We now come to the great interior Salish family, although I shall have occasion again to refer to the coast language in this vicinity. The northernmost Salish language is the Shushwap, or Atnah, which approaches near to its neighbor the Salish proper;[III'-27] then there are the Kullespelm, or Pend d'Oreille, the Spokane, the Soaiatlpi, and the Okanagan, which with others spoken on the Columbia show close affinities.
The Salish proper, or Flathead, is harsh and guttural. The letters b, d, f, r, v, do not exist in this language. The plural of substantives is formed in different ways: first, by duplicating the root—skoi, mother; skoikoi, mothers: second by duplicating and dropping a vowel from the root—skaltmigu, man; sklkaltmigu, men; esmòck, mountain; esmòkmck, mountains: third, by duplicating a consonant in the middle of the word—skòlchemùs, eyelid; skòlchammùs, eyelids: fourth, by prefixing the syllable ul—nackoèmen, thief; ulnakoèmen, thieves: and lastly there are divers formations, as es´schíte, tree; szlzlíl, trees, forest; s´m´èm, woman (mulier); pèlplgui, women. Diminutives are expressed by placing l before the root, as, s´m´èm, woman; slm´èm, small woman; lùk, wood; llùl´lk, a small piece of wood. Augmentatives are formed by prefixing the syllable kutn, or kuti, when the word commences with an s or l, thus, skagae, horse; kuti-skagae, a great horse; sm´ot, smoke; kuti-sm´ot, a great smoke. There are pronouns, personal, possessive, demonstrative, relative, interrogative, and indefinite. According to Mengarini the personal pronoun has two forms, absolute and copulative, the exact meaning attached to these terms not being explained.
| ABSOLUTE. | COPULATIVE. | |
| I | koie | ko |
| Thou | anúi | ku |
| He | zuilz | |
| We | kaémpile | kae |
| You | mpilèpstemp | p, or mp |
| They | zni´ilz |
As examples of the others there are possessives—mine, in; thine, an; his, s; ours, kao; yours, mp; theirs, s: demonstratives—this, iè; that, zi: interrogative—who, suèt: and indefinite—some one, chnáksi.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO BE ANGRY.
Following is a Lord's Prayer, the nationality not given:
Kae l'eu ( Our father ) u ( in heaven ) l's'chichmáskat ( who ) ku l'zii, ( liveth, ) asku ( thy ) èst ( name ) kuks ( of thee ) gamènchltm; ( be loved; ) ku ( thou ) kl ( be ) chèltich ( Lord ) s esià ( of all ) sp'us; ( hearts; ) aszntèls ks ( thy will ) kólli ( be done ) iè ( this ) l ( on ) stóligu, ( earth, ) ezgail ( as ) l's'chichmáskat. ( in heaven. ) Kae ( Us ) guizlilt ( give to-day ) iè tlgoa lu ( what ) kaesiapzínm. ( we need. ) Kaelkolgoèllilt ( Us forgive ) lu kae ( our ) gulguílt ( debts, ) ezgail ( as ) lu tkaempilè ( we ) kaes kolgoelltm, ( forgive (those) ) lu e épl ( who have ) gulguílt ( debts ) l ( with ) kaempilè. ( us. ) Kae ( Us ) olkschílilt ( assist ) ta ( not ) ka keskuèstm lu ( at any time receive ) tèie; ( evil; ) u ( but ) kai ( us ) gulguillilt ( preserve uninjured ) lu tel ( from ) teié. ( evil. ) Komi ezgail. ( Be it so.[III'-28] )
The above is taken from the grammar of Mengarini, written in Latin; following is a Lord's Prayer of the Pend d'Oreilles, from Father De Smet, who wrote in French:
Kyleeyou, (Our father) Itchitchemask, (of heaven,) askwees (that your name) kowaaskshamenshem (be respected) ailetzemilkou (by all the) yeelskyloog; (earth;) ntziezie (reign) telletzia (in all) spoo (the) oez. (hearts. ) Assinteels (That your will) astskole, (be done) yelstoloeg (on earth) etzageel (as also) Itchichemask. (in heaven.) Hoogwitzilt (Give us) yettilgwa (now) lokaitssia (all our) petzim. (necessaries.) Knwaasksmeemiltem (Forgive us) klotayie (the evil) kloitskeyen (which we have done,) etzageel (as) kaitsskolgwelem (we forgive) klotoiye ((the evil)) kloitskwen (to those who) klielskyloog. (us have offended.) Koaxalock (Accord to us) shitem (assistance) takaakskwentem (to evade) klotaiye; (evil;) kowaaksgweeltem (but deliver us) klotaiye. (from evil.) Komieetzegeel. (So be it.[III'-29])