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Hello All,
I’m very neglectful this year.
I found an amazing amount of Indian data on Deborah Iseminger’s Family Tree
( Genealogy site. ) Surnames like ‘Price’ and her descent from ‘Wat Bailey ‘of the Nottoways.
Also, an English-Nottoway Dictionary. and a 1677 Treaty with actual signed symbols ( signatures of ‘ Queen Pomunckey’ and her son ,’ Capt John West ‘and ‘ Mastegonoe of the
Sappones.’ Her page ” Cheroenhaka is very nice.
It would be really great if we could hear how the words are pronounced. I’ve been trying but have butchered the words.
spilleddi;28900 wrote: I should point out that the phrases translated as “I will”, “in everything you are right”, “surely everything is all right”, and “fill out if possible” are untranslatable. The English translations are written the way they were originally written down.
The phrase “fill out if possible” is confusing. I’m guessing it either means to fill out or fill up a sack of something completely, or to place one’s mark on a document. Anyone have any other guesses? It dates from 1888.
The people who collected these phrases had to go through interpreters from English to Cayuga to Tutelo and back. These were also recorded from semifluent speakers. When a language is dying, the last speakers generally simplify phrases and change meanings.
Also, the phrases translated as “you are very welcome”, “how do you do”, “my service to you Queen”. “will you kiss me”, are all attributed to the Indians of Fort Christanna, but they may be of Powhatan or Iroquoian origin. The word list from Fort Christanna shows a mix of eastern Siouan words with these other two language families. That would be expected in the case were people from different tribes are thrown together on a reservation. I included these phrases because regardless of the language of origin, they were used by our ancestors at Fort Christanna.
I find it interesting that of the 46 words and phrases from Fort Christanna, Fontaine found it neccesary to write the translations for “my dear wife”, “come to bed”, and “will you kiss me”. Think hes one of our ancestors?
We have sound files up here, http://saponitown.com/tutelo. Not all the words/phrases here have been brought over there yet, but it should get you started.
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