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A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.Williams, Roger

History

A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.

Name: A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.
Author: Williams, Roger

Williams, Roger

Narragansett Indians; Narragansett language

Obs: Their Manner is upon any tidings to sit round, double or treble
or more, as their numbers be; I have seene neere a thousand in a
round, where _English_ could not well neere halfe so many have
sitten: Every Man hath his pipe of their _Tobacco_, and a deepe
silence they make, and attention given to him that speaketh; and
many of them will deliver themselves, either in a relation of news,
or in a consultation, with very emphaticall speech and great action,
commonly an houre, and sometimes two houres together.

  Npenowauntawâumen,                   I cannot speake your language.

  Matta nippánnawen,                   I lie not.

  Cuppánnowem,                         You lie.

  Mattanickoggachoúsk,
  Matntianta compaw,                   I am no lying fellow.
  Matntiantásampáwwa,

  Achienonâumwem,                      I speake very true.

  Kukkita,                             Hearken to me.

  Kukkakittoùs,                        I heare you.

Obs: They are impatient (as all Men and God himselfe is) when their
speech is not attended and listened to.

  Cuppítous,                           I understand you.
  Cowautous,

  Machagenowâutam,                     I understand not.

  Matnowawtawatémina,                  Wee understand not each other.

  Wunnáumwash,                         Speake the truth.

  Coanâumwen,                          You speake true.

Obs: This word and the next, are words of great flattery which they
use each to other, but constantly to their Princes at their speeches,
for which, if they be eloquent, they esteeme them Gods as _Herod_
among the _Jewes_.

  Wunnâumwaw ewò,                      He speaks true.

  Cuppannawâutous,                     I doe not believe you.

  Cuppannawâuti?                       Doe you not believe?

  Nippannawâutunck ewò,                He doth not believe me.

  Michéme nippauna wâut am,            I shall never believe it.

Obs: As one answered me when I had discoursed about many points of
God, of the creation of the Soule, of the danger of it, and the
saving it, he assented; but when I spake of the rising againe of the
body, he cryed out, I shall never believe this.

  Pannóuwa awaun, awaun                Somebody hath made this lie.
    keesitteouwin,

  Tattâ Pitch,                         I cannot tell, it may so
                                         come to passe.

  Nni, eíu,                            It is true.

  Mat enâno, or mat eâno,              It is not true.

  Kekutto kâunta,                      Let us speake together.

  Kuttókash,                           Speake.

  Tawhitch mat cuttôan,                Why speake you not?

  Téaqua ntúnnawen, or,                What should I speake.
    ntéawem?

  Wetapímmin,                          To sit downe.

  Wetapwâuwwas,                        Sit and talke with us.

  Taúpowaw,                            A wise speaker.

  Enapwáuwwaw,                         He speakes Indian.
  Eississûmo,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.

Williams, Roger

Narragansett Indians; Narragansett language

Obs: Their Manner is upon any tidings to sit round, double or treble
or more, as their numbers be; I have seene neere a thousand in a
round, where _English_ could not well neere halfe so many have
sitten: Every Man hath his pipe of their _Tobacco_, and a deepe
silence they make, and attention given to him that speaketh; and
many of them will deliver themselves, either in a relation of news,
or in a consultation, with very emphaticall speech and great action,
commonly an houre, and sometimes two houres together.

  Npenowauntawâumen,                   I cannot speake your language.

  Matta nippánnawen,                   I lie not.

  Cuppánnowem,                         You lie.

  Mattanickoggachoúsk,
  Matntianta compaw,                   I am no lying fellow.
  Matntiantásampáwwa,

  Achienonâumwem,                      I speake very true.

  Kukkita,                             Hearken to me.

  Kukkakittoùs,                        I heare you.

Obs: They are impatient (as all Men and God himselfe is) when their
speech is not attended and listened to.

  Cuppítous,                           I understand you.
  Cowautous,

  Machagenowâutam,                     I understand not.

  Matnowawtawatémina,                  Wee understand not each other.

  Wunnáumwash,                         Speake the truth.

  Coanâumwen,                          You speake true.

Obs: This word and the next, are words of great flattery which they
use each to other, but constantly to their Princes at their speeches,
for which, if they be eloquent, they esteeme them Gods as _Herod_
among the _Jewes_.

  Wunnâumwaw ewò,                      He speaks true.

  Cuppannawâutous,                     I doe not believe you.

  Cuppannawâuti?                       Doe you not believe?

  Nippannawâutunck ewò,                He doth not believe me.

  Michéme nippauna wâut am,            I shall never believe it.

Obs: As one answered me when I had discoursed about many points of
God, of the creation of the Soule, of the danger of it, and the
saving it, he assented; but when I spake of the rising againe of the
body, he cryed out, I shall never believe this.

  Pannóuwa awaun, awaun                Somebody hath made this lie.
    keesitteouwin,

  Tattâ Pitch,                         I cannot tell, it may so
                                         come to passe.

  Nni, eíu,                            It is true.

  Mat enâno, or mat eâno,              It is not true.

  Kekutto kâunta,                      Let us speake together.

  Kuttókash,                           Speake.

  Tawhitch mat cuttôan,                Why speake you not?

  Téaqua ntúnnawen, or,                What should I speake.
    ntéawem?

  Wetapímmin,                          To sit downe.

  Wetapwâuwwas,                        Sit and talke with us.

  Taúpowaw,                            A wise speaker.

  Enapwáuwwaw,                         He speakes Indian.
  Eississûmo,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.

A Key Into the Language of America, or an Help to the Language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New-England: Together with Briefe Observations of the Customes, Manners, and Worships, &c. of the Aforesaid Natives, etc.

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