The prevalent theory, that there exists a group of Indo-European languages and nations—peculiarly connected among themselves—peculiarly isolated from others—will, I conceive, be found to be fallacious; and what is highly remarkable, distinct proofs of its fallacy, as will presently be seen, are derivable from the dialects of the North American Tribes!
The writers by whom this theory has been maintained have overlooked, on the one hand, the numerous points of resemblance which connect the Indo-European languages with other Tongues; while, on the other hand, they have also overlooked the numerous points of difference which they mutually display. On a close investigation it will be evident that it is only in the basis of their Grammars that any of the ancient languages of Asia and Europe, even those which are very nearly related, agree; they do not display an identity of Grammatical forms! Compare, for example, the inflections of the Verbs in the Latin and the Greek, and the numerous points of difference which they exhibit in almost every tense, combined with mere partial coincidences. That these remarks are equally true of the relation displayed by the North American Indian dialects compared to those of the Old World will be apparent from the following examples, in which it will be manifest that these dialects in their basis agree with, and in their inflections and details only partially differ from, the Asiatic and European languages!
_Present Tense of a Verb in two Dialects of the Algonquyn Class._
“Chippeway” Dialect. “Lenni Lenape” Dialect. (Root) NOND—“Understand.” (Root) PEND—“Understand.”(152) _Singular._ _Singular._ N’-nond-OM. N’-pend-AMEN. “I understand.” “I understand.”
K’-nond-OM. K’-pend-AMEN. “Thou understand-est.” “Thou understand-est.”
---- -Nond-om. ---- -Pend-amen. “He understand-s.” “He understand-s.”
N’-nond-AM-IN. N’-pend-AMEN-EEN. “We understand.” “We understand.”
K’-nond-AM. K’-pend-AM-OHUMO. “Ye understand.” “Ye understand.”
---Nond-UM-ÔG. ---Pend-AMEN-OWO. “They understand.” “They understand.”
It will be observed that the inflections of the Algonquyn Verb, indicative of persons (corresponding to those in Leg-o, Leg-is, Leg-it, _Latin_), are “Om and Amen.” In another form of the Algonquyn Verb, “Amo” is also used.