On Tue, 7 Mar 2006 11:00:54 -0500, doloresc.phifer wrote
> Hello Tom. Thanks for this info.  I have a Narragansett and Lenape
> Turkey Clan ( Unalachtigo) ancestors.  What have you learned about
> the Miquon of PA, MD, and VA?

I mostly focused on dialects where I could find dictionaries. I'm not aware
of any existing Miquon language dictionaries.

I primarily used the Smith/Strachey word lists for Powhatan, "Key to the
Language of America" by Roger Williams for the NE region dialect (reprinted
by Applewood Press), and "Indian Dictionary" by David Zeisberger for the
Lenape Unami dialect (reprinted AMS Press). Zeisberger's "Indian Dictionary"
list the words in English, then German, then Onondaga Iroquois, then Lenape.
It's useful for comparisons. Between the languages. It's also useful because
Zeisberger uses German pronunciation/spelling which better convey the
phonetics of Lenape than English. He also compiled two other books, one on
grammar, another on spelling.

I participate in a living history group which focuses on trade between the
colonists and Indians. Learning the languages, rather parts thereof, is a
useful to demonstrate trade scenarios. It's also fun for kids, when they
realize that they know a surprising amount of Powhatan dialect. It also
explains the origins of the mysterious, unpronounced "O" at the beginning of
the word "opossum".

To see us in action go to:
http://www.pinn.net/~tuckahoe/

Regards,

Tom

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