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Beothuk language facts for kids

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Beothuk
Beothukan
Native to Canada
Region Newfoundland
Ethnicity Beothuk people
Extinct 1829, with the death of Shanawdithit (Mary March)
Language family
unclassified (Algonquian?)
Linguist List bue
Beothuk language map.png
Pre-contact distribution of Beothuk language

Beothuk (/bˈɒtək/ or /ˈb.əθʊk/), also called Beothukan, is an extinct language once spoken by the indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland. The Beothuk have been extinct since 1829, and there are few written accounts of their language. Hence, little is known about it, with practically no structural data existing for Beothuk.

Classification

Claims of links with the neighbouring Algonquian language family date back at least to Robert Gordon Latham in 1862. From 1968 onwards, John Hewson has put forth evidence of sound correspondences and shared morphology with Proto-Algonquian and other better-documented Algonquian languages. If this is valid, Beothuk would be an extremely divergent member of the family.

Other researchers claimed that proposed similarities are more likely the result of borrowing than cognates. The limited and poor nature of the documentation means there is not enough evidence to draw strong conclusions. Owing to this overall lack of meaningful evidence, Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell claim that any connections between Beothuk and Algonquian are unknown and likely unknowable.

Recorded song

In 1910, American anthropologist Frank Speck recorded a 74-year-old native woman named Santu Toney singing a song purported to be in the language. The recording resurfaced at the very end of the 20th century. Some sources give the year 1929, but the 1910 date is confirmed in Speck's book Beothuk and Micmac (New York 1922, p. 67). The words are hard to hear and not understood. Santu said she had been taught the song by her father, which may be evidence that one person with a Beothuk connection was alive after the death of Shanawdithit in 1829 since Santu Toney was born about 1835). Contemporary researchers have tried to make a transcription of the song and to clean up the recording with modern methods. Native groups have learned the song.

James P. Howley, Director of the Geological Survey of Newfoundland, who for more than forty years was interested in the history of the Beothuk, doubted (in 1914) the truthfulness of Santu Toney.

Wordlists

Beothuk is known only from several wordlists from the 18th and the 19th centuries by George C. Pulling (1792), Rev. John Clinch, Rev. John Leigh, and Hercules Robinson (1834). They contain more than 400 words that had been collected from speakers such as Oubee, Demasduwit, and Shanawdithit, but there were no examples of connected speech. Wordlists had also been collected by W. E. Cormack (who worked with Shanawdithit), Richard King (whose wordlist had been passed on to Robert Gordon Latham), and James P. Howley (1915) (who worked with Jure, a widow from the islands of the Bay of Exploits).

The lack of any systematic or consistent representation of the vocabulary in the wordlists makes it daunting to establish the sound system of Beothuk, and words that are listed separately on the lists may be the same word transcribed in different ways. Moreover, the lists are known to have many mistakes. That, along with the lack of connected speech leaves little upon which to build any reconstruction of Beothuk.

Combined lists

The wordlists have been transcribed and analyzed in Hewson (1978). The combined Beothuk wordlists below have been reproduced from Hewson (1978: 149-167).

Gloss Beothuk (all lists combined) Latham / King (1850) Cormack (m.s.) Clinch (m.s.) Leigh (m.s.) Robinson (1834) Howley (1915)
afraid cockaboset don’t be afraid cockaboset don’t be afraid
alive mamisut; mamseet mamseet mamisut
angry assoyt assoyt
ankle geijebursut geijebursut
arm watheek; shedbasing wathik upper arm; watheekee; memayet arms watheekee watheek; shedbasing wathik upper arm memayet arms
arrow ashooging; dogemat ashooging ashooging dogemat
asleep, dead widdun widdun
awake amet amet
baby messiligethook messiligethook
back posson; possont posson possont
bad mudty; mudeet bad man; maudee, muddy, madich maudee, muddy, madich mudty; mudeet bad man
bakeapples abidemashick abidemashick
bat sosheet sosheet
bead baasick (cf. necklace) baasick (cf. necklace)
bear washawet; gwashuwet washawet gwashuwet
beast obditch (cf. cat, seal) obditch (cf. cat, seal)
beat pugathuse beating; bukashowite pugathuse beating bukashowite
beaver maumshet; mamshet maumshet mamshet
(go to) bed boochauwhit (cf. sleep, lie down) boochauwhit (cf. sleep, lie down)
belly haddabatheek (cf. body) haddabatheek (cf. body)
berries manus; bibidigemidic manus bibidigemidic
birch paushee birch rind or paper; by-yeech birch tree; boyish birch rind by-yeech birch tree paushee birch rind or paper boyish birch rind
bird deynyad, deynyadrook birds deynyad, deynyadrook birds
bird (large) popadish (cf. pigeon) popadish (cf. pigeon)
bird (little) obseet; ounermish obseet ounermish
birds’ excrement sugamith sugamith
bite bashoodite bashoodite
black maudzyke; mandzey mandzey maudzyke
blackbird woodch woodch
blankets manaboret; manavorit manaboret manavorit
blind kaesing-guinyeet kaesing-guinyeet
blood ashaboouth; arrowbauth; izzobauth or iggobauth ashaboouth arrowbauth izzobauth or iggobauth
blow deschudodoick deschudodoick
blow the nose shegame; shegamit shegame shegamit
blue eeshang-eyghth eeshang-eyghth
blunt boas seek; mocothutt blunt-nosed fish boas seek; mocothutt blunt-nosed fish
boat adolthtek (cf. canoe, ship); adothe boat or vessel adolthtek (cf. canoe, ship) adothe boat or vessel
boat (large) dhoorado dhoorado
body haddabothy; haddabothic haddabothy haddabothic
boil (as water) oadjameet oadjameet
boil (transitive) moadamutt moadamutt
bone aenameen aenameen
bonnet, hat abodoneek; abadungeyk; abodonec abadungeyk abodoneek abodonec
bosom bodchmoot; boghmoot (cf. breast) boghmoot (cf. breast) bodchmoot
bow hathemay; anyemen anyemen hathemay
boy (white) bukashamesh; buggishamish; buggishamesh buggishamesh bukashamesh bukashamesh buggishamish
boy (Indian) mossessdeesh; mogazeesh mogazeesh mossessdeesh
bread maujebathook; annawhadya annawhadya maujebathook
break a stick pugenon pugenon
break wind tediddle tediddle
breast bemoot (cf. bosom); bogomot bemoot (cf. bosom) bogomot
breath gaboweete gaboweete
bushes maudeweech maudeweech
buttons aegumet; agamet buttons or money aegumet agamet buttons or money
candle shapoth; shaboth shapoth shaboth
canoe thubathew boat or canoe; dapathook; tapathook dapathook thubathew boat or canoe tapathook
cap eeseeboon (cf. bonnet) eeseeboon (cf. bonnet)
capelin shamook; shaamoo; shamooth shamook; shaamoo shamooth
cat obodish; abidesoot; abideeshook abidesoot abideeshook obodish
cat (marten) abidish abidish abidish
catching fish eshbauth eshbauth
cattle methabeet; nethabete methabeet nethabete
cheek weenoun weenoun
chin keoun; geoun; goun geoun keoun goun
clothes dhingyam; thingyam dhingyam thingyam
clouds berroick berroick
coal methie; methie dirt methie methie dirt
cockle sheedeneesheet sheedeneesheet
codfish bobboosoret (cf. fish) bobboosoret (cf. fish) bobboosoret (cf. fish)
cold eenodsha; moidewsee eenodsha moidewsee
comb edrathin edrathin
come touet; deiood touet; deiood
come back again nadyed nadyed
come hither dyoot thouret; dyoom; thooret dyoom dyoot thouret thooret
comet anin anin
cream jug nadalahet; motheryet nadalahet motheryet
cry mautheauthaw; matheothuc mautheauthaw matheothuc
currants shamye shamye shamye
cut hadyusum; odishuik or odishuite hadyusum odishuik or odishuite
dancing thubwedgie; badiseet thubwedgie badiseet
dead gosset; gausep (cf. asleep) gosset; gausep (cf. asleep)
deer osweet; cosweet cosweet osweet osweet
deer’s horns megorum; megorun megorum megorun
devil ashmudyim; haoot haoot ashmudyim
dirt yew-why yew-why
dog mammasamit; mammasameet mammasameet mammasameet mammasamit
dogberries menome menome
dogwood, mountain ash emoethook emoethook emoethook
drawing knife moheshaudet; moeshwadet moheshaudet moeshwadet
drink ebathook; ebathoot (cf. water) ebathook; ebathoot (cf. water)
drinking cup shoewan; shoewanyeesh (dim.) shoewan; shoewanyeesh (dim.)
dry gasook gasook
duck eesheet; boodowit eesheet boodowit
ducks and drakes mameshet; howmeshet mameshet howmeshet
eagle gobidin gobidin
ear mismuth; mootchiman; mooshaman mootchiman mismuth mooshaman
eat pugazoa; bocootyone; pokoodsoont; odoit bocootyone; pokoodsoont pugazoa odoit
egg deboin; debine deboin debine
elbow moocus moocus moocus
Eskimo ashwan ashwan
eye geegnyan; gwinya geegnyan gwinya
eyebrow momeaugh; marmeuck momeaugh marmeuck
fall koshet koshet
fat eeg eeg
fear geswat; cockaboset no fear geswat; cockaboset no fear
feather evenau; ewinon; abobidress feathers ewinon evenau abobidress feathers
finger onnus forefinger; oddesamick little; awadshibik middle; wyabick ring; hanyees hanyees onnus forefinger; oddesamick little; awadshibik middle; wyabick ring
fire koorae; oodrat; boobeeshawt (cf. lightning); woodrat oodrat; boobeeshawt (cf. lightning) koorae woodrat
fish poopusrout; baubooshrat (cf. codfish) baubooshrat (cf. codfish) poopusrout
fish hook adooch; adothook adooch adothook
fishing line disup; edat disup edat
flea kessyet kessyet
flesh (meat) ashauch ashauch
flying miawoth; miaoth miawoth miaoth
foot hodwitch; adyouth (cf. leg) adyouth (cf. leg) hodwitch
forehead doothun doothun
fork papade-aden; etheuwit papade-aden etheuwit
fowl edgedoweshin edgedoweshin
fox dogajavick dogajavick
fur, animal hair peatha peatha peatha
gaping abemite abemite
get up amshut; kinup; ganyess amshut ganyess kinup
gimlet quadranuck quadranuck quadranuck
girl (white) imamuset; emamooset emamooset emamooset imamuset
girl (Indian) woaseesh woaseesh
give me dayhamin dayhamin
(we) give thee a knife wawashemet o-owin wawashemet o-owin
glass hadalahet (cf. cream jug); hadibiet hadalahet (cf. cream jug) hadibiet
gloves obsedeek obsedeek obsedeek
go away gayzhoot gayzhoot
go home baetha baetha
go out baeodut; enano baeodut enano
good homedick; oomdzech; betheote good night homedick; oomdzech betheote good night
goose yewone; odo-ezheet (cf. duck); odeusook odo-ezheet (cf. duck) yewone odeusook
gooseberry jiggamint jiggamint
grass shisth shisth
grindstone shewthake; aquathoont shewthake aquathoont
groaning cheeashit; cheashit cheeashit cheashit
gull asson asson asson
gun harreen or huz-seen; adamadret adamadret harreen or huz-seen adamadret
gun powder beasothunt beasothunt beasothunt
hair donna; drummet; drone-oock; dronna drone-oock donna dronna drummet
halibut, flatfish hanawasutt hanawasutt
hammer iwish; mattuis iwish mattuis
hand memen hands or fingers; maelmed; memet maelmed memen hands or fingers memet
hare odusweet odusweet odusweet
(make) haste ishu; eeshoo eeshoo ishu
hatchet nowaut; thinyun; dthoonanyen; thingaya thinyun; dthoonanyen nowaut thingaya
head keawthaw; geothuk; keauthut, gonothun geothuk keawthaw keauthut, gonothun
hear noduera noduera
heart bedoret; bogodoret bedoret bogodoret
heaven theehone theehone
herring washemesh washemesh
hiccups mudyraw; madyrut mudyraw madyrut
hill kaasook; keoosock kaasook; keoosock
hoop woin woin
house mae-adthike (cf. hut); mammateek mae-adthike (cf. hut) mammateek
hungry dauoosett dauoosett
(not) hurt aoodrach aoodrach
husband zathrook (cf. man) zathrook (cf. man)
hut meothik (cf. house) meothik (cf. house)
ice ozrook; ozeru ozrook ozeru
Indian (red) behathook; beothuck; beathook behathook; beothuck beathook
Indian cup shucodidimet; shucodidimit shucodidimet shucodidimit
iron mauageene; maudshinuk; mowageenite mauageene mowageenite maudshinuk
islands mammasheek mammasheek
kill whadicheme; bogathoowytch whadicheme; bogathoowytch
(not) kill datyuns datyuns
kiss sheboth; widumite sheboth widumite
knee hodsmishit; hodamishit hodsmishit hodamishit
kneeling abusthibe; abusthibit abusthibe abusthibit
knife yewoin; iwo-in; aewaeen; hewhine; uine aewaeen; hewhine yewoin uine iwo-in
lamp mondicuet; bobdiduishemet mondicuet bobdiduishemet
laugh whoishme; wyeeth whoishme wyeeth
lead goosheben goosheben
lean, thin, sick ashei ashei
leaves madyua; madyna madyua madyna
leg cogadealla; aduse (cf. foot) cogadealla aduse (cf. foot)
lie pisauwau; bituwait (cf. sleep) pisauwau bituwait (cf. sleep)
life mamset (cf. alive) mamset (cf. alive)
lightning koorae; barodiisick (cf. fire and thunder) koorae barodiisick (cf. fire and thunder)
(I) like adjeedisk adjeedisk
lip coosh; ooish coosh ooish
lobster odjet odjet odjet
long kannabuck kannabuck
lord bird, harlequin duck mammadrouit mammadrouit
louse cusebee; kusebeet cusebee kusebeet
lumpfish aeshemeet aeshemeet
mainland gauzewook gauzewook
man (white) pushaman; buggishaman; bukashaman buggishaman pushaman bukashaman buggishaman
man (Indian) shawdtharut (cf. husband) shawdtharut (cf. husband)
Micmac shanung shanung
milk madabooch madabooch
moccasin moosin; mosen moosin; mosen
money beodet beodet
moon kuus; keeose, washageuis; kius, washewiush keeose, washageuis kuus kius, washewiush
mosquito shema bogosthuc shema bogosthuc
mouth mamudthun; mameshook mamudthun mameshook
muscle (mussel) owameet owameet
nails cush; quish cush quish
neck tedesheet (cf. throat) tedesheet (cf. throat) tedesheet (cf. throat)
necklace zeek (cf. beads); bethec zeek (cf. beads) bethec
needle tuzmus; dosomite (cf. pin) tuzmus dosomite (cf. pin)
net giggaremanet giggaremanet giggaremanet
night washewch; washew washewch washew
nipper bebadrook bebadrook
no newin newin
nose gheen; geen gheen geen
oakum mushabauth mushabauth mushabauth
oar poodybeac poodybeac poodybeac
ochre odemen; odement odemen odement
oil emet emet emet
otter edachoom; edru edachoom edru
partridge susut; zosoot; zosweet zosoot susut zosweet
partridgeberries shaudame shaudame
pigeon (sea), (guillemot) bobbodish (cf. bird) bobbodish (cf. bird) bobbodish (cf. bird) bobbodish (cf. bird)
pin tusmug; dosomite dosomite tusmug dosomite
pitcher, cup, plate manume; manune manume manune
pond woodum woodum
puffin gwoshuawit gwoshuawit
puppies mammasameet (cf. dog) mammasameet (cf. dog)
rain pedthae; watshoosooch; badoese; bathuc watshoosooch; badoese pedthae bathuc
raspberries gauzadun gauzadun
rat gadgemish gadgemish
red deedrashow deedrashow
river shebon; shebin brook shebon; shebin brook
rocks ahune ahune
rolling odausot odausot
rowing huzzagan; osavate huzzagan osavate
run wothamashee; ibadinnam; wothamashet ibadinnam wothamashee wothamashet
sails ejabathook ejabathook ejabathook
salmon wasemook wasemook wasemook
saw dedoweet; deddoweet dedoweet deddoweet
salt water massoock massoock
scab pigathee pigathee pigathee
scallop gowet gowet
scissors oseenyet; osegeeu oseenyet osegeeu
scratch bashubet bashubet
seal momau; bidesuk; beedzuk; bidesook bidesuk; beedzuk momau bidesook
seal sunk aparet a bidesook aparet a bidesook
seal skin bag bochmoot seal skin sledge full bochmoot seal skin sledge full
see ejew ejew
shake hands meman momasthus; kawinjemeesh; meman monasthus kawinjemeesh meman momasthus meman monasthus
ship, vessel mamzhing; mamashee (cf. boat) mamashee (cf. boat) mamzhing
shoes moosin (cf. mocassin) moosin (cf. mocassin)
shoot hodthoo shoot a gun; outhaje-arrathunum shoot an arrow perpendicularly; wadshoodet wadshoodet hodthoo shoot a gun; outhaje-arrathunum shoot an arrow perpendicularly
short yeech yeech
shoulder momezabethon; momegemethon momezabethon momegemethon
shovel hadowadet; godawick hadowadet godawick
silk handkerchief egibiduish egibiduish egibiduish
sinew of deer modthamook modthamook
singing tuauthaw; awoodet tuauthaw awoodet
sit haddosdoding; athep athep haddosdoding athep
sleep puthuauth; bootzhawet; aoseedwit I am sleepy (cf. lie, bed); isedoweet bootzhawet; aoseedwit I am sleepy (cf. lie, bed) puthuauth isedoweet
sleeve wobesheet wobesheet
smell marot marot
smoke possthee; basdiek; besdic basdiek possthee besdic
snail aeueece aeueece
sneezing midyathew; adjith midyathew adjith
snipe auojet auojet
snow (corrasoob); causabow; kaasussabook causabow; kaasussabook (corrasoob)
song mamatrabet (a long?) mamatrabet (a long?)
soon jewmetcheen jewmetcheen
sore throat anadrick anadrick anadrick
sorrow corrasoob (cf. snow) corrasoob (cf. snow) corrasoob (cf. snow)
speak carmtack; jeroothack carmtack; jeroothack
spear anun; aaduth seal spear; amina deer spear; hannan anun; aaduth seal spear; amina deer spear hannan
spider woadthoowin woadthoowin
spoon hanamait; adadiminte, andemin adadiminte, andemin hanamait
spouse anwoyding anwoyding
spruce trawnasoo trawnasoo trawnasoo
spruce rind sousot sousot
standing kingabie; kingiabit kingabie kingiabit
stars so-ushzeth; shawwayet; adenishit shawwayet so-ushzeth adenishit
stinking seal mattik bidesook mattik bidesook mattik bidesook
stockings gassek; gasset gassek gasset
stones ougen; oun (cf. rocks) oun (cf. rocks) ougen
stooping hedy-yan hedy-yan hedy-yan
sugar shedothoon shedothoon
sun, moon dewis; keeose; keuse; magaragueis sun; washageuis moon; kius; maugerooius sun; washewiush moon keeose; keuse; magaragueis sun; washageuis moon dewis kius; maugerooius sun; washewiush moon
swimming tuwedgie; thoowidgee (cf. dancing) tuwedgie thoowidgee (cf. dancing)
sword bidisoni bidisoni bidisoni
tea butterweye (but probably garbled) butterweye (but probably garbled)
teeth outhermay; botomet outhermayet outhermay botomet outhermayet
thank you thine thine
thigh ipeween; ipweena ipeween ipweena
thread meroopish; meroobish (cf. twine) meroopish meroobish (cf. twine)
throat tedesheet (cf. neck) tedesheet (cf. neck)
throw a trap shaubabuneshaw shaubabuneshaw
throw pugatho; pugathoite pugatho pugathoite
thumb pooith; buit; boad; pooeth boad pooith pooeth buit
thunder petothorish; barodiisick (cf. lightning) petothorish barodiisick (cf. lightning)
ticklace (kittiwake) gotheyet gotheyet gotheyet
tickle (gut, sound, strait) kaduishuite kaduishuite
tinker (razorbill) oothook oothook
tobacco nechwa nechwa
tomorrow maduck maduck
tongue memaza; mamadthuk (cf. mouth); memasuck mamadthuk (cf. mouth) memaza memasuck
trap tibethun; lathun; shebathoont lathun tibethun shebathoont
tree, woods annooee annooee
trousers mowead mowead mowead
trout dottomeish dottomeish dottomeish
turr (murre) geonet geonet geonet
twine meroopish; madobeesh madobeesh meroopish
walk woothyan; baysot (cf. run); woothyat woothyan woothyat baysot (cf. run)
walking stick cheething cheething
warm obosheen warming yourself; boobasha boobasha obosheen warming yourself obosheen warming yourself
watch dewis; keeose (cf. sun, moon); kius dewis; keeose (cf. sun, moon) kius
water ebauthoo; ebadoe; zebathoong water (drink) ebadoe; zebathoong water (drink) ebauthoo ebauthoo
water bucket guinyabutt (with vertical or sloping sides); sunong-guinyabutt (large at bottom, small at top) guinyabutt (with vertical or sloping sides); sunong-guinyabutt (large at bottom, small at top)
wet wabee (confusion with white) wabee (confusion with white)
whale’s tail owasposhno-un owasposhno-un
where do you go becket becket
white wobee wobee
whortle berries mamoose (cf. berries) mamoose (cf. berries)
wife oosuck oosuck
wife (white) adizabad-zea adizabad-zea
wind tisewthun; gidgeathuc tisewthun gidgeathuc
wood adiab adiab adiab
woodpecker sheebuint; shebohoweet shebohoweet sheebuint shebohoweet
wolf moisamadrook moisamadrook
woman imamus; emamoose; woass-sut red Indian woman emamoose; woass-sut red Indian woman emamoose imamus
yawning tibeath; jibeath tibeath jibeath
yes ethath; yeathun ethath; yeathun

Numerals

Numerals in Beothuk:

Gloss Cormack Latham / King (1850) Leigh
one yaseek yazeek gathet
two adzeich adzeech adasic
three shendeek shendee shedsic
four dabseek dabzeek abodoesic
five ninezeek nunyetheek nijeek
six bashedtheek beshed bigadosick
seven oodzook odeozook oodosook
eight aadazook adosook aodoosook
nine yeothoduk yeothoduck yeothoduck
ten shansee shansee theant
eleven ee-zaziech
twelve ee-adzide
thirteen ee-shendeek
fourteen ee-dabzook
fifteen ee-ninezeek
sixteen ee-beshedtheek
seventeen ee-oodzook
eighteen ee-aadazook
nineteen ee-yeothoduck
twenty adzeich dthoonut
thirty shendeek dthoonut

Months

Months in Beothuk:

Gloss Cormack list
(from Shanawdithit)
January cobshuneesamut
February kosthobonong bewajoite
March manamiss
April wasumaweeseek
May bedejamish bewajowite
June wasumaweeseek
July cowazaseek
August wadawhegh
September wasumaweeseek
October godabonyegh
November godabonyeesh
December odasweeteeshamut

See also

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