhä, the light of a star or any luminous body. Keenau is sharp; keenaubikud, a sharp knife or stone. Keezhaubikeday is hot metal, a hot stove, &c. Keezhaugummeday is hot water. Uubudgeetön is useful, a useful thing. Wauweeug is frivolous, anything frivolous in word or deed. Tubbushish appears to be a general term for low. Ishpimming is high in the air. Ishpau is applied to any high fixture, as a house, &c. Ishpaubikau is a high rock. Taushkaubikau, a split rock.
These combinations and limitations meet the inquirer at every step; they are the current phrases of the language; they present short, ready, and often beautiful modes of expression; and, as they shed light both upon the idiom and genius of the language, I shall not scruple to add further examples and illustrations. Ask a Chippewa the name for a rock, and he will answer awzhebik. The generic import of awbik has been explained. Ask him the name for red rock, and he will answer miskwaubik; for white rock, and he will answer waubaubik; for black rock, mukkuddäwaubik; for yellow rock, ozahwaubik; for green rock, ozhahwushkwaubik; for bright rock, wassayaubik; for smooth rock, shoishkwaubik, &c.—compounds in which the words red, white, black, yellow, &c., unite with aubik. Pursue this inquiry, and the following forms will be elicited:
| Impersonal. | |
| Miskwaubik-ud, | It (is) a red rock. |
| Waububik-ud, | It (is) a white rock. |
| Mukkudäwaubik-ud, | It (is) a black rock. |
| Ozahwaubik-ud, | It (is) a yellow rock. |
| Wassayaubik-ud, | It (is) a bright rock. |
| Shoiskwaubik-ud, | It (is) a smooth rock. |
| Personal. | |
| Miskwaubik-izzi, | He (is) a red rock. |
| Waububik-izzi, | He (is) a white rock. |
| Mukkudäwaubik-izzi, | He (is) a black rock. |
| Ozahwaubik-izzi, | He (is) a yellow rock. |
| Wassayaubik-izzi, | He (is) a bright rock. |
| Shoiskwaubik-izzi, | He (is) a smooth rock. |
Add bun to these terms, and they are made to have passed away; prefix tah to them, and their future appearance is indicated. The word "is" in the translations, although marked with parentheses, is not deemed wholly gratuitous. There is, strictly speaking, an idea of existence given to these compounds, by the particle au, in aubic, which seems to be indirectly a derivative from that great and fundamental root of the language Iau. Bik is apparently the radix of the expression for "rock."
Let this mode of interrogation be continued, and extended to other adjectives, or the same adjectives applied to other objects, and results equally regular and numerous will be obtained. Minnis, we shall be told is an island; miskominnis, a red island; mukkuddäminnis, a black island; waubeminnis, a white island, &c. Annokwut, is a cloud; miskwaunakwut, a red cloud; mukkuddawukwut, a black cloud; waubahnokwut, a white cloud; ozahwushkwahnakwut, a blue cloud, &c. Neebe is the specific term for water; but is not generally used in combination with the adjective. The word guma, like aubo, appears to be a generic term for water, or potable liquids. Hence, the following terms:—
From minno, and from monaudud, good and bad, are derived the following terms: Minnopogwud, it tastes well; minnopogoozzi, he tastes well; mawzhepogwud, it tastes bad; mawzhepogoozzi, he tastes bad. Minnomaugwud, it smells good; minnomaugoozzi, he smells good;_ mauzhemaugud_, it smells bad; mauzhemaugoozzi, he smells bad. The inflections gwud, and izzi, here employed, are clearly indicative, as in other combinations, of the words it and him.
Baimwa, is sound; baimwäwa, the passing sound; minwäwa, a pleasant sound; maunwäwa, a disagreeable sound; mudwayaushkau, the sound of waves dashing on the shore; mudwayaunnemud, the sound of winds; mudwayaukooshkau, the sound of falling trees; mudwäkumigishin, the sound of a person falling upon the earth; mudwaysin, the sound of any inanimate mass falling on the earth. These examples might be continued ad infinitum. Every modification of circumstances, almost every peculiarity of thought, is expressed by some modification of the orthography. Enough has been given to prove that the adjective combines itself with the substantive, the verb, and the pronoun, that the combinations thus produced are numerous, afford concentrated modes of conveying ideas, and oftentimes, happy turns of expression. Numerous and prevalent as these forms are, they do not, however, preclude the use of adjectives in their simple forms. The use of the one or the other appears to be generally at the option of the speaker. In most cases brevity or euphony dictates the choice. Usage results from these applications of the principles. There may be rules resting upon a broader basis; but if so, they do not appear to be very obvious. Perhaps the simple adjectives are often employed before verbs and nouns, in the first and second persons singular.