T h e Lapponic tongue has been Co little attended to by foreigners,
the miffionary obferves, that it is hardly underitood even by
the Norwegians bordering on Lapland; although it is not leis-
worthy of being reduced to fixed grammatical rules, and rendered
intelligible to other nations, than the other living languages of
Europe. It is particularly recommended by an elegant brevity,
which expreiles in one word what in other languages would require
ieveral. For example, my little loaf is exprefled by the fingle
Lapponic word lacbatzhiam. This term lacbatzhiam is analyfed
in the following manner : it is made up of the noun iubilantive
laibe, a cake or loaf; the diminutive a t z ; and the pronoun am,
which fignifies mine. The Lapponic admits of a commutation of
conlonants, namely o f the labials B and P, B and M, F and V ;
the gutturals G and K.; the dentals S and Z ; the linguals D and
N, D and T ; the labial letter F, and the guttural K, are alfo exchanged
with one another: the letters gn, joined together in the
feme iyllable, are pronounced with an aipiration.
The miffionary, in farther illuilration of the genius and characte
r of the Lapponic, goes at very confiderable length through all the
parts of ipeeeh of which it is compofed, viz. noun, pronoun, verb,
prepofition, and the particle. There are but few of my readers,
I prefume, who would thank me for following that author
through the whole o f his diflertations on the elements o f the Lap-
landiih tongue ; and I ihall content myfelf with the ftatement of
a few particulars that probably will not be unacceptable.
The firil ten numbers in the Laplandiih table of notation are—
2 Auft
Auft - 1 Gut 6
Gouft Wfc -<>J 2 Zhieezhia £$3
Golm y V - 3 Kautze - 8
Nielja * 4 Autze 9
Vit - 5 Laage 10
It appears to be a Angularity in the language of Lapland, that
the names of fluids, metals, minerals, grain, herbs and fruits, are
all of them exprefled only in the plural number. It abounds in
diminutives, which contribute to give th a t language both grace
and energy of expreffion.
W h en a Laplander addrefles a Norwegian peafant, he fays,
pajfevelje ! th a t is, my companion ! my friend! I f a woman, paf-
feooabba! that is, holy filler !
The rein-deer, held in the higheil eilimation, and which are
fuppofed to be of the greateft value among the Laplanders, are
fuch as are cailrated. Thefe excel the others both in fize and
fatnefs, and are of extreme utility and advantage to their owners.
Hence fuch phrafes as this : fpeaking of any one whom they think
worthy of the very higheil degree of praife, they fay, ueertzejetz,
ox, he or Jhe is abfolutely a cajlrated rein-deer. When a certain
Laplandiih and ruilic officer o f the peace, or magiilrate, in the
Norik called lermand, of the name of John Porfanger, was in an
elevated and boailing mood, he was wont to exclaim, Heerge
zhiouga, I am a cajlrated rein-deer.
Of a pregnant woman near her time, they commonly fay, Nijfon
hz lietziembeii in, th a t is, being interpreted literally, The woman
is