The Number Concept: Its Origin and Development Part 26

1. nequt.

2. neese.

3. nish.

4. yaw.

5. napanna = on one side, _i.e._ 1 hand.

6. nequttatash = 1 added.

7. nesausuk = 2 again?

8. shawosuk = 3 again?

9. pashoogun = it comes near, _i.e._ to 10.

10. puik.

OJIBWA OF CHEGOIMEGON.[300]

1. bas.h.i.+k.

2. neensh.

3. niswe.

4. newin.

5. nanun.

6. ninG.o.dwaswe = 1 again?

7. nishwaswe = 2 again?

8. shouswe = 3 again?

9. shangaswe = 4 again?

10. medaswe = 5 again?

OTTAWA.

1. ningotchau.

2. ninjwa.

3. niswa.

4. niwin.

5. nanau.

6. ningotwaswi = 1 again?

7. ninjwaswi = 2 again?

8. nichwaswi = 3 again?

9. shang.

10. kwetch.

DELAWARE.

1. n'gutti.

2. niskha.

3. nakha.

4. newa.

5. nalan [akin to palenach, hand].

6. guttash = 1 on the other side.

7. nishash = 2 on the other side.

8. khaash = 3 on the other side.

9. peshgonk = coming near.

10. tellen = no more.

SHAWNOE.

1. negote.

2. neshwa.

3. nithuie.

4. newe.

5. nialinwe = gone.

6. negotewathwe = 1 further.

7. neshwathwe = 2 further.

8. sashekswa = 3 further?

9. chakatswe [akin to chagisse, "used up"].

10. metathwe = no further.

MICMAC.[301]

1. naiookt.

2. tahboo.

3. seest.

4. naioo.

5. nahn.

6. usoo-c.u.m.

7. eloo-igunuk.

8. oo-gumoolchin.

9. pesc.o.o.naduk.

10. mtlin.

One peculiarity of the Micmac numerals is most noteworthy. The numerals are real verbs, instead of adjectives, or, as is sometimes the case, nouns.

They are conjugated through all the variations of mood, tense, person, and number. The forms given above are not those that would be used in counting, but are for specific use, being varied according to the thought it was intended to express. For example, _naiooktaich_ = there is 1, is present tense; _naiooktaichcus_, there was 1, is imperfect; and _encoodaichdedou_, there will be 1, is future. The variation in person is shown by the following inflection:

PRESENT TENSE.

1st pers. tahboosee-ek = there are 2 of us.

2d pers. tahboosee-yok = there are 2 of you.

3d pers. tahboo-sijik = there are 2 of them.

IMPERFECT TENSE.

1st pers. tahboosee-egup = there were 2 of us.

2d pers. tahboosee-yogup = there were 2 of you.

3d pers. tahboosee-sibunik = there were 2 of them.

FUTURE TENSE.