Beothuk language


The Beothuk language, also called Beothukan, was spoken by the indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland. The Beothuk have been extinct since 1829, and there are few written accounts of their language. Hence, little is known about it, with practically no structural data existing for Beothuk.

Classification

Claims of links with the neighbouring Algonquian language family date back at least to Robert Gordon Latham in 1862. From 1968, onwards John Hewson has put forth evidence of sound correspondences and shared morphology with Proto-Algonquian and other better-documented Algonquian languages. If this is valid, Beothuk would be an extremely divergent member of the family.
Other researchers claimed that proposed similarities are more likely the result of borrowing than cognates. The limited and poor nature of the documentation means there is not enough evidence to draw strong conclusions. Owing to this overall lack of meaningful evidence, Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell claim that any connections between Beothuk and Algonquian are unknown and likely unknowable.

Recorded song

In 1910, American anthropologist Frank Speck recorded a 74-year-old native woman named Santu Toney singing a song purported to be in the language. The recording resurfaced at the very end of the 20th century. Some sources give the year 1929, but the 1910 date is confirmed in Speck's book Beothuk and Micmac. Contemporary researchers have tried to make a transcription of the song and to clean up the recording with modern methods. Native groups have learned the song.
James P. Howley, Director of the Geological Survey of Newfoundland, who for more than forty years was interested in the history of the Beothuk, doubted the truthfulness of Santu Toney.

Wordlists

Beothuk is known only from several wordlists from the 18th and the 19th centuries by George C. Pulling, Rev. John Clinch, Rev. John Leigh, and Hercules Robinson. They contain more than 400 words that had been collected from speakers such as Oubee, Demasduwit, and Shanawdithit, but there were no examples of connected speech. Wordlists had also been collected by W. E. Cormack, Richard King, and James P. Howley .
The lack of any systematic or consistent representation of the vocabulary in the wordlists makes it daunting to establish the sound system of Beothuk, and words that are listed separately on the lists may be the same word transcribed in different ways. Moreover, the lists are known to have many mistakes. That, along with the lack of connected speech leaves little upon which to build any reconstruction of Beothuk.

Combined lists

The wordlists have been transcribed and analyzed in Hewson. The combined Beothuk wordlists below have been reproduced from Hewson.
NumberGlossBeothuk Latham / King Cormack Clinch Leigh Robinson Howley
1afraidcockaboset don’t be afraidcockaboset don’t be afraid
2alivemamisut; mamseetmamseetmamisut
3angryassoytassoyt
4anklegeijebursutgeijebursut
5armwatheek; shedbasing wathik upper arm; watheekee; memayet armswatheekeewatheek; shedbasing wathik upper armmemayet arms
6arrowashooging; dogematashoogingashoogingdogemat
7asleep, deadwiddunwiddun
8awakeametamet
9babymessiligethookmessiligethook
10backposson; possontpossonpossont
11badmudty; mudeet bad man; maudee, muddy, madichmaudee, muddy, madichmudty; mudeet bad man
12bakeapplesabidemashickabidemashick
13batsosheetsosheet
14beadbaasick baasick
15bearwashawet; gwashuwetwashawetgwashuwet
16beastobditch obditch
17beatpugathuse beating; bukashowitepugathuse beatingbukashowite
18beavermaumshet; mamshetmaumshetmamshet
19 bedboochauwhit boochauwhit
20bellyhaddabatheek haddabatheek
21berriesmanus; bibidigemidicmanusbibidigemidic
22birchpaushee birch rind or paper; by-yeech birch tree; boyish birch rindby-yeech birch treepaushee birch rind or paperboyish birch rind
23birddeynyad, deynyadrook birdsdeynyad, deynyadrook birds
24bird popadish popadish
25bird obseet; ounermishobseetounermish
26birds’ excrementsugamithsugamith
27bitebashooditebashoodite
28blackmaudzyke; mandzeymandzeymaudzyke
29blackbirdwoodchwoodch
30blanketsmanaboret; manavoritmanaboretmanavorit
31blindkaesing-guinyeetkaesing-guinyeet
32bloodashaboouth; arrowbauth; izzobauth or iggobauthashabooutharrowbauthizzobauth or iggobauth
33blowdeschudodoickdeschudodoick
34blow the noseshegame; shegamitshegameshegamit
35blueeeshang-eyghtheeshang-eyghth
36bluntboas seek; mocothutt blunt-nosed fishboas seek; mocothutt blunt-nosed fish
37boatadolthtek ; adothe boat or vesseladolthtek adothe boat or vessel
38boat dhooradodhoorado
39bodyhaddabothy; haddabothichaddabothyhaddabothic
40boil oadjameetoadjameet
41boil moadamuttmoadamutt
42boneaenameenaenameen
43bonnet, hatabodoneek; abadungeyk; abodonecabadungeykabodoneekabodonec
44bosombodchmoot; boghmoot boghmoot bodchmoot
45bowhathemay; anyemenanyemenhathemay
46boy bukashamesh; buggishamish; buggishameshbuggishameshbukashameshbukashameshbuggishamish
47boy mossessdeesh; mogazeeshmogazeeshmossessdeesh
48breadmaujebathook; annawhadyaannawhadyamaujebathook
49break a stickpugenonpugenon
50break windtediddletediddle
51breastbemoot ; bogomotbemoot bogomot
52breathgaboweetegaboweete
53bushesmaudeweechmaudeweech
54buttonsaegumet; agamet buttons or moneyaegumetagamet buttons or money
55candleshapoth; shabothshapothshaboth
56canoethubathew boat or canoe; dapathook; tapathookdapathookthubathew boat or canoetapathook
57capeeseeboon eeseeboon
58capelinshamook; shaamoo; shamoothshamook; shaamooshamooth
59catobodish; abidesoot; abideeshookabidesootabideeshookobodish
60cat abidishabidishabidish
61catching fisheshbautheshbauth
62cattlemethabeet; nethabetemethabeetnethabete
63cheekweenounweenoun
64chinkeoun; geoun; goungeounkeoungoun
65clothesdhingyam; thingyamdhingyamthingyam
66cloudsberroickberroick
67coalmethie; methie dirtmethiemethie dirt
68cocklesheedeneesheetsheedeneesheet
69codfishbobboosoret bobboosoret bobboosoret
70coldeenodsha; moidewseeeenodshamoidewsee
71combedrathinedrathin
72cometouet; deioodtouet; deiood
73come back againnadyednadyed
74come hitherdyoot thouret; dyoom; thooretdyoomdyoot thouretthooret
75cometaninanin
76cream jugnadalahet; motheryetnadalahetmotheryet
77crymautheauthaw; matheothucmautheauthawmatheothuc
78currantsshamyeshamyeshamye
79cuthadyusum; odishuik or odishuitehadyusumodishuik or odishuite
80dancingthubwedgie; badiseetthubwedgiebadiseet
81deadgosset; gausep gosset; gausep
82deerosweet; cosweetcosweetosweetosweet
83deer’s hornsmegorum; megorunmegorummegorun
84devilashmudyim; haoothaootashmudyim
85dirtyew-whyyew-why
86dogmammasamit; mammasameetmammasameetmammasameetmammasamit
87dogberriesmenomemenome
88dogwood, mountain ashemoethookemoethookemoethook
89drawing knifemoheshaudet; moeshwadetmoheshaudetmoeshwadet
90drinkebathook; ebathoot ebathook; ebathoot
91drinking cupshoewan; shoewanyeesh shoewan; shoewanyeesh
92drygasookgasook
93duckeesheet; boodowiteesheetboodowit
94ducks and drakesmameshet; howmeshetmameshethowmeshet
95eaglegobidingobidin
96earmismuth; mootchiman; mooshamanmootchimanmismuthmooshaman
97eatpugazoa; bocootyone; pokoodsoont; odoitbocootyone; pokoodsoontpugazoaodoit
98eggdeboin; debinedeboindebine
99elbowmoocusmoocusmoocus
100Eskimoashwanashwan
101eyegeegnyan; gwinyageegnyangwinya
102eyebrowmomeaugh; marmeuckmomeaughmarmeuck
103fallkoshetkoshet
104fateegeeg
105feargeswat; cockaboset no feargeswat; cockaboset no fear
106featherevenau; ewinon; abobidress feathersewinonevenauabobidress feathers
107fingeronnus forefinger; oddesamick little; awadshibik middle; wyabick ring; hanyeeshanyeesonnus forefinger; oddesamick little; awadshibik middle; wyabick ring
108firekoorae; oodrat; boobeeshawt ; woodratoodrat; boobeeshawt kooraewoodrat
109fishpoopusrout; baubooshrat baubooshrat poopusrout
110fish hookadooch; adothookadoochadothook
111fishing linedisup; edatdisupedat
112fleakessyetkessyet
113flesh ashauchashauch
114flyingmiawoth; miaothmiawothmiaoth
115foothodwitch; adyouth adyouth hodwitch
116foreheaddoothundoothun
117forkpapade-aden; etheuwitpapade-adenetheuwit
118fowledgedoweshinedgedoweshin
119foxdogajavickdogajavick
120fur, animal hairpeathapeathapeatha
121gapingabemiteabemite
122get upamshut; kinup; ganyessamshutganyesskinup
123gimletquadranuckquadranuckquadranuck
124girl imamuset; emamoosetemamoosetemamoosetimamuset
125girl woaseeshwoaseesh
126give medayhamindayhamin
127 give thee a knifewawashemet o-owinwawashemet o-owin
128glasshadalahet ; hadibiethadalahet hadibiet
129glovesobsedeekobsedeekobsedeek
130go awaygayzhootgayzhoot
131go homebaethabaetha
132go outbaeodut; enanobaeodutenano
133goodhomedick; oomdzech; betheote good nighthomedick; oomdzechbetheote good night
134gooseyewone; odo-ezheet ; odeusookodo-ezheet yewoneodeusook
135gooseberryjiggamintjiggamint
136grassshisthshisth
137grindstoneshewthake; aquathoontshewthakeaquathoont
138groaningcheeashit; cheashitcheeashitcheashit
139gullassonassonasson
140gunharreen or huz-seen; adamadretadamadretharreen or huz-seenadamadret
141gun powderbeasothuntbeasothuntbeasothunt
142hairdonna; drummet; drone-oock; dronnadrone-oockdonnadronnadrummet
143halibut, flatfishhanawasutthanawasutt
144hammeriwish; mattuisiwishmattuis
145handmemen hands or fingers; maelmed; memetmaelmedmemen hands or fingersmemet
146hareodusweetodusweetodusweet
147 hasteishu; eeshooeeshooishu
148hatchetnowaut; thinyun; dthoonanyen; thingayathinyun; dthoonanyennowautthingaya
149headkeawthaw; geothuk; keauthut, gonothungeothukkeawthawkeauthut, gonothun
150hearnodueranoduera
151heartbedoret; bogodoretbedoretbogodoret
152heaventheehonetheehone
153herringwashemeshwashemesh
154hiccupsmudyraw; madyrutmudyrawmadyrut
155hillkaasook; keoosockkaasook; keoosock
156hoopwoinwoin
157housemae-adthike ; mammateekmae-adthike mammateek
158hungrydauoosettdauoosett
159 hurtaoodrachaoodrach
160husbandzathrook zathrook
161hutmeothik meothik
162iceozrook; ozeruozrookozeru
163Indian behathook; beothuck; beathookbehathook; beothuckbeathook
164Indian cupshucodidimet; shucodidimitshucodidimetshucodidimit
165ironmauageene; maudshinuk; mowageenitemauageenemowageenitemaudshinuk
166islandsmammasheekmammasheek
167killwhadicheme; bogathoowytchwhadicheme; bogathoowytch
168 killdatyunsdatyuns
169kisssheboth; widumiteshebothwidumite
170kneehodsmishit; hodamishithodsmishithodamishit
171kneelingabusthibe; abusthibitabusthibeabusthibit
172knifeyewoin; iwo-in; aewaeen; hewhine; uineaewaeen; hewhineyewoinuineiwo-in
173lampmondicuet; bobdiduishemetmondicuetbobdiduishemet
174laughwhoishme; wyeethwhoishmewyeeth
175leadgooshebengoosheben
176lean, thin, sickasheiashei
177leavesmadyua; madynamadyuamadyna
178legcogadealla; aduse cogadeallaaduse
179liepisauwau; bituwait pisauwaubituwait
180lifemamset mamset
181lightningkoorae; barodiisick kooraebarodiisick
182 likeadjeediskadjeedisk
183lipcoosh; ooishcooshooish
184lobsterodjetodjetodjet
185longkannabuckkannabuck
186lord bird, harlequin duckmammadrouitmammadrouit
187lousecusebee; kusebeetcusebeekusebeet
188lumpfishaeshemeetaeshemeet
189mainlandgauzewookgauzewook
190man pushaman; buggishaman; bukashamanbuggishamanpushamanbukashamanbuggishaman
191man shawdtharut shawdtharut
192Micmacshanungshanung
193milkmadaboochmadabooch
194moccassinmoosin; mosenmoosin; mosen
195moneybeodetbeodet
196moonkuus; keeose, washageuis; kius, washewiushkeeose, washageuiskuuskius, washewiush
197mosquitoshema bogosthucshema bogosthuc
198mouthmamudthun; mameshookmamudthunmameshook
199muscle owameetowameet
200nailscush; quishcushquish
201necktedesheet tedesheet tedesheet
202necklacezeek ; betheczeek bethec
203needletuzmus; dosomite tuzmusdosomite
204netgiggaremanetgiggaremanetgiggaremanet
205nightwashewch; washewwashewchwashew
206nipperbebadrookbebadrook
207nonewinnewin
208nosegheen; geengheengeen
209oakummushabauthmushabauthmushabauth
210oarpoodybeacpoodybeacpoodybeac
211ochreodemen; odementodemenodement
212oilemetemetemet
213otteredachoom; edruedachoomedru
214partridgesusut; zosoot; zosweetzosootsusutzosweet
215partridgeberriesshaudameshaudame
216pigeon, bobbodish bobbodish bobbodish bobbodish
217pintusmug; dosomitedosomitetusmugdosomite
218pitcher, cup, platemanume; manunemanumemanune
219pondwoodumwoodum
220puffingwoshuawitgwoshuawit
221puppiesmammasameet mammasameet
222rainpedthae; watshoosooch; badoese; bathucwatshoosooch; badoesepedthaebathuc
223raspberriesgauzadungauzadun
224ratgadgemishgadgemish
225reddeedrashowdeedrashow
226rivershebon; shebin brookshebon; shebin brook
227rocksahuneahune
228rollingodausotodausot
229rowinghuzzagan; osavatehuzzaganosavate
230runwothamashee; ibadinnam; wothamashetibadinnamwothamasheewothamashet
231sailsejabathookejabathookejabathook
232salmonwasemookwasemookwasemook
233sawdedoweet; deddoweetdedoweetdeddoweet
234salt watermassoockmassoock
235scabpigatheepigatheepigathee
236scallopgowetgowet
237scalping the headnomushrush keawthawnomushrush keawthaw
238scissorsoseenyet; osegeeuoseenyetosegeeu
239scratchbashubetbashubet
240sealmomau; bidesuk; beedzuk; bidesookbidesuk; beedzukmomaubidesook
241seal sunkaparet a bidesookaparet a bidesook
242seal skin bagbochmoot seal skin sledge fullbochmoot seal skin sledge full
243seeejewejew
244shake handsmeman momasthus; kawinjemeesh; meman monasthuskawinjemeeshmeman momasthusmeman monasthus
245ship, vesselmamzhing; mamashee mamashee mamzhing
246shoesmoosin moosin
247shoothodthoo shoot a gun; outhaje-arrathunum shoot an arrow perpendicularly; wadshoodetwadshoodethodthoo shoot a gun; outhaje-arrathunum shoot an arrow perpendicularly
248shortyeechyeech
249shouldermomezabethon; momegemethonmomezabethonmomegemethon
250shovelhadowadet; godawickhadowadetgodawick
251silk handkerchiefegibiduishegibiduishegibiduish
252sinew of deermodthamookmodthamook
253singingtuauthaw; awoodettuauthawawoodet
254sithaddosdoding; athepathephaddosdodingathep
255sleepputhuauth; bootzhawet; aoseedwit I am sleepy ; isedoweetbootzhawet; aoseedwit I am sleepy puthuauthisedoweet
256sleevewobesheetwobesheet
257smellmarotmarot
258smokepossthee; basdiek; besdicbasdiekposstheebesdic
259snailaeueeceaeueece
260sneezingmidyathew; adjithmidyathewadjith
261snipeauojetauojet
262snow; causabow; kaasussabookcausabow; kaasussabook
263songmamatrabet mamatrabet
264soonjewmetcheenjewmetcheen
265sore throatanadrickanadrickanadrick
266sorrowcorrasoob corrasoob corrasoob
267speakcarmtack; jeroothackcarmtack; jeroothack
268spearanun; aaduth seal spear; amina deer spear; hannananun; aaduth seal spear; amina deer spearhannan
269spiderwoadthoowinwoadthoowin
270spoonhanamait; adadiminte, andeminadadiminte, andeminhanamait
271spouseanwoydinganwoyding
272sprucetrawnasootrawnasootrawnasoo
273spruce rindsousotsousot
274standingkingabie; kingiabitkingabiekingiabit
275starsso-ushzeth; shawwayet; adenishitshawwayetso-ushzethadenishit
276stinking sealmattik bidesookmattik bidesookmattik bidesook
277stockingsgassek; gassetgassekgasset
278stonesougen; oun oun ougen
279stoopinghedy-yanhedy-yanhedy-yan
280sugarshedothoonshedothoon
281sun, moondewis; keeose; keuse; magaragueis sun; washageuis moon; kius; maugerooius sun; washewiush moonkeeose; keuse; magaragueis sun; washageuis moondewiskius; maugerooius sun; washewiush moon
282swimmingtuwedgie; thoowidgee tuwedgiethoowidgee
283swordbidisonibidisonibidisoni
284teabutterweye butterweye
285teethouthermay; botomet outhermayetouthermaybotomet outhermayet
286thank youthinethine
287thighipeween; ipweenaipeweenipweena
288threadmeroopish; meroobish meroopishmeroobish
289throattedesheet tedesheet
290throw a trapshaubabuneshawshaubabuneshaw
291throwpugatho; pugathoitepugathopugathoite
292thumbpooith; buit; boad; pooethboadpooithpooethbuit
293thunderpetothorish; barodiisick petothorishbarodiisick
294ticklace gotheyetgotheyetgotheyet
295tickle kaduishuitekaduishuite
296tinker oothookoothook
297tobacconechwanechwa
298tomorrowmaduckmaduck
299tonguememaza; mamadthuk ; memasuckmamadthuk memazamemasuck
300traptibethun; lathun; shebathoontlathuntibethunshebathoont
301tree, woodsannooeeannooee
302trousersmoweadmoweadmowead
303troutdottomeishdottomeishdottomeish
304turr geonetgeonetgeonet
305twinemeroopish; madobeeshmadobeeshmeroopish
306walkwoothyan; baysot ; woothyatwoothyanwoothyatbaysot
307walking stickcheethingcheething
308warmobosheen warming yourself; boobashaboobashaobosheen warming yourselfobosheen warming yourself
309watchdewis; keeose ; kiusdewis; keeose kius
310waterebauthoo; ebadoe; zebathoong water ebadoe; zebathoong water ebauthooebauthoo
311water bucketguinyabutt ; sunong-guinyabutt guinyabutt ; sunong-guinyabutt
312wetwabee wabee
313whale’s tailowasposhno-unowasposhno-un
314where do you gobecketbecket
315whitewobeewobee
316whortle berriesmamoose mamoose
317wifeoosuckoosuck
318wife adizabad-zeaadizabad-zea
319windtisewthun; gidgeathuctisewthungidgeathuc
320woodadiabadiabadiab
321woodpeckersheebuint; shebohoweetshebohoweetsheebuintshebohoweet
322wolfmoisamadrookmoisamadrook
323womanimamus; emamoose; woass-sut red Indian womanemamoose; woass-sut red Indian womanemamooseimamus
324yawningtibeath; jibeathtibeathjibeath
325yesethath; yeathunethath; yeathun

Numerals

Numerals in Beothuk:
GlossCormackLatham / King Leigh
oneyaseekyazeekgathet
twoadzeichadzeechadasic
threeshendeekshendeeshedsic
fourdabseekdabzeekabodoesic
fiveninezeeknunyetheeknijeek
sixbashedtheekbeshedbigadosick
sevenoodzookodeozookoodosook
eightaadazookadosookaodoosook
nineyeothodukyeothoduckyeothoduck
tenshanseeshanseetheant
elevenee-zaziech--
twelveee-adzide--
thirteenee-shendeek--
fourteenee-dabzook--
fifteenee-ninezeek--
sixteenee-beshedtheek--
seventeenee-oodzook--
eighteenee-aadazook--
nineteenee-yeothoduck--
twentyadzeich dthoonut--
thirtyshendeek dthoonut--

Months

Months in Beothuk:
GlossCormack list
Januarycobshuneesamut
Februarykosthobonong bewajoite
Marchmanamiss
Aprilwasumaweeseek
Maybedejamish bewajowite
Junewasumaweeseek
Julycowazaseek
Augustwadawhegh
Septemberwasumaweeseek
Octobergodabonyegh
Novembergodabonyeesh
Decemberodasweeteeshamut