A key into the language of America, or, An help to the language of the natives in that part of America called New-England together with briefe observations of the customes, manners and worships, &c. of the aforesaid natives, in peace and warre, in life and death : on all which are added spirituall observations, generall and particular, by the authour ... / by Roger Williams ...

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Title
A key into the language of America, or, An help to the language of the natives in that part of America called New-England together with briefe observations of the customes, manners and worships, &c. of the aforesaid natives, in peace and warre, in life and death : on all which are added spirituall observations, generall and particular, by the authour ... / by Roger Williams ...
Author
Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683.
Publication
London :: Printed by Gregory Dexter,
1643.
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Subject terms
Narragansett Indians.
Narragansett language.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A66450.0001.001
Cite this Item
"A key into the language of America, or, An help to the language of the natives in that part of America called New-England together with briefe observations of the customes, manners and worships, &c. of the aforesaid natives, in peace and warre, in life and death : on all which are added spirituall observations, generall and particular, by the authour ... / by Roger Williams ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A66450.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2024.

Pages

CHAP. VII. Of their Persons and parts of body. (Book 7)

UPpaquóntup.The head.
Nuppaquóntup.My head.
Wésheck.The hayre.
Wuchechepúnnock.A great bunch of hayre bound up behind.
Múppacuck.A long locke.

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Obs. Yet some cut their haire round, and some as low and as short as the sober English; yet I never saw any so to forget nature it selfe in such excessive length and monstrous fashi∣on, as to the shame of the English Nation, I now (with griefe) see my Countrey-men in England are degenerated unto.

Wuttip.The braine.

Ob. In the braine their opinion is, that the soule (of which we shall speake in the Chapter of Religion) keeps her chiefe seat and residence:

For the temper of the braine in quick ap∣prehensions and accurate judgements (to say no more) the most high and soveraign God and Creator, hath n•…•…t made them inferiour to Europeans.

The Mauquaûogs, or Men-eaters, that live two or three miles West from us, make a de∣licious monstrous dish of the head and brains of their enemies; which yet is no barre (when the time shall approach) against Gods call, and their repentance and (who knowes but) a greater love to the Lord Jesus? great sinners forgiven love much.

Mscattuck.The fore-head.
Wuskeésuck-quash.Eye, or eyes.
Tiyùsh kusskeésuck∣quash?Can you not see, or where are your eyes?

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Wuchaûn.The nostrills.
Wuttóvwog•…•…guàsh.Eare, eares.
Wuttone.The mouth.
Weenat.The tongue.
Wépit-teash.Tooth, teeth.
Pummaumpiteùnck.The tooth-ake.

Obs. Which is the onely paine will force their stout hearts to cry; I cannot heare of any disease of the stone amongst them (the corne of the Countrey, with which they are fed from the wombe, being an admirable cleanser and opener:) but the paine of their womens childbirth (of which I shall speake af∣terward in the Chapter of Marriage) never forces their women so to cry, as I have heard some of their men in this paine.

In this paine they use a certaine root dried, not much unlike our Ginger.

S•…•…chipuck.The necke.
Quttuck.The throat.
Time•…•…úassin.To cut off or behead.
which they are most skilfull to doe in fight: for, when ever they wound, and their arrow sticks in the body of their enemie they (if they be valourous, and possibly may) they follow their arrow, and falling upon the per∣s•…•…n wounded and tearing his head a little aside by hi•…•… Locke, they in the twinckling of an eye

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fetch off his head though but with a sorry knife.

I know the man yet living, who in time of warre, pretended to fall from his owne campe to the enemie, proffered his service in the front with them against his own Armie from whence he had revolted. Hee propounded such plausible advantages, that he drew them out to battell himselfe keeping in the front; but on a sudden, shot their chiefe Leader and Captaine and being shot, in a trice fetcht off his head and returned immediatly to his own againe, from whom in pretence (though with this trecherous ntention) hee had revolted: his act was false and trecherous, yet herein appeares policie, stoutnesse and activitie, &c.

Mapànnog.The breast.
Wuppittene énash.Arme, Armes.
Wuttàh.The heart.
Wunnêtu nittà.My heart is good.

Obs. This speech they use when ever they professe their honestie; they naturally con∣fessing that all goodnesse is first in the heart.

Mishquinash.The vaines.
Mishquè, néepuck.The blood.
Uppusquàn.The backe.
Nuppusquànnick.My back, or at my back.

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Wunnicheke.Hand.
Wunnickègannash.Hands.
Mokasfsuck.Nayles.

Ob. They are much delighted after battell t0 hang up the hands and heads of their enemies: (Riches, long Life, and the Lives of enemies being objects of great delight to all men na∣turall; but Salomon begg'd Wisedome before these.)

Wunnaks,The bellie.
Apòme, Apòmash.The thigh, the thighs.
Mohcont, tash.A legge, legs.
Wussète, tash.A foot, feet.
Wunnichéganash.The t•…•…es.
Tou wutt•…•…nsin.What manner of man?
Tou núckquaque.Of what bignesse?
Wom•…•…ésu, Mowêsu, & Suckêsu.White, Blacke, or swarfish.

Obs. Hence they call a Blackamore (them∣selves are tawnie, by the Sunne and their an∣noyntings, yet they are borne white:)

Suckáutacone.A cole. blacke man.
For, Sucki is black, and Waûtacone, one that weares clothes, whence English, Dutch, French, Scotch, they call Wautaconâ•…•…og, or Coatmen.

Cumminakese.You are strong.
Minikêsu.Strong.

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Minioquêsu.Weake.
Cumminiocquese.Weake you are.
Qunnaúqussu.A tall man.
Qunnauqussitchick.Tall men.
Tiaquónqussu.Low and short.
Tiaquonqussichick.Men of lowe stature.
Wunnêtu-wock.Proper and personall.

The generall Observation from the parts of the bodie.

Nature knowes no difference between Eu∣rope and Americans in blood, birth, bodies, &c. God having of one blood made all mankind, Acts 17. and all by nature being children of wrath, Ephes. 2.

More particularly:

Boast not proud English, of thy birth & blood, Thy brother Indian is by birth as Good. Of one blood God made Him and Thee & All, As wise, as faire, as strong, as personall.
By nature wrath's his portiō, thine ne more (store Till Grace his soule and thine in Christ re- Make sure thy second birth, else thou shalt see, Heaven ope to Indians wild, but shut to thee.
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