Transcriber’s Note
A number of typographical errors have been maintained in this version ofthis book. They are marked and the corrected text is shown in the popup.A description of the errors is found in the list at the end of the text.Inconsistent spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization have been maintained.
A RECORD OF STUDY
IN
ABORIGINAL AMERICAN LANGUAGES
BY
DANIEL G. BRINTON, A.M., M.D., LL.D., Sc.D.,
Professor of American Archæology and Linguistics in the
University of Pennsylvania
Printed for Private Distribution
MEDIA, PA., 1898
PRESS OF
The New Era Printing Company,
Lancaster, Pa.
PREFATORY.
If this review of my own work in the field of American Linguisticsrequires an apology, I may say that the preparation of it was suggestedto me by my late friend, Mr. James Constantine Pilling, whose admirablevolumes on the bibliography of American Aboriginal Languages arefamiliar to all students. He had experienced the difficulty ofcataloguing the articles of writers whose contributions extend over manyyears, and have been published in different journals, proceedings ofsocieties and volumes, and was impressed with the advantage of ananalytical list composed by the author himself.
With this in view, I have arranged the present survey of my writings inthis branch of science, extending over a period of two score years. Theyare grouped geographically, and sufficient reference to their contentssubjoined to indicate their aims and conclusions.
D. G. Brinton.
Media, Penna., November, 1898.
I. General Articles and Works.
1. The Philosophic Grammar of American Languages as set forth byWilhelm von Humboldt; with the translation of an unpublished Memoirby him on the American Verb. pp. 51. In Proceedings of theAmerican Philosophical Society, 1885.
2. On Polysynthesis and Incorporation as characteristics ofAmerican Languages. pp. 41. In Proceedings of the AmericanPhilosophical Society, 1885.
3. Characteristics of American Languages. American Antiquarian,January, 1894.
4. On certain morphologic traits in American Languages. AmericanAntiquarian, October, 1894.
5. On various supposed relations between the American and AsiaticRaces. Memoirs of the International Congress of Anthropology,1893.
6. The Present Status of American Linguistics. Memoirs of theInternational Congress of Anthropology, 1893.
7. American Languages and why we should Study them. An addressdelivered before the Pennsylvania Historical Society. pp. 23. InPennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, 1885.
8. The Rate of Change in American Langua