Appendix:Notes on Narragansett Indian Vocabulary

In 1769, Ezra Stiles collected a list of vocabulary items for the Narragansett language, a now-extinct Native American language of the Algonquian family that was once spoken in the northeastern US state of Rhode Island. This page reproduces that list. Some of the items were written by Stiles in Hebrew script, in addition to Latin script. The numbering was not present in the original manuscript. For further information about this vocabulary, consult Cowan (1973), cited below.

Narraganset Indian, Sept 6 1769

Number	English	Narragansett	Hebrew script
1 (p. 1)	man	yĕnh	יינה (yinh)
2	woman	wenȳgh
3	boy	muckachux
4	girl	squauhses
5	baby	nunnese
6	bear	konooh
7	squirrel	shenneague
8	goose	co'unkh
9	duck	quēquēēkum
10	water	nupph
11	sky	keesk
12	fish	ēpanue
13	bass	suckequog
14	eels	neshuongok	נשֻועק (nšuwʿq)
15	oyster	uponuhhug	וּפּונֻחוּג (ûpwnuḥûg)
16	tree	a tucksh	תוּכש (tûkš)
17	sea	kikhonnohh	כיקחֹנּוֹח (kyqḥōnnôḥ)
18	cow	kokopyduk
19	rushes	muskechōge
20 (p. 2)	wigwam	weekho, weekecho, weeshsho
21	canoe	umpshu
22	sachem	saunchum	סאוּנשוּם (sʾûnšûm), סָנשוּם (sânšûm)
23	queen	saunch sqauh	סאָנש סכוּאָ (sʾânš skûʾâ)
24	river	sepe or sebe
25	brook	sebuezes, sebuizzus
26	fox	mishquāsmps
27	yes	nuk
28	no	mattucks
29	Indian corn	accoquiss
30	beans	masquezĕtch
31	chestnut	waumpmunch
32	Englishman	waunnuxuk
33 (p. 3)	dog	ayimp, aujimp
34	puppy	aujimis
35	basket	munnōtgh
36	hand	kētche
37	face	skeezup
38	eyes	wiskezuesqush, -zueksh
39	fingers	weechick
40	eat	comomeechun
41	drink	kudukdun
42	run	koquish
43	stop	taugucksha
44	foot	kusseet
45	look	gongkonup	עֹנעקֹנופּ (ʿōnʿqōnwp)

Further reading

• Ezra Stiles (1769) Notes on Narragansett Indian Vocabulary, Yale University, OID 11413743

• William Cowan (1973) “Narragansett 126 years after”, in International Journal of American Linguistics, volume 39, number 1, →ISSN, pages 7–13