FOURTH TRANSITION.
| Singular. | Plural. |
|---|---|
| Elenk, what we tell you, | ellek, what we tell you, |
| elank, what we tell him. | elanquik, what we tell them. |
FIFTH TRANSITION.
| Singular. | Plural. |
|---|---|
| Eliyek, what you tell me, | eliyenkup, what you tell us, |
| elatup, what you tell him. | elaachtitup, what you tell them. |
SIXTH TRANSITION.
| Singular. | Plural. |
|---|---|
| Elink, what they tell me,, | elgeyenk, what they tell us, |
| elquonnik, what they tell thee, | elgeyek, what they tell you, |
| elaachtit, what they tell him. | elatschik, what they tell us. |
Thus I have given myself the pleasure of transcribing this single tense of one of the moods of this beautiful verb, which I find is used also in the sense of “as I tell thee,” &c., and is a striking example of the astonishing powers of this part of speech in the Delaware language. Can you tell me where those powers end? Is there anything which a Delaware verb will not express in some form or other? I am no longer astonished to find that Mr. Zeisberger has not displayed in his grammar all the richness of this idiom. A single verb, with its various forms and transitions, would almost fill a volume, and there are no less than eight conjugations, all of which were to be explained and illustrated by examples!
But it is not in the verbs alone that consist the beauties of this language. The other parts of speech also claim our attention. There I find, as well as in the verbs, forms and combinations of which I had not before conceived an idea. For instance, Zeisberger tells us that there are nouns substantive in the Delaware which have a passive mood! Strange as this may appear to those who are unacquainted with Indian forms, it is nevertheless a fact which cannot be denied; for our author gives us several examples of this passive noun, all ending with the substantive termination wagan, which, as you have informed me, corresponds with the English ness, in “happiness,” and the German heit or keit, in the numerous words ending with these syllables. Permit me to select some of the examples given by Zeisberger.
Machelemuxowagan, honour, the being honoured. Gettemagelemuxowagan, the receiving favour, mercy, tenderness. Mamschalgussiwagan,[309] the being held in remembrance. Witahemgussowagan, the being assisted or helped. Mamintochimgussowagan,[310] the being esteemed. Wulakenimgussowagan, the being praised. Machelemoachgenimgussowagan, the receiving honour and praise. Amangachgenimgussowagan, the being raised or elevated by praise. Schingalgussowagan, the being hated. Mamachtschimgussowagan, the being insulted.
You will, I am afraid, be disposed to think that we have changed places, and that I am presuming to give you instruction in the Delaware language; but I am only repeating to you the lessons that I have learned from Zeisberger, to save you the trouble of explaining what I can obtain from another source; to be corrected, if I have committed mistakes, and to receive from you the information which my author does not give. Besides, as our correspondence is intended for the use of the Historical Committee, my occasional extracts from Zeisberger, and the observations to which they give rise, are addressed to them as well as to you, and under your correction, may contribute to give them a clearer idea of the forms of the Indian languages. Our letters thus form a kind of epistolary conference between the scholar and his master, held before a learned body, who profit even by the ignorance of the student, as it draws fuller and more luminous explanations from the teacher. Had I proceeded otherwise, your task would have been much more laborious and troublesome, and it would have been ungenerous to have exacted it from you.