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. But 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 rock, and he will answer awzhebik. The generic import of aubik, 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. |
| Waubaubik-ud. | It (is) a white rock. |
| Mukkuddäwaubik-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. |
| Waubaubik-izzi. | He (is) a white rock. |
| Mukkuddäwaubik-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 brackets, 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; mukkaddäminnis, a black island; waubeminnis, a white island, &c. Annokwut, is a cloud; miskwaunakwut, a red cloud; mukkuddawukwut, a black cloud; waubahnokwut, a white cloud; ozahwushkwahnokwut, 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:—
| Gitshee, | Great. | Gitshiguma, | Great water. |
| Nokun, | Weak. | Nôkauguma, | Weak drink. |
| Mushkowau, | Strong. | Mushkowauguma, | Strong drink. |
| Weeshkobun, | Sweet. | Weeshkobauguma, | Sweet drink. |
| Sheewun, | Sour. | Sheewauguma, | Sour drink. |
| Weesugun, | Bitter. | Weesugauguma, | Bitter drink. |
| Minno, | Good. | Minwauguma, | Good drink. |
| Monaudud, | Bad. | Mahnauguma, | Bad drink. |
| Miskwau, | Red. | Miskwauguma, | Red drink. |
| Ozahwau, | Yellow. | Ozahwauguma, | Yellow drink. |
| Weenun, | Dirty. | Weenauguma, | Dirty water. |
| Peenud, | Clear. | Peenauguma, | Clear Water. |
From minno, and from monaudud, good and bad, are derived the following terms. Minnopogwud, it tastes well; minnopogoozzi, he tastes well. Mauzhepogwud, it tastes bad; mawzhepogoozzi, he tastes bad. Minnomaugwud, it smells good; minnomaugoozzi, he smells good; magghemaugawud, it smells bad; mawhemaugoozzi, 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. Minwäwa, a pleasant sound. Maunwawa, a disagreeable sound. Mudwayaushkau, the sound of waves dashing on the shore. Mudwayaunnemud, the sound of winds. Mudway au kooskau, 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 terms 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 of the other appears to be generally at the option of the speaker. In most cases brevity or euphony dictates the choice. Usage results from the application of these 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 oftenest employed before verbs and nouns, in the first and second persons singular.