Page:AlgonquinSyllabary.djvu/13

nants, 𝓁 becomes +, 𝓉 becomes C, 𝓈 becomes Q, 𝒹 becomes 𝒾, 𝓉𝓉 becomes 𝓃
𝓃, 𝓎 becomes ═, 𝓌 becomes ƧƧ, 𝓂 becomes ⊞, 𝓃 becomes ⋕, 𝒦 becomes C′, and 𝓍 becomes ƧC. The syllabary then takes on this form:—

×	ii	iii	iiii
+×	+ii	+iii	+iiii
C×	Cii	Ciii	Ciiii
Q×	Qii	Qiii	Qiiii
𝒾×	𝒾ii	𝒾iii	𝒾iiii
𝓃 𝓃×	𝓃 𝓃ii	𝓃 𝓃iii	𝓃 𝓃iiii
═×	═ii	═iii	═iiii
ƧƧ×	ƧƧii	ƧƧiii	ƧƧiiii
⊞×	⊞ii	⊞iii	⊞iiii
⋕×	⋕ii	⋕iii	⋕iiii
C′×	C′ii	C′iii	C′iiii
ƧC×	ƧCii	ƧCiii	ƧCiiii

This is a rather brief description of the phonetics of the syllabary, but perhaps ample enough for a clear understanding of its general character. The working of the syllabary can rapidly be shown in the same brief manner; and it can best be exemplified by means of a text. It will there be observed that there are no marks indicating accent, and that there are only four signs for punctuation: the period ( . ), the short dash ( – ), the multiplication-sign ( × ), or the plus-sign ( + ). The period or the dash separates words and word-sentences, and the multiplication-sign or the plus-sign marks the end of sentences.

The text is a short historical fragment. It fits into a familiar legend known to most southern Algonquin,—a legend that refers to a time when it was believed that all the Algonquin were one people and together. The incident here recited is given with the symbols of the regular form of the syllabary and in the dialect of the Fox; and an interlinear translation follows with it.