Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 430 pages of information about Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes.

Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 430 pages of information about Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes.

ANALYSIS.

The following is the Ponka sentence as given by the gesturer in connection with the several gestures as made: 

——­ |Na[n]’-ba|ja[n] [k]i|a-g[c]e’|ta mi[=n]’-ke|[t]i|wi’-wi-a t[)e]’-[t]a. (1) | (3) | (2) | (4) | (5) |(6) | (7)

The following is the full sentence as spoken by Ponkas without regard to gesture, and its literal translation: 

Na[n]’-ba| ja[n]|[k][)i]|a-g[c]e’| ta’|mi[=n]’-ke| [t]i |wi’-wi-[t]a|te’-[t]a.|—­
   Two |night,| if, | I go |will| I who |lodge | my own | the, |to.
         |sleep | when |homeward| | | | | one, |
          
                                                     standing |
          
                                                     object, |

The Pani gestures were given with the accompanying words, viz: 

| Pit’ ku-r[)e]t’ | ka’-ha | wi | ta-tukh’-ta | a-ka’-ru | ru-r[)e]t’-i-ru.
(1)|     (3)         |   (2)  | (4)|     (5)     |    (6)   |     (7)
I |  (In) two       | nights |  I |  am going   |  house   |    to my.

The orthography in the above sentences, as in others where the original text is given (excepting the Dakota and Ojibwa), is that adopted by Maj.  J.W.  POWELL in the second edition of the Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages. Washington, 1880.  The characters more particularly requiring explanation are the following, viz: 

[c], as th in then, though.

[=n], as ng in sing, singer; Sp. luengo.

[k], an intermediate sound between k and g in gig.

kh, as the German ch, in nacht.

[t], an intermediate sound between t and d.

Nasalized vowels are written with a superior n, thus:  a[n], e[n].

The following phrases were obtained by the same authority from
Antonito, son of Antonio Azul, chief of the Pimas in Arizona.

I AM HUNGRY, GIVE ME SOMETHING TO EAT.

(1) Touch the breast with the tips of the extended fingers of the right hand—­I, (2) place the outer edge of the flat and extended right hand against the pit of the stomach, palm upward, then make a sawing motion from side to side with the hand—­hunger, (3) place the right hand before the face, back upward, and fingers pointing toward the mouth, then thrust the fingers rapidly to and from the mouth several times-eat.

ANALYSIS.

A[n]-an’-t | pi’-hu-ki’um | ——­
(1)    |    (2)       |  (3)
I (have)  |   hunger     | eat.

The last sign is so intimately connected with that for hunger, that no translation can be made.

GIVE ME A DRINK OF WATER.

(1) Place the tips of the index and thumb together, the remaining fingers curved, forming a cup, then pass it from a point about six inches before the chin, in a curve upward, backward and downward past the mouth—­water, (2) then place the flat right hand at the height of the elbow in front of or slightly to the right of the body, palm up, and in passing it slowly from left to right, give the hand a lateral motion at the wrist—­give me.

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Sign Language Among North American Indians Compared With That Among Other Peoples And Deaf-Mutes from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.