The Mobilian trade jargon was not unique of its kind. In America, as in other parts of the world, the common necessities of intercommunication have resulted in the formation of several such mongrel dialects, prevailing, sometimes over wide areas. In some cases, also, the language of a predominant tribe serves as the common medium for all the tribes of a particular region. In South America we find the lingoa geral, based upon the Tupi′ language, understood for everyday purposes by all the tribes of the immense central region from Guiana to Paraguay, including almost the whole Amazon basin. On the northwest coast we find the well-known “Chinook jargon,” which takes its name from a small tribe formerly residing at the mouth of the Columbia, in common use among all the tribes from California far up into Alaska, and eastward to the great divide of the Rocky mountains. In the southwest the Navaho-Apache language is understood by nearly all the Indians of Arizona and New Mexico, while on the plains the Sioux language in the north and the Comanche in the south hold almost the same position. In addition to these we have also the noted “sign language,” a gesture system used and perfectly understood as a fluent means of communication among all the hunting tribes of the plains from the Saskatchewan to the Rio Grande.

(3) Dialects (page 17): The linguistic affinity of the Cherokee and northern Iroquoian dialects, although now well established, is not usually obvious on the surface, but requires a close analysis of words, with a knowledge of the laws of phonetic changes, to make it appear. The superficial agreement is perhaps most apparent between the Mohawk and the Eastern (Lower) Cherokee dialects, as both of these lack the labials entirely and use r instead of l. In the short table given below the Iroquois words are taken, with slight changes in the alphabet used, from Hewitt’s manuscripts, the Cherokee from those of the author:

MohawkCherokee (Eastern)
personoñgweʼyûñwĭ
fireotsiʼraʼatsi′ra (atsi′la)
waterawĕñʼăwă′ (ămă′)
stoneonĕñyaʼnûñyû′
arrowkaʼnoñʼkûnĭ′
pipekanoñnăwĕñʼ kănûñ′năwû
hand (arm)owe′yaʼuwâ′yĭ
milkunĕñʼtaʼunûñ′tĭ
fivewĭskhĭskĭ
tobacco[tcărhûʼ, Tuscarora]tsârû (tsâlû)
fishotcoñʼtaʼû′tsûtĭ′
ghostoʼskĕñnaʼasgi′na
snakeĕñnătûñi′nădû′

Comparison of Cherokee dialects

Eastern (Lower)MiddleWestern (Upper)
fireatsi′raatsi′laatsi′la
waterăwă′ămă′ămă′
doggiʼrĭ′giʼlĭ′giʼlĭ′
hairgitsû′gitsû′gitlû′
hawktsă′nuwă′tsă′nuwă′tlă′nuwă′
leechtsanu′sĭ′tsanu′sĭ′tlanu′sĭ′
battsa′wehă′tsa′mehă′tla′mehă′
panthertsûñtû′tsĭtsûñtû′tsĭtlûñtû′tsĭ
jaytsayʼkû′tsayʼkû′tlayʼkû′
martin (bird)tsutsû′tsutsû′tlutlû′
war-clubatăsû′atăsû′atăsĭ′
heartunăhŭ′unăhŭ′unăhwĭ′
where?ga′tsûga′tsûha′tlû
how much?hûñgû′hûñgû′hila′gû
keystugi′stĭstugi′stĭstui′stĭ
I pick it up (long)tsĭnigi′ûtsĭnigi′ûtsĭne′û
my fatheragidâ′tăagidâ′tăedâ′tă
my mothera′gitsĭ′a′gitsĭ′etsĭ′
my father’s fatheragini′sĭagini′sĭeni′sĭ
my mother’s fatheragidu′tŭagidu′tŭedu′tŭ

It will be noted that the Eastern and Middle dialects are about the same, excepting for the change of l to r, and the entire absence of the labial m from the Eastern dialect, while the Western differs considerably from the others, particularly in the greater frequency of the liquid l and the softening of the guttural g, the changes tending to render it the most musical of all the Cherokee dialects. It is also the standard literary dialect. In addition to these three principal dialects there are some peculiar forms and expressions in use by a few individuals which indicate the former existence of one or more other dialects now too far extinct to be reconstructed. As in most other tribes, the ceremonial forms used by the priesthood are so filled with archaic and figurative expressions as to be almost unintelligible to the laity.

(4) Iroquoian tribes and migrations (p. [17]): The Iroquoian stock, taking its name from the celebrated Iroquois confederacy, consisted formerly of from fifteen to twenty tribes, speaking nearly as many different dialects, and including, among others, the following:

Wyandot, or Huron.Ontario,Canada.
Tionontati, or Tobacco nation.
Attiwan′daron, or Neutral nation.
Tohotaenrat.
Wenrorono.