XXXIII

public. In the olden time exclamations might have been grouped into three classes, men’s profanity. women’s slang, and children’s prattle; for a man would not use a “ feminine expression,” nor would a woman aspire to masculine imprecatives. The syllable jok often introduced into words by vulgar men, always expresses a malediction similar to the English curse : majokoo means bad luck to it ! a curse upon it ! and many a friendly commonplace may take on the syllable jak transforming it into an expression of malicious spite and hate.

We find the prolonged a as an expression of surprise; dand agi conveying sympathy and regret; lewd, corresponding to our hail, hello, or ahoy; pill, asking one to hold, pause or wait; elmzp, meaning certainly. The word felt, though a preposition, is often used as an interjection, being repeated while one is trying to think of a word, and corresponds to our exclamation ‘What do you call it?’

Nor can the writer think of any more to add at present to this S ynoptical Grammar without enlarging it beyond the bounds at pre« sent possible, and so in the words of the Micmac sage the final k65- peadooksit is repeated, for the story is ended.

JEREMIAH S. CLARK.