Chapter M: MAAS, see MOSEL (1)

MABA, MABANG, _under_ MOBBA.

MACAHUA.

AMERICAN: dialect of Mexico. See De Nagera: “Doctrina y Ensenança,” &c., Mexico, 1637.

MACARONIC.

Species of burlesque or comic speech. See “Lexicon-Macaronicum, &c.,” by Bee, London, 1825. Macaronic verse is semi-polyglot, or full of philological absurdities.

MACASSAR.

Polynesian, of MALAY character; dialect of S. Celebes, a large island adjoining Borneo. It is written in a peculiar native character. _See_ BUGIS.

MACCABEAN.

OLD HEBREW: name for the numismatic alphabet found on Jewish coins of the Maccabee period, and closely allied to the PHŒNICIAN characters.

MACEDO-WALLACHIAN.

Sub-dialect of ROUMANIAN; same as KUTZO-WALLACHIAN.

MACEDONIAN.

(1) Hellenic: sub-dialect of ancient GREEK, allied to the ALEXANDRIAN. See Sturz: “De Dialecto Macedonica, &c.,” Leipsig, 1808.

(2) Sub-dialect of ROMAIC or NEO-HELLENIC, much corrupted by TURKISH.

MACHAKALI.

American: dialect of BOTOCUDO, classed as CAMACAN, and allied to MACONI. H. C.

MACONI.

American: dialect of Brazil, allied to CAMACAN. See Vocaby. in “Da Silva’s Dicty.”

⁂ It is BOTOCUDO, and perhaps allied to NATCHEZ. H. C.

MACOS.

American: sub-dialect of SALIVA.

MACQUARIE.

AUSTRALIAN: dialect of Port Macquarie. See King’s “Narrative,” London, 1827.

MACUSI, MACOUSSIE.

American: sub-dialect of CARIB, belonging to Guiana, classed by Schomburgk as CARIBI-TAMANAQUE.

MADAGASSE, _see_ MALAGASY.

MADI, MADIA.

NON-ARYAN dialects of Central India, allied to GONDI and GAYETI. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.” H. C.

MADJAR, _see_ HUNGARIAN.

MADLIJA.

JAVANESE: same as MADYA.

MADURESE.

JAVANESE: dialect of Madura and of the Madurese colonists in Java, very numerous in the districts east of Surabaya and Kediri. It is mixed up with BALINESE, MALAY, and other foreign elements, but is written with the Javanese characters; it has two sub-dialects, those of W. Madura and of Sumanap in the E. See Diss. in “Crawfurd’s Malay Grammar.” P. J. V.

MADYA.

JAVANESE term for “middle,” hence “basa-madya” for the middle dialect of Java; it comes intermediate between “basa-krama,” or high, and “basa-ngoko,” or low-speech. P. J. V.

MAER.

Polynesian: a dialect of MIRIAM, spoken in Darnley Islands.

MÆSO-GOTHIC, _under_ MŒ.

MAG-READING.

AMERICAN: Indians of California. See Schoolcraft’s “Indian Tribes,” vol. iv. It is allied to COPEH.

MAGADHI.

Indic: corrupt BENGALI, some say derived from PRAKRIT, spoken in the province of Bahar, S. of the Ganges. It is rather the old PALI dialect of S. India.

MAGAR.

Dialect of Nipal, spoken by a military tribe; has THIBETAN affinities with admixture of HINDI. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.” A. C.

MAGINDANAO.

MALAYAN: language of the Philippines, closely allied to BISSAYAN, and spoken in several dialects.

MAGYAR (MADJARIC).

Ugrian: native name for the dominant race of Hungary, classed as FIN.

The Ugrians settled in Hungary about 894 A.D., and have had a literature since the days of St. Stephen, the “Apostolic King,” about A.D. 997-1000. ☞

MAHA, _see_ OMAHA.

MAHARI, MAHRI.

Sub-Semitic: dialect of AMHARIC, also called KARAWI. _See_ HIMJARITE.

MAHI.

AFRICAN: a dialect of Dahomey.

MAHIKAN, _see_ MOHEGAN.

MAHRATTI, MARATHI, MURATHEE.

INDIC: dialect of an extensive district, spoken chiefly in the Bombay Presidency. It is derived from SANSKRIT, but largely compounded with TAMIL, TELOOGOO, and others, and is written in the Devanagari characters. The word “Mahratta” is said to mean “Pariah” or “outcast.” Dicty. by Molesworth and Candy, Bombay, 1857; Grammar by Stevenson, 1868.

MAHREN, _see_ MORAVIAN.

MAHUNGA.

African: dialect of ANGOLA, allied to BUNDA.

MAIA, MAIJA, _see_ MAYA.

MAIHA.

AFRICAN: dialect of Bornu.

MAINAS.

AMERICAN: dialect of Peru, allied to QUICHUA.

MAINOT.

Romaic: local dialect of NEO-HELLENIC, allied to MESSENIAN.

MAIONGKONG.

American: dialect of CARIB, closely allied to GUINAU.

MAIPUR, _see_ MAYPUR.

MAIRASSIS.

Negritic: a sub-dialect of PAPUAN.

MAITHILI, MITHILI.

HINDI: dialect of Tirhoot, district of Bahar. _See_ TIRHAI.

MAKOBY.

AMERICAN: Indians of the Gran Chaco; allied to ABIPONIAN.

MAKOLOLO.

African: a sub-dialect of KAFFIR.

MAKUA, MAKOA.

African: dialect of KAFFIR, belonging to the Mozambique; also called MONJU and MUNTU. H. C.

MALABARI.

DRAVIDIAN: the same language as MALAYALIM; but there are local variations. See Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MALAGASY.

The native language of Madagascar, a large island off the S.E. coast of Africa; it is a POLYNESIAN compound, comprising elements from the BALI, JAVANESE, NIAS, and TOBA; the language and people are called MALAGASH; the native term for the island is Nosindambo, “wild-boar island.” The Hovas are the dominant race. See early Catechism, 1658; Flacourt’s “Dicty.,” 1658; works by Freeman and Ellis; Introduction by Kessler, London, 1870; Grammar by Van der Tuuk.

⁂ The history of the Hovas is still very obscure, but Mr. Van der Tuuk has sufficiently proved that their language is a peculiar branch of MALAYAN, showing affinities to JAVANESE, BATAK, DAYAK, &c. P. J. V.

MALALI.

American: a dialect of Botocudo classed as CAMACAN, and allied to MACONI. See Vocaby. in Da Silva’s “Dicty.” H. C.

MALAY.

(1) HIGH-MALAY: typical Polynesian; language of the peninsula of Malacca. See “Grammar and Dicty.” of Crawfurd, London, 1852; by Marsden, London, 1812; by Pynappel, by Hollander, Breda, 1864.

(2) BATAVIAN or LOW-MALAY. See “Handleiding,” by Homan and Van der Tuuk. Zalt-Bommel, 1868.

⁂ Low-Malay is merely corrupt Malay, as introduced by Europeans. The best vocabulary is by Badings, Dutch-Malay and Malay-Dutch, Schoonhoven, 1872. Batavian-Malay is a dialect of SUNDANESE, with an admixture of BALINESE and other foreign words. P. J. V.

(3) Dialects are known as AMBOYNESE MALAY, MENANG KABAW, or SUMATRAN MALAY, ACHINESE and other Polynesian forms.

⁂ All languages spoken in the Indian or Malay Archipelago [except those of the Galela group], and not directly Papuan, are called “Malay languages,” and considered to belong to the one great Malayan family.

More particularly Malay is the language of a nation spread over a great part of Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and the archipelago of Rhio-Lingga, and which has founded many colonies on the coasts of Borneo and the eastern islands of the Indian Archipelago. Besides the common or so-called cosmopolitan Malay, it is spoken in a peculiar dialect, called the Menangkabau Malay, in the interior of Sumatra.

Malay in a very corrupt form, disfigured by ignorance of the character of the language, and the arbitrary intermixture of foreign words, has become the ordinary means of intercourse between Europeans and the natives of the Indian Archipelago. This is called Low-Malay, and differs in almost every locality.

Malay is written with the Arabic character. Through the contact with Europeans the use of the Roman alphabet is gaining ground.

The affinities of Achinese are still very obscure, and we have no vocabulary of the native language except that in Marsden’s miscellaneous works; therefore Mr. Crawfurd errs when he calls Achinese (p. lix.) “a cultivated and written language,” for the literary language of the Achinese is genuine Malay. P. J. V.

MALAYALIM, MALAYALMA.

DRAVIDIAN: vernacular speech of Malabar, and other provinces of the Madras presidency; it is closely allied to TAMUL, using an alphabet of somewhat similar character. It has stages; anct. and mod. Grammar by Peet, Cottayam, 1860; School Dicty., Mangalore, 1870.

MALAYAN.

Class name for all dialects of the MALAY family.

MALAYO-POLYNESIAN.

Crawfurd’s term. _See_ MALAGASY.

MALDIVIAN.

DRAVIDIAN; mixed dialect of the Maldives, a chain of coral islands off the coast of Malabar, B. India. Vocaby. in Jnl. Asiat. Socy. of Bengal, 1841.

⁂ This is a spoken and written language with some resemblance to the AGAW group. H. C.

MALLICOLLO.

Negritic: PAPUAN dialect of New Hebrides.

MALO.

(1) Sub-dialect of URIYA, spoken by highland tribes of Orissa, B. India.

(2) Sub-dialect of DAYAK, Borneo.

MALTESE.

Mixed dialect of Malta; it is of SEMITIC origin, closely allied to ARABIC, but much infused with ITALIAN. Dicty. by Vella: Maltese, Italian, and English, Livorno [Leghorn], 1853.

MAMALLA.

MALAYAN: dialect of N.W. Amboyna.

MAME _or_ MAM.

American: dialect of the MAYA class: same as POKO-MAM; allied to KACHIQUEL, and spoken in Guatemala. “Arte, &c.,” by Larios; Mexico, 1697.

MAMI.

Negritic: sub-dialect of PAPUAN. It has some affinities with FORMOSAN, MANGAREI, and GUEBE. H. C.

MANA.

African: class name for MANDINGO, including the KRU group; its area extends as far inland as the Niger and as far south as the Ashantee frontier; the Mandingo of Senegambia is the most N. Eastern of the MANA class. See Kölle’s “Polyglotta Africana.” R. G. L.

MANATOTO.

Dialect of POLYNESIAN with AUSTRALIAN affinities. Dissertation, Crawfurd’s “Malay Gr.”

MANCHU, _under_ MANTSHU.

MANDAHAR, _see_ MANDHAR.

MANDAILING.

BATTA: dialects of Angkola and Mandailing in So. Sumatra. P. J. V.

MANDAN.

American: dialect of SIOUX; Schoolcraft’s “Indian Tribes,” vol. iii., p. 446.

MANDARA.

AFRICAN: dialect of Lake Tschad. Denham’s “Vocaby. of Central Africa,” collected from between 10° and 9° N.L.

MANDARANTSHI.

African: assigned by Barth to HAMARUA.

MANDARIN.

CHINESE: the most refined dialect, also called KUAN-HOA; used in classical literature, at Court, and in commerce. Dicty. by Perny, “Fr., Lat., Ch. (Mandarine),” Paris, 1869; Grammar by Edkins, 1864.

MANDE.

A NEGRO speech; Treatise by Steinthal, Berlin, 1867.

MANDHAR.

District of Celebese or Macassar; the language is allied to BUGIS. It is little known, but has a large admixture of MALAY and JAVANESE. P. J. V. _See_ MENADO.

MANDINGO.

AFRICAN: class name for several languages of the W., much influenced by ARABIC; it is more especially the native dialect of Senegambia. Grammar and Dicty. by Macbrair, London, 1837. _See_ MANA.

MANDONGO.

African: dialect of KAFFIR.

MANDSCHU, _under_ MANTSHU.

MANDURESE, _see_ MADURESE.

MANG.

Dravidian; a local dialect of TAMUL spoken in the Mahratta territory.

MANGALA.

Singalese: dialect of KANDY.

MANGAREI (MANGUREO).

Polynesian: dialect of FLORES or MANGEYLE, with AUSTRALIAN affinities. It is spoken on the W. coast; the people are subject to the Sultan of Bima.

MANGASEIA.

Ugrian: dialect of SAMOIED, closely allied to TUNGUS. Small vocabulary in Latham’s “Elements,” p. 77.

MANGEEA.

POLYNESIAN: dialect of the Friendly Is., situated 158° 16′ W. long.; 21° 27′ S. lat.

MANGKASAR.

Proper spelling of MACASSAR. This Malayan language is spoken in the S. peninsula, viz., in the capital of Celebes and its environs; in Tallo, Gowa, Saurabone, Takalar, Turuteya, Bouthain, and part of Bulecomba. It is nearly allied to BUGIS, which is spoken in Maros, Pangkajene, Segéri, Tanette, Barru, the Aja Tapparang, the remaining part of Bulecomba, Boui, Soppeng, Waju, and Luwu.

⁂ The grammatical structure and syntax are alike in Bugis and Mangkasar, though the difference of words is considerable, and the alphabet is the same in the main, with slight modifications, but not sufficient to justify the assertion of Mr. Wallace (“Malay. Archip.,” vol. ii., p. 472) that Bugis is written in a native character distinct from that of Macassar. There still exist some ancient MSS., written in an older alphabet, now quite obsolete. See “Makassaarche Spraak-Kunst,” by Matthes, Amsterdam, 1858; “Woordenbock,” 1859: “Chrestomathie,” 1860. P. J. V.

MANGRI.

AFRICAN: spoken S. of the Gambia.

MANIKOLO, _see_ MALLICOLLO.

MANIPOORA, _see_ MUNIPOORI.

MANKS _or_ MANX.

Keltic: the GAELIC or GADHELIC of the I. of Man. It is a written language, and is closely allied to the ERSE and the GAELIC of Scotland. Dicty. by Cregan, Douglas, 1835.

MANOA.

American: dialect of the Rio Negro, allied to BARREE.

MANONA, MANONO.

POLYNESIAN: dialects of the Navigator’s Is., S. Pacific. It is the same as SAMOAN. W. G.

MANSURMUR.

Bhotya; sub-dialect of THIBETAN.

MANTAWAI, MANTAWEI.

MALAYAN: language of Mantawai and Pagai or Poggy, islands to W. of Sumatra. P. J. V.

MANTSHU, MANCHU.

Moghol: typical language of TURANIAN, vernacular with the Mantshu Tatars, now the reigning dynasty of China, but originally from the R. Amur, Chinese Tartary. The characters are written in vertical columns and read from left to right. Vocaby. by Gabelentz, Leipsig, 1864; “Sketch” by Castrén, St. Petersburg, 1856.

MANTUAN.

Sub-dialect of ITALIAN; Vocaby. by Cherubini, Milan, 1827.

MANUA.

Polynesian: it is the SAMOAN with a few words of the E. Islands. W. G.

MANYAK.

BHOTYA: tribe of E. Nipal. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MANYUNYA, _see_ SANDEH.

MAORI.

POLYNESIAN: native name of the New Zealanders, closely allied to KANAKA and TAHITIAN. The word “Maori,” pronounced “Mowry,” means “natural,” “native,” “indigenous.” “Dictionary and Grammar,” by Williams. London, 1852.

MAPLU.

Dialect of PEGUESE, classed as KAREN.

MAPOJE.

American: dialect of SALIVA, in New Granada; same as QUAQUAS.

MAQUA.

American: same as MOHAWK; extinct language of the IROQUOIS family; closely allied to ONONDAGA. The name was applied by the Dutch. See vocabulary in “Bulletin Hist. Soc. of Pennsylvania,” 1848. _See_ MINGO.

MARA.

Dialect of ADALI.

MARADIÇOS.

AMERICAN: Spanish name for SHOSHONES.

MARAHA.

Older DRAVIDIAN: dialect of Nipal.

MARAM.

INDO-CHINESE: dialect of the Nagas or Kookies. See “Jnl. Asiatic S. of Bengal,” 1837.

MARAMOMISIOS.

AMERICAN: Indians of Brazil. See Pinelo’s “Epitome, &c.,” Madrid, 1737-8.

MARATHI, _see_ MAHRATTI.

MARAUHA, _see_ MAROA.

MARAVI.

African: dialect of N.E. Kaffir, spoken on the Mozambique coast. Vocaby. in Kölle’s “Polyglot.” H. C.

MARE.

Negritic: dialect of PAPUAN, spoken in the Loyalty Islands. _See_ NENGONE.

MARGANTSHI.

African: assigned by Barth to the HAMARUA.

MARIANNE.

POLYNESIAN: dialect of the Ladrone Islands.

MARIATE.

AMERICAN: spoken near the junction of the Iça with the Amazons, and allied to BARREE and MANOA. See Von Martius, vol. ii., p. 266.

MARING.

INDO-CHINESE: dialect of the Nagas.

MARKISH.

Teutonic: sub-dialect of LOW-GERMAN. Vocaby. in “Weddigen’s Magazine,” Lemgo, 1790.

MAROA, MARAUHA.

American: dialect of BANIWA or CARIB. Vocaby. by Wallace. H. C.

MAROCCO, _see_ MOROCCO.

MARONITE.

(1) Semitic: sub-dialect of ARABIC. Grammar by Sionita, Paris, 1616.

(2) An alphabetic character of SYRIAC.

MAROS.

(1) MALAYAN: district of Nias, a small island near Sumatra.

(2) BUGIS: district of Celebes.

MARQUEES (LOURENZO), _see_ TEKEZA.

MARQUESAN.

POLYNESIAN: a dialect of Eastern Polynesia, closely allied to TAHITIAN, vernacular in the Marquesas Islands, S. Pacific, situated in 7°-10° S. Lat., 139°-141° W. Lon. De Gembloux, “Idiomologie des îles Marquises,” Bourges, 1843. W. G. L.

MARRANE, MARRON.

FRENCH: people of Moorish extraction; “a renegade.”

MARU.

JAPANESE: hard accent on consonants.

MARUVI, MARUWI.

MALAYAN: language of the Banyak islands, and of Si-Malu, W. Sumatra; it is said to bear great affinity to the BATTA and NIAS. P. J. V.

MARWARI.

HINDI: dialect of Joudpoor or Jodpur in Rajpootana.

MASACARA.

American: dialect of GES spoken in Brasil. Von Martius, vol. ii., p. 144.

MASAYA _or_ MASYA.

American: dialect of NICARAGUA, but allied to the SIOUX. H. C.

MASORETIC.

HEBREW: “Masora,” _i.e._ “traditional”; applied to the received Jewish version of the O. T. It owes its value to the system of points introduced to supply the want of vowels.

MASSACHUSETT.

American: extinct dialect of ALGONKIN. Vocaby.: “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 110.

⁂ The name carries with it its own geographical position. The town of Boston, U.S., now stands on the land of the Massachusett Indians. I find that NATIK or NADICK is rather a synonym for MASSACHUSETTS than the name of a separate form of speech, whether language or dialect; on the coast, the name changed, and the language also, which is NARRAGANSET. The two forms are closely allied, but MASSACHUSETTS means the parts about Boston, NARRAGANSET the language of Connecticut and Rhode Island. The greatest work in any American language is, undoubtedly, the translation of the Bible by Eliot; but no one knows whether the language is to be called NATICK or MASSACHUSETT. Eliot also wrote a Grammar, dated A.D. 1666; the author merely calls it INDIAN; reprinted at Boston in 1832. R. G. L.

MASSARATTY.

Malayan: dialect of BOOROO, closely allied to CAJELI. See Wallace: “Malay Archip.”

⁂ The language of Booroo is a dialect of the Moluccan ALFURU. P. J. V.

MASSIED.

Dialect of Australian, allied to GUDUNG.

MASSINA.

African: dialect of the FULAH.

MASSIT.

AMERICAN: Indians of Q. Charlotte’s Is.

MASURIC.

Slavonian: sub-dialect of POLISH.

MATABELLO.

Negritic: sub-dialect of PAPUAN. Wallace: Appx. (Malay Archip.).

⁂ According to the best authorities it should be written WATUBELLO. P. J. V.

MATABILI.

African: sub-dialect of BECHUANA.

MATAGUAYA.

American: dialect of the district of Gran Chaco, classed as PATAGONIAN, and related to the ABIPONIAN. H. C.

MATARA.

American: Indians of Paraguay, closely allied to VILELA.

MATHEO, SAN.

NEGRITIC: dialect of the Philippines.

MATLAZINGA.

American: Archaic dialect of Mexico. See Pinelo’s “Epitome,” Madrid, 1737-8.

MATURNANTSHI.

African: assigned by Barth to the HAMARUA.

MAU.

Polynesian: dialect of MAORI, vernacular in the New Hebrides.

MAUHE, _see_ UAINAMBEU.

MAUKOR (MAIKOR).

Negritic: dialect of PAPUAN, belonging to the Aroo Islands.

MAURISH, _see_ MOORISH.

MAWAKWA.

American: dialect of CARIB spoken in Guiana, most closely allied to SOERIKONG.

MAWI, _see_ MAORI.

MAYA or MAYAN.

AMERICAN: Class name for many languages of Central America, especially those of Yucatan and Guatemala. In the former it rules exclusively; in the latter it is a closely allied form of speech. The POCONCHI (with the exception of certain rude dialects belonging to the same class) is the representative language. The KACHIQUEL is a third language of equal importance. In Vera Cruz, for the parts about Tampico, an allied language, the HUASTECA, separated from its congeners, is (or was) the original vernacular. Grammatical sketches, “artes,” as they are called by early missionaries are as early and fully as numerous for the Maya languages and dialects as for any in America, dating from the seventeenth century. A short but valuable work by Squier is the chief authority for them. “States of Central America,” by T. G. Squier, N. York, 1858; “Etudes,” by Brassier De Bourbourg, Paris, 1869-70; “Silabario,” by Ruz, Merida, 1845; “Phonetic Alphabet,” described by Brinton. R. G. L. _See_ VEY.

MAYORGA.

POLYNESIAN: dialect of the Friendly Islands.

MAYORUNA.

AMERICAN: Indians of the Rio Yavari, in the province of Rio Negro, Brasil.

⁂ This language has affinities with the SUNTAHA SOW languages of Borneo, and belongs to the PYGMEAN or MINCOPIE class of Colebrook. H. C.

MAYPUR.

American: dialect of the ORINOCO, closely allied to MOXOS, also to BANIWA, CORETU, SARAVICA, &c. H. C. ☞

MAZENDERAN.

Sub-dialect of PERSIAN, spoken on the S. shores of the Caspian. Klaproth: “Beschreibung,” Berlin, 1814.

MBAMBA.

AFRICAN: dialect of the Gaboon. It is allied to KANYOKA, MUSENTANDO, NETERE, &c. H. C.

MBAYA.

American: same as GUAYKURU. They are called CAVALLEROS by the Spaniards; Paraguay Indians of Cujaba, and allied to MBOKOBI. H. C.

MBOFIA.

AFRICAN: dialect of Brass-town, allied to ABO, ISOAMA, and ISIOLI. H. C.

MBOKOBI.

American: dialect of the district of Gran Chaco, classed with ABIPONIAN and TOBA, MATAGUAYA and MBAYA.

MECH.

TRANS-HIMALAYAN: language of the Meches, a lowland tribe of the Terai, at base of Himalaya in Nipal, noted for enjoying immunity from malarious fever. No written character. “Jnl. A. S. of Bengal,” 1840. A. C. _See_ DHIMAL.

MECH-CHAOOH.

American: same as MOHEGAN. _See_ MEKO.

MECKLENBURG.

Teutonic: sub-dialect of LOW-GERMAN. Grammar by Ritter, Rostock, 1832.

MECKLEY, _see_ MOITAY.

MEDIAN.

Properly the language of the ancient Medes, a people of the high country between Mesopotamia and the Persian desert, only known through names and a few words, which show it to have been ARYAN, and closely allied to ancient PERSIAN. The term “Median” was at one time applied to the language of the third column of Achæmenian cuneiform inscriptions, but it is now admitted that this was a misnomer. On the real Median language, see Rawlinson: “Ancient Monarchies,” Media, vol. iii., pp. 137-156. G. R.

MEDO-PERSIAN.

Class name for the branch of ARYAN speech, with slight differences, common to the ancient Medes and Persians. G. R.

MEDO-SCYTHIAN.

Dr. Hincks’ name for the language of Scythic tribes dwelling in Media and Persia, known to us by a peculiar form of inscriptions in cuneiform.

⁂ The best account of the language, which is decidedly TURANIAN, will be found in Norris’s “Scythic Inscriptions of Behistun,” “Jnl. of R. As. Soc.,” vol. xv. G. R.

MEFUR.

Negritic: dialect of PAPUAN, vernacular in New Guinea.

MEHERRIN.

AMERICAN: name for the Tuteloes.

MEISTERSANGEREN, _see_ MINNESINGERS.

MEKO.

AMERICAN: old race of Mexico, prior to the Nahuatl. Same as CICI-MECH.

MEKRI.

Dialect of KURDISH.

MELANESIAN.

Same as KELENONESIAN; it represents the S.W. Islands of the Pacific, consisting of the Loyalty group, Bank’s Santa Cruz, the Solomon Archipelago extending W. by N., to include New Guinea.

MELLELE.

Class of GIPSEY.

MELON.

African: allied to NHOTEN and NHALEMOE. H. C.

MEMPHITIC.

Egyptian: an extinct dialect of COPTIC; it was spoken over the district about Memphis, and represented the language of middle rather than upper or lower Egypt. R. G. L.

MENADO _or_ MENADU.

A large class of dialects spoken in Celebes or Macassar, classed as ALFURU, and somewhat allied to BUGIS. (Wallace.) _See_ MINAHASSA.

MENAK.

Javanese: in the SUNDANESE dialect “Ménak” means “a noble, one of high birth;” hence high-Sundanese is called BASA-MENAK. P. J. V.

MENANGKABAW.

MALAYAN: dialect of the Dutch residency in the highlands of Padang, Sumatra, which was anciently an independent monarchy called MENANG KABAW. It differs considerably from ordinary Malay. Vocabulary, &c., edited by Pynappel (Dialogues: Menangkabaw and Malay). P. J. V.

MENASSER (BENI).

Language of the BENI MENASSER, a branch of the BERBER. See LIBYAN. Baron de Slane first published the pronouns of this language, which differ so much from the other Libyan languages that it must be unintelligible to those who know only the others; yet it is small and unimportant. H. Duveyrier (1857) places the tribes near to the Hhallûla Lake, and says that they have adopted Arab manners, an Arabic name, and an immensity of the Arabic language. He gives an extremely limited vocabulary. He thinks that it and the dialect called that of the Benî Mezâb, is a branch of the ZENATIA dialect, and is connected with that spoken in the oasis of Touât. But the last is supposed to be TAMASHIGHT. F. W. N.

MENDE, _see_ TSCHUR.

MENDI.

AFRICAN: quoted from “Outline of a Vocabulary,” London, 1841.

MENEMONI, _see_ MENOMENI.

MENERO-DOWNS.

Dialect of AUSTRALIAN. Vocaby. “Jnl. R. Geog. Soc.,” 1839.

MENGWE, _see_ MAQUA.

MENIENG.

AMERICAN: dialect of Brazil, mixed with NEGRO-PORTUGUESE, and sometimes called S. American JARGON. _See_ KAMAKAN.

MENOMENI.

American: dialect of ALGONKIN spoken to the S. of L. Superior. “Amer. Ethnol,” vol. ii., p. 113; Schoolcraft’s “Indian Tribes,” vol. ii., p. 470.

MENYAMNYAM, _see_ SANDEH.

MEQUACHAKE.

AMERICAN: tribe of Shawnees.

MERI.

Sub-dialect of DYAK in Borneo.

MERUSY.

PERSIC: sub-dialect of Khorassan.

MESHTSHERIAK.

TURKEE: tribes of Ugrians speaking Turkish.

MESO-GOTHIC, _under_ MŒ.

MESSENIAN.

Hellenic: a provincial dialect of Modern GREEK.

MESSISSAUGI.

American: ALGONKIN tribes S. of Lake Superior and N.E. of the Huron.

MESTIZO.

Ethnological: issue of whites and native Americans. In Spanish the word “Mestizo” means “a mongrel.”

METZ, MEURTHE, MEUSE.

Romance: sub-dialects of FRENCH. (1) Vocaby. by François, Metz, 1773; (2) Vocaby., “Fr. Socy. Antiq.,” vol. ix.; (3) “Dissertation” by Cordier, Bar-le-Duc, 1843.

MEWARA.

Same as RHATORE, sub-dialect of BOWRI.

MEXICAN.

It is of some importance to remember that MEXICAN is not a philological but a geographical term, and that the indigenous name of the occupants of the parts about the present city of Mexico was Nahuatl, akin to whom were the Tlaskala. The Asteks were conquerors and intruders—the Chetimacha probably the same. This is important when we remember that the three names, Nahuatl, Huasteca, and Tlaskala are to be found in three different districts far away from Mexico. At present MEXICAN and ASTEK are nearly synonymous; just like Quichua and Peruvian. See “Dialogues,” by Arenas, Paris, 1862; Glossary by Biondelli, Milan, 1869; “Cuadro Descriptivo,” by Pimentel, 1862-5. For Picture Character, see Humboldt’s “Atlas Pittoresque.” R. G. L. _See_ AZTEC.

MFUT.

AFRICAN: language of the Gaboon, closely allied to AFUDU.

MIAMI.

American: tribes of ALGONKIN, W. of the Mississippi. Vocaby. in Schoolcraft’s “Indian Tribes,” vol. ii.

MIAOS, MIAU.

Sub-dialect of CHINESE; MIAUTSZE means “children of the soil,” _i.e._, Aborigines. Vocaby. by Edkins, Foochow.

MIC-MAC.

American: FRENCH name for the native Indians of Nova Scotia, &c.

⁂ (1) As a special name it means the ALGONKIN of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Prince Edward’s Island. The still more special name for the present dialect is MIRAMICHI.

(2) As a class name it may conveniently be made to include (i.) on the North the Skoffi and Sheshatapoosh of Labrador; (ii.) the MIC-MAC proper of the South; (iii.) the New England forms of speech, as the ABENAKI, PENOBSCOT, and ETCHEMIN, whence we derived the present name for the State of Mayne. It corresponds thus with the ACADIAN and GASPESIAN of the French, including the French denominations Souriquois, Montagnard, and others. Grammar by Maillard, New York, 1864. R. G. L.

MICRONESIAN.

LESSER-POLYNESIAN: class of oceanic dialects in the lesser islands of the Pacific.

MIDDLE-HIGH-GERMAN.

TEUTONIC: period of language from 12th century until Luther. Dicty. by Benecke, Leipsig, 1854-60.

MIDDLESEX.

Local dialect of ENGLISH; sometimes called Language of the Metropolis, sometimes COCKNEY. _See_ LONDON.

MIEN-TING.

Local dialect of CHINESE.

MIGUEL, ST.

NEGRITO: a dialect of the Philippines.

MIGUEL, SAN.

American: dialect of Californian Mission, allied to SAN ANTONIO, and classed as DIEGUNOS.

MIKTLANTONGO.

American: same as MITLANTONGO.

MILANESE.

ITALIC: sub-dialect of Milan. Vocaby. by Cherubini, Milano, 1814; by Cappeletti, Milano, 1848.

MILCHAN.

INDO-CHINESE: vernacular dialect of Rampoor, B. India.

MILCOCAYAC.

American: dialect of the Guarpes, Indians of Chili, almost identical with ALLEUTIAC.

MILICITE.

American: Indians of New Brunswick, using IROQUOIS numerals.

MILLANOW.

Sub-dialect of DYAK in Borneo.

MILLE.

POLYNESIAN: dialect of the Ladrones or Marianne Islands.

MINCOPIE.

Dialect of the Andaman Islands.

⁂ In the Great Andaman island of the Indian Seas at least two distinct languages are known, viz., that of Colebrooke’s Vocabulary, and that of Tickell’s. These people are Negritos of small stature and with glossy skins. Their affinities are with those of the short races in other parts of the world, and they have probably the most ancient languages yet known. See “Asiatic Researches,” vol. iv., p. 393; x., 218. H. C. _See_ PYGMEAN.

MINDANAO, _see_ MAGINDANAO.

MINETARI.

American: dialect of SIOUX, N. division, called “Grosventre,” _i.e._ “big-bellies,” EHATSAR; other dialects are ALASAR, or Fall-Indians, and KATTANAHAWS. Ludewig, London, 1858, p. 119.

⁂ Dr. Latham objects to the word “Alasar.” According to that great authority it is a misnomer, arising from some confusion between the words “Ahnenin” and “Atsina.” The former are classed by Gallatin as ARRAPAHOES. See “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., where the same vocabulary is printed as ATSINA. We have no original authority for the word “Alasar,” but it appears in Jülg’s “Vater,” p. 253. See Trübner’s “Ludewig,” p. 12; also Latham’s “Elements,” p. 457, where it is shown that there are two different tribes called Fall-Indians, one ALGONKIN and one SIOUX.

MINGO.

AMERICAN: tribes of Iroquois, now extinct. Sometimes called MAQUA, MENGWE.

MINGRELIAN.

Caucasian: sub-dialect of GEORGIAN, closely allied to LAZIC. Klaproth: “Jnl. Asiatique,” 1829.

MINNESINGERS.

Early minstrels of Germany, using the SWABIAN and other dialects. See “Manessische Handschrift,” by Vander Hagen, 1838; “Die Deutschen Minnesänger,” 4 vols. 4to. The MEISTERSANGERS are of a later date.

MINSI.

American: classed as ALGONKIN. Also called MINISTI or MUNSEYI, meaning “Wolf-tribe.”

⁂ A tribe of the Lenni-Lenape or Delaware Indians; of the others, the Unalachtgo speak a similar dialect, but the Unami is different.

MIRAMICHI.

American: MIC-MAC of New Brunswick.

MIRANHA.

AMERICAN: dialect of the U. Japura, allied to BARREE. See Vocaby. in Von Martius, vol. ii., p. 279.

MIRBAT.

Extinct dialect of ARABIC.

MIRDITES.

A local dialect of SKIPETAR, spoken in a political division of Albania.

MIRI.

Dialect of ASSAMESE, closely allied to ABOR. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.” _See_ SIBSAGAN.

MIRIAM.

Negritic: collective term for insular dialects of PAPUAN, belonging to the Torres Straits.

MIRUPS.

BURMESE: dialect of Singpo.

MISHIMI.

INDO-CHINESE: dialect of Assam. “Jnl. Asiat. Socy. of Bengal,” 1837.

MISNIAN.

Teutonic: old HIGH-GERMAN of Meissen, Saxony, but best known by the later modern or NEW HIGH-GERMAN, found in the writings of Martin Luther. _See_ LUTHERAN.

MISSIONS, _under_ SAN.

MISSKITO, _see_ MOSQUITO.

MISTECO, _see_ MIXE.

MITHAN.

ASSAMESE: dialect of the Naga tribes, allied to TABLUNG. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MITHILI.

BENGALI: vernacular in Behar, Hindostan. It is allied to MAGADHA, and sometimes called TIRHUTYA.

MITLANTONGO.

American: dialect of MISTECO.

MITTEL, _see_ MIDDLE.

MIXE, MIXTECA.

AMERICAN: tribes of Oaxaca in Mexico, speaking several dialects. See “Catechismo,” Puebla, 1837.

MIYUNG.

Burmese: dialect of SINGPHO.

MIZDZHEDZHI.

CAUCASIAN: Klaproth’s name for the central group of languages which the Russians call TSHETSH or CHECH. Various spellings are MITSJEGHI, MIZJEJI, MIZDEGHIC.

MJAMMAW.

Native name for BURMESE. It is a mutation of M into B.

MKUAFI, _see_ UKUAFI.

MOA.

Negritic: sub-dialect of PAPUAN, belonging to the Letti group of the Serwatty Islands. Vocaby. by Heymering: “Tydschrift voor Ned. Ind.,” 1846. P. J. V.

MOAB, MOABITE.

Name for a supposed variety of HEBREW; pre-historic dialect of Wady Mujib, the valley of the river Arnon. Known only by the fragments of an inscription brought from ancient Dibon, now Dîbhan, with characters resembling those of the PHŒNICIAN alphabet. Treatise by Dr. Ginsburg, London, 1870.

MOAN, _see_ MON.

MOBBA, MABA, MABANG.

AFRICAN: dialect of Dar-Saleh, E. of Lake Tschad. See Burckhardt’s “Travels in Nubia,” London, 1819.

MOBILIAN.

American: name for the CHIKKASA of the R. Mobile, spoken in Alabama and Arkansas.

MOBIMA, _see_ MOVIMA.

MOCHIKA, _see_ YUNGA.

MOCHONO, MUCHOJEONE, MOCOROSI.

AMERICAN: Indians of Moxos in Bolivia, allied to MAIPUR.

MODENESE.

Romance: sub-dialect of ITALIAN.

MODOC _or_ MOADOC.

AMERICAN: small tribe of warlike Indians at Lake Clamet or Klamath, on the boundaries of California and Oregon. _See_ OK-KOW-ISH.

MŒSO-GOTHIC.

Teutonic: the GOTHIC of ancient Mœsia. See Gabelentz and Löbe: “Ulphilas,” Leipsic, 1836-1843; also Skeat’s “Mœso-Gothic Glossary” (Phil. Soc. 1868), in the preface to which is a list of all the editions of “Ulphilas” and an account of all MSS. written in Mœso-Gothic, the most famous of the MSS. being the “Codex Argenteus” at Upsal.

⁂ Prof. Max Müller thinks that the era of Ulphilas should be stated as 311-381 A.D. The Mœso-Gothic is LOW-GERMAN, and varies widely in spelling from high-German. This important fact is often passed over in the text-books, which copy from each other. W. W. S. _See_ SUIO-GOTHIC.

MOGHOL, _see_ MONGOL.

MOGHRIL-EL-AKSA, _see_ MONGREBIN.

MOGIALUA.

African: Douville’s class name for BUNDA and KONGO. See “Voyage au Congo,” Paris, 1832.

MOHAVE.

American: dialect of U. California, belonging to the YUMA class.

MOHAWK.

American: same as Maqua, a dialect of IROQUOIS formerly spoken on the R. Mohawk, a tributary of the Hudson, and still spoken to the E. of N. York State; but these tribes are principally settled in Canada. Schoolcraft’s “Indian Tribes,” vol. ii., p. 482.

MOHEGAN, MOHICAN.

American: tribes of ALGONKIN formerly settled on the Hudson, sometimes called PEQUOTS. Sub-divisions were MECH-CHAOOH, or “Wolf-tribe;” “MUCH-QUANH”, or “Bear-tribe;” and TOON-PAOOH, or “Turtle-tribe.” Vocaby. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 110.

MOHILIAN.

Dialect of the Commorro Is., E. Africa, classed as KAFFIR. H. C.

MOITAY.

Indian tribe on boundaries of Assam and Bengal; also called MECKLEY and MUGGALU.

MOKO _or_ MOKKO.

African: dialect of BENNI or BINI.

MOKOBY, _see_ MBOKOBI.

MOKOROSI, _see_ MOCHONO.

MOKSCHA, MOKSCHANISCHEN.

UGRIAN: dialects of Orenburg, allied to MORDVINIAN and TCHEREMISS, both classed as sub-dialects of MORDOWSKAJA. Grammar by Ornatow, Moskwa, 1838 (Moscow).

MOLDAVIAN.

Romance: dialect of ROUMAN, closely allied to WALLACHIAN.

MOLONGLO.

AUSTRALIAN: See Eyre’s “Journals”, London, 1845.

MOLUA.

AFRICAN: tribes of Guinea. _See_ MOGIALUA.

MOLUCCAS.

MALAYAN: languages of the Spice Islands in the Malay Archipelago.

MOLUCHE.

American: name for ARAUCANIANS. It means “men of the West.” Indians of Chili.

⁂ In Chileno ethnography the terminal “che” is important: it means “man”; so the compounds Moluche, Puelche, Huilliche, &c., are all Chileno names. R. G. L.

MOMENYA.

African: sub-dialect of KAFFIR.

MOMOYEENTSHI.

African: assigned by Barth to the HAMARUA.

MON.

Indo-Chinese: dialect of PEGU, same as TALAIN. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MONG-JUNG.

INDO-CHINESE: tribes of Laos, speaking a dialect of SIAMESE.

MONGOL _or_ MONGOLIAN.

Correctly MOGHOL, the typical dialect of a large family of Turanian languages, allied to MANTSHU and TURKEE; it is spoken in Central Asia, and written in perpendicular lines, reading from left to right. An old form of character is called BASPA-MOGHOL, and a modern variation is known as GALIK. Dicty. (1855), Grammar (1831), by Schmidt, St. Petersburg. _See_ KALMUK.

MONGOYO.

American: a sub-division of CAMACAN spoken in the province of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, classed as BOTOCUDO. _See_ KAMAKAN.

MONGREBIN, MOGREBIN.

Semitic: a dialect of ARABIC spoken in Africa; it is the vernacular speech of the Moors (anciently of Mauritania) and vernacular in Algiers, Barbary, and Marocco. It is called MOORISH or MOGHRIB-EL-AKSA. Grammar and Vocaby. by De Dombay, Vienne, 1800; see also “Asiatic Jl.,” 1828.

MONOGRAM.

Single letter, one letter duplicated, any combination of initials into one device; a single character used for an entire word, as the Arabic numerals.

MONOSYLLABIC.

A name for certain primitive forms of speech, including CHINESE, wherein each letter or character represents an entire word, and polysyllables are recognised by the speaker as compounds. In such languages “roots are used as words, without change of form.” Also called ISOLATING.

MONQUI.

American: Hervas’ name for the WAIKUR.

MONSONIK.

American: dialect of CREE.

MONTAGNARDS.

American: French name for the SHESHATAPOOSH.

MONTAK, MONTAUK.

American: Indians of Long Is. “Arch. Amer.,” vol. ii.

MONTE-NEGRO.

Slavonic: sub-dialect of SERVIAN.

MONTESE.

Romance: sub-dialect of WALLOON. See Sigart: “Glossaire Etymologique.”

MOOR (1).

PAPUAN: dialect of Moor or Mohr, an island in Geelvink Bay, on the north of N. Guinea.

MOOR (2) or MOORISH, _see_ MONGREBIN.

MOORMI, MURMI.

Tribe of E. and Central Nipal, closely allied to GYARUNG. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.” A. C.

MOORS.

Hindostani: a jargon or corrupt dialect of BOMBAY and CALCUTTA, much compounded with ENGLISH and PORTUGUESE.

MOORUNDE.

AUSTRALIAN: same as AIAWONG. Eyre’s “Journals,” London, 1845.

MOQUELUMNE.

American: allied to TALATUI.

MORAVIAN.

Slavonic: same as MAHREN, sub-dialect of CHECK or BOHEMIAN.

MORDOWSKAJA.

UGRIAN: dialect of Orenburg. _See_ MOKSCHA.

MORDVINIAN.

Ugrian: dialect of FINNISH, spoken near the confluence of the Russian rivers Oka and Volga. Sub-dialects are ERSA and MOKSCHA. Tribes anciently called Bulghars. Grammar by Wiedemann, St. Petersburg, 1865.

MORELLA.

Batu-Morella: dialect of Amboyna, closely allied to LIANG. Wallace: “Malay A.” _See_ BATU-MERAH.

MORETON.

AUSTRALIAN: dialect of Moreton I. and Bay.

MOROCCO, MAROCCO.

ARABIC of N. Africa; same as MOORISH. Norberg: “Disputatio, &c.,” 1787. _See_ MONGREBIN.

MOROTOCO.

American: sub-dialect of ZAMUCA.

MORPHOLOGY.

Botanical term: adopted in philology in relation to the general laws or grammatical structure of a language.

MOSE, MOSI.

African: dialect of KOURI, allied to GURESA and BARBA. H. C.

MOSEL.

Teutonic: sub-dialect of HIGH-GERMAN. Becker’s “Idiotikon,” Berlin, 1799.

MOSES ISLANDS.

POLYNESIAN. Vocaby. in Dalrymple’s Collection, London, 1771.

MOSKA, MOZKA.

American: same as CHIBCHA. Grammar by De Lugo, Madrid, 1619; Comparative Vocabularies by Paravey, Paris, 1835. Grammar and Vocaby. by Uricoechea, Paris, 1871.

MOSKITO, MOSQUITO.

American: same as MISKITO; Samboes or mixed tribes of the Moskito coast, Central America, largely infused with African blood. Grammar by Cotheal, N. York, 1848.

MOSOTIE.

American: sub-dialect of MOXA.

MOSSA, _see_ MOXA.

MOTORIAN.

Ugrian: an extinct dialect of SAMOYED, closely allied to KOIBAL, and classed as OSTIAK of the Lakes.

MOULTANI.

Dialect of SINDHI, spoken in the Punjab. Also called WUCH.

MOUNTAINEERS.

American: name of the SHESHATAPOOSH.

MOVIMA _or_ MOBIMA.

American: dialect of the Moxos missions, related to APIACA, SAPIBOCONI, and GUARANI. H. C.

MOXA, MOXOS.

AMERICAN: Indians of province and mission of Moxos in Bolivia. All are dialects of MAIPUR. “Arte,” by Marban, Lima, 1701.

MOZABY.

African: _i.e._, BENI-MOZAH, sub-dialect of TOUARIK.

MOZAMBIQUE.

African: large class of KAFFIR dialects belonging to the E. Coast. Vocabularies by Dr. Bleek, London, 1856.

MOZKA, _see_ MOSKA.

MPONGWE (EMPUNGWA).

African: sub-dialect of KAFFIR spoken on the lower Gaboon. It is spoken by the Pongos, and is classed by Bleek as BANTU. Grammar, with vocabularies, N. York, 1847.

MRAMMA.

Name for the BURMESE. _See_ MJAMMAW.

MRU, MRUNG.

BURMESE of Arrakan; also called TOUNG. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MSAMBARA.

African: dialect of KAFFIR.

MSEGUA.

African: KAFFIR tribes of Suaheli.

MUCH-QUANH.

American: Bear-tribe of MOHICANS.

MUCURY.

American: tribe of Brasil, allied to BOTOCUDO. See Da Silva’s Dicty.: “Lingua. Geral.”

MUDSAN.

African: KAFFIR of the Mozambique.

MUG, MUGS.

Names for the natives and dialect of Arracan and Chattagong, who are probably Malays. A. C.

MUGGALU, _see_ MOITAY.

MUHHEEKANEW, _see_ MOHICAN.

MUKABI, _see_ UKUAFI.

MULATTO.

Ethnological: issue of white and African.

MUNDALA.

Non-Aryan dialect of Central India, classed as KOL. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MUNDRUCU.

American: sub-dialect of GUARANI, tribes of utter barbarians, allied to BOTOCUDO. H. C.

MUNDY.

Australian: natives at Lake Mundy. Eyre’s “Journals,” London, 1845.

MUNICH, _see_ XEBERO.

MUNIO.

African: dialect of BORNUI, allied to KANURI and NGURIO. H. C.

MUNIPOORI, MUNIPURI.

Monosyllabic; dialect of Assam, closely allied to KHASSEE, and classed as Indo-Chinese. These people are called Kathe, no doubt the same word as Cathay, anciently applied to China. See Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

MUNSEYI, _under_ MINSI.

MURA.

American: dialect of the Amazons, classed by Von Martius as Brasilian.

MURATHEE, _see_ MAHRATTI.

MURMI, _under_ MOORMI.

MURRAY R.

District S.W. Australia. Vocaby. Cap. Grey, 1841.

MURRUMBIDGEE.

Australian: dialect of Hume R. Vocaby. in Eyre’s “Journals,” London, 1845.

MURUNDO.

African: dialect of the Gaboon, allied to NKELE, &c. H. C.

MURUNG.

Sub-dialect of DYAK in Borneo.

MUSENTANDO.

African: sub-dialect of KAFFIR, allied to MBAMBA, KANYIKA, NTERE, &c. H. C.

MUSGANTSHI.

African: assigned by Barth to Hamarua.

MUSKOGHI, MUSKOGULGE.

AMERICAN: native name of the Creek Indians. See Schoolcraft’s “Indian Tribes,” vol. iv. p. 416; “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 82. ☞

MUSNAD.

Semitic: form of HIMYARITIC inscriptions.

MUTSAYA.

African: sub-dialect of KAFFIR, with the same affinities as MUSENTANDO.

MUTSCHUANA.

AFRICAN: Salt’s name for tribe of Sechuana.

MUTSUN.

AMERICAN: same as Mission of San Juan Bautista, County Monterey, Upper California. Vocaby. by Cuesta, London, 1862.

MUYSCA, _see_ MOSKA.

MYNCQUESAR.

AMERICAN: a dialect of ALGONKIN, spoken on R. Delaware, formerly known as Swedish America or New Sweden. See Holms: “Kort Beskrifning,” &c., English ed. by Duponceau, Philadelphia, 1834.

_See_ SANKIKANI.

MYSOL.

MALAYAN: dialect of N. Ceram. Wallace: “Malay A.”

⁂ Mysol is an island north of Ceram, belonging to the Waigiou-Mysol Archipelago, and inhabited by true Papuans, who on the coast are mixed with Moluccan Malays. Hence there is a difference of language between the coast and the interior. Mr. Wallace has given a vocabulary of both.

ADDENDA.

MACAO.

CHINESE: commercial dialect of Macao and Canton. Vocaby. 1824.

MAHABHRATA, MAHABHARATAM.

SANSKRIT: name of the great Indian epic, treating of early mythology.

MANCHE.

American: a dialect of the MAYA class. H. C.

MANGASEJAN.

Ugrian: SAMOIED dialect of the northern stem (Klaproth).

MANO.

African: dialect of the MANDINGO class. See “Polyg. Afr.” H. C.

MARAHUAS.

AMERICAN: Tupi Indians of Brazil.

MARARIT.

African: a dialect allied to TAMA. H. C.

MAROON.

SPANISH word: cimaron, simaron (“sima,” “a cavern”; “cimarron,” “wild”), applied to runaway slaves or escaped negroes.

MARSIAN.

An early Italic dialect, closely allied to the VOLSCIAN, known only from inscriptions. Mommsen: “Unteritalische Dialekte,” Leipzig, 1851. G. R.

MASSOWA.

African: dialect of GAFAT. Mithridates, v. 432. H. C.

MBARIKE, MBE, MBOFON.

AFRICAN: dialects of the Gaboon.

MENAGON.

African: a dialect allied to MARARIT. H. C.

MESSAPIAN.

A dialect of ancient Italy, spoken in the Calabrian peninsula. It is known to us only by inscriptions and a few glosses, which show it to be INDO-EUROPEAN, and not very unlike GREEK. See Mommsen: “Unteritalische Dialekte,” Leipzig, 1851. G. R.

MIKIR, MUHU.

Assamese: allied dialects of CACHAR. H. C.

MIMI.

AFRICAN: spoken about 17° N. Lat. H. C.

MINAHASSA.

Alfuru dialects of MENADO in Celebes.

⁂ Mr. De Clercq distinguishes eight dialects, viz.: BANTIK, BENTENAN, PONOSAKAN, TOUMBULU, TOUMPAKEWA, TOUNDANO, TOUNSAWANG, and TOUNSEA, all of which differ so considerably that some scholars hold them to be distinct languages. They are spoken by about one hundred and twenty thousand people in the aggregate. P. J. V.

MOMUNDS.

Tribe of Pathans, between the Swat and Cabul rivers.

MONJU, _see_ MAKUA.

MORLEY.

Provincial dialect of ENGLISH, spoken in Yorkshire. Vocaby. in Scatcherd’s “History,” London, 1830.

MUHU, _see_ MIKIR.

MUNTU, _see_ MAKUA.

MURUT.

DYAK tribe of N. Borneo, on the river Lembong. See St. John’s “Life in the Forests of the Far East,” vol. ii., ch. l.; Vocaby. of Adang, a settlement of the Muruts, appx., p. 407. P. J. V.

MUSKONONG.

American: Indians of the ALGONKIN-CHIPPEWAY stem. See Jülg’s “Vater,” p. 13.

N.

NAAS _or_ NOOSDALUM.

AMERICAN: tribes of the W. coast, spoken about N.L. 53°.

NABADACHE.

AMERICAN: tribes of Caddos.

NABATHÆAN.

Semitic: a form of SYRIAC; name for character of early BEDAWEEN inscriptions.

NACHHERENG.

Non-Aryan language of India, belonging to the KIRANTI group, E. Nipal. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.”

NADIC, _see_ NATIC.

NADOWESSIER.

AMERICAN: tribes of Dacotah or Sioux.

NAGA.

INDO-CHINESE: aboriginal tribes of snake worshippers; same as KOOKIE. The word “Naga” means “snake” or “serpent” in Sanskrit; compare the Latin “a-nguis.” Pánchála, the ancient dominion of the Nágás, is now Rohilcund; they were also in the Deccan. Mr. Hunter distinguishes the following dialects, viz.: ANGAMI, KHARI, MITHAN, NAMSANG, NOWGONG, TABLUNG, TENGSA. See Vocabys. in “Comp. Dicty.”

⁂ It is also used as a general term applied to mountaineers of the N.E. frontier of Bengal. W. E.

NAGAILER.

AMERICAN: tribe of Tacullies or Carriers; also called Chin-Indians.

NAGOE, NAGOO.

African: sub-dialect of PAPAA, _i.e._, Popo or Dahomey, spoken on the Slave-coast.

NAGRANDA.

AMERICAN: tribes of Chorotegans in the plains of Leon. See Squier’s “Nicaragua,” New York, 1852.

NAGUEGTGAQUEHI.

AMERICAN: tribes of Abipones.

NAHUATL.

AMERICAN: primitive language of Anahuac, or Mexico, before the Aztec. _See_ NIQUIRAN.

NAIKUDE.

NON-ARYAN language of Central India, allied to KOLAMI and GONDI. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.” H. C. _See_ NAIK.

NAKHCHUO.

Native name for the CHECH or TSCHETSCH, language of the Caucasus. H. C.

NAKNANUK.

American: dialect of BOTOCUDO, spoken by mountaineers of Brasil. See Castelnau’s “Exped.,” vol. v., p. 249.

NALU.

African: somewhat allied to FELUP. Small Vocaby. in Latham’s “Elements,” p. 596.

NAMAQUA.

African: HOTTENTOT of the W. coast. Grammar and Vocaby. by Tindall.

NAMOLLO.

TSCHUKTSHI: ESKIMO of N.E. Asia.

NAMSANG, NAMSENG.

Indo-Chinese: dialect of SINGPHO. _See_ NAGA.

NANCOWRY.

MALAYAN: dialect of the Nicobar Is.

NANDAKO.

AMERICAN: tribes of Caddos.

NANKINESE, _see_ KIANG-NAN.

NANO.

African: classed by Bleek as BUNDA.

NANTICOK.

American: ALGONKIN of the Susquehanna. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 111.

NAPOLI, _see_ NEAPOLITAN.

NAREA.

Sub-Semitic: dialect of AMHARIC.

NARRAGANSETTS.

American: ALGONKIN of the Massachusetts coast-line. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 110. See also Vocaby. in Wood’s “New England’s Prospect,” &c., Boston, 1764; “A Key into the Language of America,” &c., by Roger Williams, Boston, 1810.

NARYMSHEN.

Ugrian: tribe of SAMOYED.

NA-SQUALLY, _under_ S.

NASSAU, _see_ POGGY.

NATCHEZ.

AMERICAN: tribe of Creek Indians; it is spoken in Louisiana. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 94.

⁂ It appears to be related to the language of Terra del Fuego. H. C.

NATIC.

AMERICAN: tribes of Massachusetts. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. i., p. 288.

NAVAHO.

American: ATHABASCAN of U. California and New Mexico, allied to CHEPEWYAN and APACHE. Schoolcraft’s “Ind. Tribes,” vol. iv., p. 416.

NAVARRESE.

A name for BASQUE. Prince Louis L. Bonaparte distinguishes four spoken dialects, viz.: N. and S. HIGH-NAVARRESE, E. and W. LOW-NAVARRESE.

NAVIGATORS, _see_ SAMOAN.

NAWER.

GIPSEY dialect of Egypt.

NDOB.

African: dialect of the Gaboon, allied to TUMU and NFUT. H. C.

NEAPOLITAN.

Romance: the _patois_ of Naples; a sub-dialect of ITALIAN. Vocaby. by Galiani, Naples, 1789.

NEGER-ENGLISCHE, _see_ CREOLESE.

NEGRIJ-BARU.

Malayan: sub-dialect of MENADU.

NEGRITIC, NEGRITO.

Class name for dialects of POLYNESIAN, spoken by dark-skinned races of the Indian Archipelago, applied primarily to New Guinea, Australia, &c.

⁂ The true Negritos are the black population of the Philippine Islands and the Malay peninsula, and, according to Mr. Wallace, “Malay Archipelago,” vol. ii., pp. 451-3, are quite distinct from the Papuans, as well as from the Malays, and rather of Asiatic than of Polynesian origin. P. J. V. _See_ PYGMEAN.

NEGRO.

(1) AFRICAN, _see_ NIGRITIAN.

(2) AMERICAN, _see_ CREOLE.

NEHETHOWUCK, NENAWEHK.

AMERICAN: tribes of Crees.

NENETSCH.

UGRIAN: tribes of Samoyeds.

NENGONE.

PAPUAN: dialect of the Loyalty Is., S. Pacific. Also called MARE.

NEO-HELLENIC.

Later GREEK. See under ROMAIC.

NEPAULESE, _see_ NIPAL.

NEPESANG, _see_ NIPISSING.

NERTSHINSK, NERCHINSK.

Moghol: dialect of TUNGUS, closely allied to YAKUTSK.

NESTORIAN.

Semitic: a name for ESTRANGELO, an ancient form of SYRIAC. _See_ SYRO-CHALDEE.

NETELA.

AMERICAN: dialect of New California, allied to the KIJ, PADUCA, UTA, and COMANCHE. See Buschmann: “Die Sprachen Netela,” Berlin, 1856. H. C.

NETHERLANDISH.

Germanic: classed as LOW-DUTCH. _See_ FLEMISH.

NEUFCHATEL.

Romance: FRENCH dialect of Switzerland. “Dialogue,” &c., Neufchatel, 1825.

NEU HOCH-DEUTSCH.

Teutonic: literary HIGH-GERMAN, dating from Luther. _See_ MISNIAN.

NEVOME.

American: same as PIMA.

NEW CALEDONIA, _see_ BALADEA.

NEW ENGLAND INDIAN.

American: dialects of ALGONKIN.

NEWFOUNDLAND.

American: classed in E. branch of ALGONKIN. Dialects are BELHUCK (extinct), MIKMAK, and MILLICITE.

NEW GUINEA.

NEGRITIC of the Indian Archipelago. Native Christian teachers landed there in 1871. W. G.

⁂ I believe that Mr. Wallace is right in his distinction between Negritos and Papuans, and that the name of Negrito, given by the Spaniards to the black population of the Philippines, should not be applied to the inhabitants of New Guinea. P. J. V. _See_ PAPUAN.

NEW HEBRIDES.

(1) NEGRITIC. The principal islands of this archipelago are Tana, Aneitum, Erromango, Mallicolo, and L’Espirito Santo; for the first four we have vocabularies and grammatical sketches, of which Tana and Mallicolo date from Cook’s voyage in 1772-5.

(2) POLYNESIAN. In Futuma, Nina, and some parts of the Fate or Sandwich Is., the language is not Papuan but Polynesian, and allied to the RAROTONGAN and SAMOAN. See Cook’s “Voyage to the S. Pole,” London, 1777.

NEW HOLLAND, _see_ AUSTRALIAN.

NEW IRELAND.

Negrito: a dialect of POLYNESIAN. See Crawfurd’s Dissert., “Malay Grammar.”

NEW S. WALES.

Province of Australia. Specimens by Threlkeld, Sydney.

NEW SWEDEN, _see_ MYNCQUESAR.

NEW ZEALAND, _see_ MAORI.

NEWARI.

Language of the valley of Nipal; it is allied to PAHRI. Vocaby. in Hunter’s “Comp. Dicty.” A. C.

NEZ-PERCEES.

American: FRENCH name for the Sahaptin Indians.

NGOALA.

African: dialect of the GABOON. _See_ ANGOLA.

NGODZEN.

African: dialect of BORNUI, allied to BODE, DODI, HOUSSA, and perhaps to PUELCHE. H. C.

NGOKO.

JAVANESE. A verbal form derived from “Ko,” the pronoun of the second person, by which common people are addressed. Hence the low or common Javanese is called “Basa-Ngoko.” The term “Ngoko” may be compared to the French “tutoyer,” or the German “duzen.” A few words peculiarly used in contemptuous language are designated by the name of “Ngoko andap,” “Low Ngoko.” P. J. V.

NGOTEN.

African: dialect of the GABOON, allied to MELON and NHALEMOE. H. C.

NGURU.

African: dialect of BORNUI, allied to KANURI and MUNIO. H. C.

NHALEMOE.

African: dialect of the GABOON. It has the same affinities as NGOTEN. H. C.

NIAM-NIAM, _see_ SANDEH.

NIAS.

MALAYAN: the language of the I. of Nias on the W. coast of Sumatra. The dialects of the N. and S. parts of the island differ considerably, but both are akin to the BATTA language of Sumatra. P. J. V.

NIBALU.

African: sub-dialect of KOURI; said to be spoken in the Chamba country. H. C.

NICARAGUAN, _see_ NIQUIRAN.

NICE, _see_ NISSARDA.

NICOBAR.

MALAYAN: islands in the Bay of Bengal. Language of mixed character. H. C.

NIEBELUNGEN-LIED.

Great GERMAN mythological poem, attributed to Herr von Ofterdingen; Eng. by Lettsom.

NIEDER-DEUTSCH, _see_ DUTCH.

NIEDER-SACHSISCH, _see_ LOW-SAXON.

NIEUE, NIUEN.

POLYNESIAN of the Savage Islands, S. Pacific, 19° S.L., 169° W.L.; closely allied to TONGAN, and also to RAROTONGAN. W. G. L.

NIGORI.

JAPANESE: accent word.

NIGRITIAN.

African: pure NEGRO of Negro-land; dialects of the Soudan, situated along the course of the R. Niger.

NIHALOITIH.

AMERICAN: Watlala tribe of Chinuks; also called Echeloots. _See_ NIHAL.

NIJ.

Caucasian: a sub-dialect of the UDE. H. C.

NILGHERRIES, NILGIRI, _see_ TUDA.

NING-PO.

Colloquial CHINESE.

NIPAL.

Mixed forms of speech: INDO-CHINESE, INDIC, SUB-DRAVIDIAN; many aboriginal tribes of the Himalayas. DENWARI, NEWARI, KHASPOORA. They use the Devanagri character. Papers by Hodgson in “Jnl. As. Socy. of Bengal,” 1830. _See_ PARBUTTIA.

NIPISSING.

American: ALGONKIN of Montreal, L. Canada.

NIPPEGON.

AMERICAN: name for the Winnebagos.

NIQUIRAN.

American: NAHUATL dialect of MEXICAN, spoken in Nicaragua. _See_ TLASKALTECA.

NISHADA.

SANSKRIT word for “outcast,” applied as a name for Dravidian, and to all aboriginal races.

⁂ It is the best and most comprehensive name, dating at least from as early as the fourth century B.C. W. S. W. V. _See_ PARIAH.

NISHI _or_ NISKI (NESHKI).

Semitic: modern alphabetic character; name applied to the “nice” or finished writing of ARABIC; also adopted in writing TURKISH, URDU, MALAY, &c.; used also in printed PERSIAN. _See_ TALIK.

NISSARDA.

Romance: ITALIAN dialect of Nice. Grammar by Micen, Nizza, 1841 (Nice).

NITENDI, _see_ INDENI.

NIUEN, _under_ NIEUE.

NIZHNI.

Moghol: closely allied to SELENGA; also called NIZNIAH-UDA.

NIZZA, _see_ NISSARDA.

NJENEZ, _see_ NENETSCH.

NJOKO, _see_ NGOKO.

NKELE.

African: dialect of the GABOON.

NOGAY.

TURKEE: closely allied to BASHKIR.

NOGOTEN, _see_ NGOTEN.

NORFOLK.

Provincial dialect of English, classed as E. ANGLIAN. See “Promptorium Parvulorum,” Edit. Way (Camden Soc.); Forby’s Vocaby., London, 1830; Nall’s “Guide to Great Yarmouth,” London, 1866. W. W. S.

NORFOLK-SOUND.

American: KOLUSH of Sitka.

NORMAN.

ROMANCE: _patois_ of France, sometimes called NORMAN-FRENCH. Old Norman was a dialect of the Langue d’oïl. See Kelham’s Dictionary, London, 1779.

NORSE, NORSK.

Same as ICELANDIC or SCANDINAVIAN. See “Old nordisk Formlaere,” by Wimmer, Steen, 1870.

NORTH AMERICAN, _under_ INDIAN.

NORTHUMBRIAN.

Provincial dialect of England, to which LOWLAND SCOTTISH is closely allied. Glossary in Ray’s Collection; Brockett’s “Glossary of North-Country Words,” London, 1846; also “Proceedings of Ethnol. Soc.,” vol. i., pp. 123-39.

⁂ The best examples of Old Northumbrian are exhibited in the glosses to the Latin Gospels in the celebrated Durham Book, and the Rushworth MSS. W. W. S.

NORTON-SOUND.

American: dialects of ESKIMO.

NORWEGIAN.

(1) SCANDINAVIAN: Old Norwegian is the NORSE of Iceland; Modern Norwegian is a form of DANISH. Grammar by Foss, Christiania, 1858; Practical Introduction by Fraedersdorff, London, 1860.

⁂ Twenty sub-dialects are enumerated by Aasen: “Ordbog,” Christiania, 1850.

(2) UGRIAN: _see_ QUANIAN.

NOSINDAMBO.

Native appellation for the I. of Madagascar.

NOTARGEKON.

HEBREW anagrams: superstition of Cabalistic Jews.

NOTTOWAY.

American: S. dialect of IROQUOIS, spoken in N. Carolina, and closely allied to TUSCARORA. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 115.

NOUB, _see_ NUBIAN.

NOVA SCOTIA.

American: Mikmak dialect of ALGONKIN.

NOWGONG.

Indo-Chinese: Singpo dialect of ASSAM. _See_ NAGA.

NSIETSHAWUS.

American: Upper Killamuks; dialect of ATNA or SELISH, spoken in the Oregon district. “Amer. Ethnol.,” vol. ii., p. 120. _See_ JAGON.

NSO.

African: dialect of the GABOON.

NTERE.

African: dialect of KAFFIR, allied to MBAMBA, KANYIKA, MUSENTANDO, &c. H. C.

NUBIAN.

African of the Valley of the Nile, from the frontier of Egypt (_i.e._, the Tropic of Cancer) to the boundary of Abyssinia. Its three known dialects are (1) the KENUZ, that of the most northern portion: the DODEKA SKOINOS of the classical geographers, the most northern division of the Roman province of Egypt—of this the word “Kenuz” is a corruption; (2) the NOUB, or Nubian proper; (3) the DONGOLAWY of Dongola on the south. The Arabic has greatly encroached upon the languages or dialects of this class. R. G. L.

NUFI.

African: dialects of NIGRITIAN; also called TAPPA or TAPUA.

⁂ The following vocabularies are Nufi:—APPA, BASA, BUJANNE, DSUKU, EBE, EGBIRA-HIMI, EREGBA, ESITAKO, GOALI, KAKANDA, KUPU, MUSU, NUPAYSE, OPANDA, SHABBIE, YALA. See Clarke’s “Dialects,” p. 35. R. G. L.

NUKAHIVA.

POLYNESIAN of the Marquesas Is. _See_ MARQUESAN.

NUMELAHA.

KORIAK name for the Kamtshatlans.

NUMIDIAN.

AFRICAN: from “Numidæ,” a Latinized form of nomades; Greek “nomos,” “a pasture.” Known by inscriptions in the form of dedication stones from N. Africa, and consisting of picture-writing and variants of the early SEMITIC alphabet.

NUMISMATIC.

Many archaic forms of ancient alphabetic characters, known by inscriptions on coins. See Akerman’s “Numismatic Manual.”

NURNBERG, NUREMBERG.

Teutonic: dialect of HIGH-GERMAN. Dicty. by Gerischer, Leipzig, 1835.

NUSDALUM, _under_ NAAS.

NUT (BAZEEGUR).

HINDOSTANI: dialects of Bazighurs in Bengal. _See_ NAT.

NUTKA.

American: tribes of Van Couver’s Is. Same as WAKASH and YUCUATL.

NYAMNYAM.

AFRICAN: spoken on the Nile about 5° N.L. Known only from a short vocabulary by Petherick. R. G. L. _See_ SANDEH.

NYANGEYARENTSHI, NYEGANTSHI.

African: both assigned by Barth to the HAMARUA.

NYFFE, _see_ NUFI.

NYOMBE.

African: dialect of KAFFIR, allied to LUBALO, SONGO, RUNDA, &c. H. C.

ADDENDA.

NAIK, NAYAK, NAIKARA.

A predatory tribe of Guzarat, N.E. of Baroda. W. E. _See_ NAIKUDE.

NAT, NATA, NATWA.

A gipsey tribe of U. India. W. E. _See_ NUT.

NAYADI.

Outcast race of Malabar, inhabiting the forests N. of Cochin. They wear a covering of leaves, and their language is not intelligible to the people of the plains. Corruptly NAIADIS. W. E.

NESAKULA, NESABIDARU.

A class of bird-catchers in the Carnatic, speaking a corrupt dialect. W. E.

NEW CALEDONIA, _see_ TAKULLI.

NIHAL.

An aboriginal race of Central India, said to be older than the Gonds. W. E.

NISOVI.

Ugrian: local dialect of SAMOIED, spoken N. of the Beresov.

NOMADIC.

A term applied to the TURANIAN dialects, as the languages of nomades or wandering tribes, in contradistinction to the ARYAN and SEMITIC dialects, which have been called “state or political languages.” G. R.

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.

A dialect of England. See the Glossaries by Miss Baker and Sternberg. W. W. S.

NUKONONO.

Polynesian: mixed dialect of TAHITIAN and RAROTONGAN. One of the Manüki group. W. G.

O.

OAMPI, _see_ OYAPOK.

OB, OBI, OBDORSKER.

Ugrian: dialects of SAMOYED: true OSTIAK. Small Vocaby. in Latham’s “Elements,” p. 134. _See_ ODH.

OBANE _or_ OBANY.

African: a form of the word BONNY. The class includes OKULOMA and UDSO, and is allied to SOBO, EGBELE, BINI, and OLOMO. Vocaby. by Köler in the “Geographical Journal of Berlin,” 1843. H. C.

OBERLAND.

Romance: name for UPPER ENGADINE. _See_ ROMANA.

OBER SACHSEN.

GERMAN of Switzerland.

OBISPO, _under_ LUIS.

OBOTRITIAN.

SLAVONIC: Spoken in Mecklenburg. _See_ LUITIZIAN.

OCCITANIAN.

Romance: name for PROVENÇAL or LANGUE D’OC. _See_ OSSET.

OCEANIC.

General name for all classes of POLYNESIAN, taken collectively. _See_ INTRODUCTION.

OCOLES.

AMERICAN: tribe of Vilela.

ODH.

Ugrian: in full, ODH-SHOSH; name for the DENKA or Sable Ostiaks.

ODJII, _see_ ASHANTEE.

OEZBEG, _under_ U.

OGHAM (TREE ALPHABET).

Name of ancient linear characters found in some IRISH lapidary inscriptions. See Prospectus of Vallancey’s Dicty., Dublin, 1802.

OJE.

American: tribe of TAMANAQUE.

OJIBWA, OJIBWAY.

American: name for CHIPPEWAYAN.

Chief dialect of ALGONKIN: tribes with dialectical variations are distinguished at St. Mary’s, Grand Traverse Bay, Saganaw, Michilimackmac, Chegoimegon; the name is also written OTCHIPWE. _See_ OGIBOIS.

OKANAGAN.

American: (1) Tribe of ATNAH: “chin” or “flat heads.”

(2) Tribe of SAHAPTIN, or “nez-percées,” on the upper part of Frazer’s river.

OK-KOW-ISH.

AMERICAN: native name of the Moadocs; the latter word means “alien” in the SHASTA language.

OKSHEE.

American: name applied to the Klamath-Lake Indians; they are allied to the MODOCS.

OKTOLAKTO.

AMERICAN: a name for the Oto Indians of Platte river.

OKULOMA.

African: dialects of BONNY, allied to EGBELE, UDSO, ZOBO, BINI, and OLOMO. H. C.

OLAMENTKE.