(Fr. Chaouia), one of the Berber or Libyan languages. The name Kabâil, or Kabyle, is given by the Arabs. It is exceedingly mixed with Arabic, yet retains its own forms of grammar. The Arabic article “El” (or the letter L initial) is often imported with an Arabic noun, as with us in the words “Alcoran,” “Alcohol”; and feminine nouns take T at each end: as “Tamdint,” from Arabic Medina(t), city. The language is spoken chiefly in the highlands of Mount Atlas, towards Algiers, especially in the province of Constantine. There is little doubt that it represents to us the ancient Numidian, and one branch of the Gætulian. Brosselard’s Dictionary, “Français-Berbère,” whatever its value to a traveller, disappoints a philologer; for by far the greater part of it is Arabic in disguise. Hanoteau’s “Grammaire Kabyle,” gives a large mass of pure words: he has selected the Zouave dialect by preference. It is rougher than that of Bougie, into which Sadi Hamet translated the book of Genesis and the four Gospels for the Bible Society. F. W. N. See [Libyan].
Shyan, see [Shan].
Shyenne.
(Fr. Cheyenne). American: Algonkin dialect of the Kansas, allied to Arrapaho. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii.
Siah-Posh, see [Shia-push].
Siamese.
Indo-Chinese: a monosyllabic language, called, in full, Sa-yame-phasa, also Tai, or T’hai; founded on Chinese, it contains many elements of Malay; its alphabet resembles Pali. Grammar by Pallegoix, Bangkok, 1850; Dicty., Paris, 1854.
Siau.
Malayan: group of islands adjoining Celebes. Wallace’s “M. Archip.”
Siberian.