Difference between revisions of ".MTMxMw.NjQwMA"
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| − | + | Boston, October 6, 1930 | |
Dear Mrs. Eckstorm | Dear Mrs. Eckstorm | ||
I am vastly intrigued by your forcible confession of faith in Pemaquid. I have never been there, but I look upon it as an old friend from much reading about it. There too, I have always been an amateur student of the Indian tongue as a part of my flair for philology. I may have exposed my kindergarten views on some of your Maine words to you in the past. I have always been in somewhat extended correspondence with so-called experts-the late William Wallace Tooker particularly of Sag Harbor N.Y. (deceased) also Prof. Ganong. It is a dangerous plaything for an amateur. But of one thing I am convinced that it is futile for any 'expert' to fasten a scientific (underscored) definition to a place name without personal knowledge of the terrain. I hate to criticise Algonkinologists (?) who have made study of the construction of the Indian tongue a specialty, but I am [?] amazed at their definitions. If the Indian could do no better than they report his descriptive power as customary place names, I wonder the Indians ever knew where they were at. | I am vastly intrigued by your forcible confession of faith in Pemaquid. I have never been there, but I look upon it as an old friend from much reading about it. There too, I have always been an amateur student of the Indian tongue as a part of my flair for philology. I may have exposed my kindergarten views on some of your Maine words to you in the past. I have always been in somewhat extended correspondence with so-called experts-the late William Wallace Tooker particularly of Sag Harbor N.Y. (deceased) also Prof. Ganong. It is a dangerous plaything for an amateur. But of one thing I am convinced that it is futile for any 'expert' to fasten a scientific (underscored) definition to a place name without personal knowledge of the terrain. I hate to criticise Algonkinologists (?) who have made study of the construction of the Indian tongue a specialty, but I am [?] amazed at their definitions. If the Indian could do no better than they report his descriptive power as customary place names, I wonder the Indians ever knew where they were at. | ||
| − | For example Machigonne the name of Portland. [?] was given me-"the great ridge place," -that is like an animals back. It is admitted that in the various dialects, the syllables following Mach-mean variously, ridge and camp. But how would an Indian know when he had arrived at the great ridge place? Portland has two hills at each end of | + | For example Machigonne the name of Portland. This [?] was given me-"the great ridge place," -that is like an animals back. It is admitted that in the various dialects, the syllables following Mach-mean variously, ridge and camp. But how would an Indian know when he had arrived at the great ridge place? Portland has two hills at each end of |
Revision as of 14:03, 2 October 2018
Boston, October 6, 1930
Dear Mrs. Eckstorm I am vastly intrigued by your forcible confession of faith in Pemaquid. I have never been there, but I look upon it as an old friend from much reading about it. There too, I have always been an amateur student of the Indian tongue as a part of my flair for philology. I may have exposed my kindergarten views on some of your Maine words to you in the past. I have always been in somewhat extended correspondence with so-called experts-the late William Wallace Tooker particularly of Sag Harbor N.Y. (deceased) also Prof. Ganong. It is a dangerous plaything for an amateur. But of one thing I am convinced that it is futile for any 'expert' to fasten a scientific (underscored) definition to a place name without personal knowledge of the terrain. I hate to criticise Algonkinologists (?) who have made study of the construction of the Indian tongue a specialty, but I am [?] amazed at their definitions. If the Indian could do no better than they report his descriptive power as customary place names, I wonder the Indians ever knew where they were at.
For example Machigonne the name of Portland. This [?] was given me-"the great ridge place," -that is like an animals back. It is admitted that in the various dialects, the syllables following Mach-mean variously, ridge and camp. But how would an Indian know when he had arrived at the great ridge place? Portland has two hills at each end of