The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633
History
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. 5: Quebec, 1632-1633
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Indians of North America -- Canada; Jesuits -- Missions; Jesuits -- North America
I shall say, in passing, that this language is very poor and very
rich. It is poor; because, having no knowledge of thousands and
[37] thousands of things which are in Europe, they have no names
to indicate them. It is rich, because in the things of which they
have a knowledge, it is fertile and plentiful; it seems to me that
they do not pronounce it well. The Algonquains, who differ from
the Montagnaits only as the Provençals from the Normans, have a
pronunciation that is altogether charming and agreeable.
Ie ne croy pas auoir ouy parler d'aucune langue qui procedast de mesme
façon que celle-cy. Le Pere Brebeuf m'asseure que celle des Hurons est
d'vne mesme œconomie. Qu'on les appelle Barbares tant qu'on voudra,
leur langue est fort reglée, ie n'y suis pas encore grand maistre,
i'en parleray quelque iour auec plus d'asseurance. Si ie n'auois peur
d'estre trop long, ie mettrois icy vne grande & tout à fait estrange
[38] difference entre les langues d'Europe & celles-cy.
I do not think that I have ever heard any language spoken which is
formed in the same manner as this. Father Brebeuf assures me that
the language of the Hurons is of the same construction. People may
call them Barbarians as much as they please, but their language
is very regular.[38] I am not yet a perfect master of it; I shall
speak of it some day with more assurance. If I were not afraid of
being tedious, I should note here a striking and radically strange
[38] difference between the languages of Europe and those of this
country.
Le 14. de Nouembre, le Sauuage la Nasse estant chez nous, ie luy fis
parler de la Creation du monde, de l'Incarnation, & de la Passion du
Fils de Dieu, nous passasmes bien auant dans la nuict, tout le monde
s'endormoit horsmis luy. Estant de retour en sa cabane, il dit à
Pierre, qu'il entendoit volontiers parler de cela.
On the 14th of November, the Savage la Nasse being with us, I
instructed him about the Creation of the world, the Incarnation,
and the Passion of the Son of God. We talked well into the night,
everyone being asleep except him. Returning to his cabin, he said
to Pierre that he was much pleased to listen to such talk.
Nous voiant vn iour prier Dieu apres le disner, il tira vn profond
souspir, disant: O que ie suis malheureux de ce que ie ne sçay pas
prier Dieu comme vous!
Seeing us praying to God one day after dinner, he sighed deeply,
saying: "Oh, how unhappy I am that I am not able to pray to God as
you do!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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