The explorer Jacques Cartier observed in 1535 and 1536 about a dozen villages in the valley between Stadacona and Hochelega, the sites of the modern cities of Quebec City and Montreal.[1] Archeologists have unearthed other villages farther west, near the eastern end of Lake Ontario. St. Lawrence Iroquoians lived in villages which were usually located a few kilometres (miles) inland from the Saint-Lawrence River, and were often enclosed by a wooden palisade. Up to 2000 persons lived in the larger villages.
By the time the explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1608, however, he found no trace of the Iroquoians visited by Jacques Cartier some 75 years earlier.[2] Scholars have developed several theories to explain the complete disappearance of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, among them devastating wars waged by the Mohawk from the south, epidemics of Old World infectious diseases, or migration towards the Great Lakes region. Archeological evidence points most strongly to devastating wars with neighbouring Iroquoian tribes, the Huron and the nations of the Iroquois League, especially the Mohawk.[3]
Classification
Several dialects of Laurentian may have existed in the 16th century in the St. Lawrence River valley. The sparse records made by Jacques Cartier during his voyages cannot be considered conclusive, and the Laurentians may have spoken several distinct languages.[4] A few Laurentian words are still in use today as toponyms: most notably the word canada, meaning "village" in Laurentian. Jacques Cartier used the word to describe both the region and the river that crosses it. The name of Donnacona, the Iroquoian chieftain Cartier met at Stadacona, remains in use as the name of the town of Donnacona, Quebec. Hochelaga remains in use in the Montreal borough of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and the alternate spelling "Osheaga" serves as the name of Montreal's annual Osheaga Festival.
On the basis of the Laurentian vocabularies of Cartier, the linguist Marianne Mithun concludes that Laurentian was an Iroquoian language, and its speakers were "clearly in contact with the Lake Iroquoian peoples [Huron and Iroquois]" (Mithun, 1981).
Vocabulary
In 1545 Jacques Cartier published a journal of his voyages, including the first list of Laurentian words. Here are some examples (numbers and parts of the human body), as written by Cartier:
English (from French)
Laurentian
one
segada
two
tigneny
three
asche
four
honnacon
five
ouiscon
head
aggourzy
eyes
hegata
ears
ahontascon
mouth
escahe
teeth
esgougay
tongue
osvache
village
canada
A second shorter vocabulary list was appended to his journal of his first voyage, which was published much later, first in Italian and later in English and French.
References
^Jacques Cartier. (1545). Relation originale de Jacques Cartier. Paris: Tross (1863 edition)
^James F. Pendergast. (1998). "The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga" 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine, Journal of Canadian Studies, Volume 32, p. 149, accessed 3 Feb 2010
^Bruce G. Trigger, "The Disappearance of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians", in The Children of Aataenstic: A History of the Huron People to 1660, vol. 2], Montreal and London: Mcgill-Queen's University Press, 1976, pp. 214-218, 220-224, accessed 2 Feb 2010
^James F. Pendergast. (1998). "The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga" 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine, Journal of Canadian Studies, Volume 32, pp. 156-157, accessed 3 Feb 2010
Jacques Cartier. (1545). Relation originale de Jacques Cartier. Paris: Tross (1863 edition). (Vocabulary list on pages 46 to 48)
Floyd G. Lounsbury. (1978). "Iroquoian Languages," Handbook of North American Indians. Volume 15. Pages 334-343.
Juan Francisco Maura. (2009). "Nuevas aportaciones al estudio de la toponimia ibérica en la América Septentrional en el siglo XVI". Bulletin of Spanish Studies 86. 5 (2009): 577-603.
Marianne Mithun. (1979). "Iroquoian," in Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun, The Languages of Native America. Austin: University of Texas Press. Pages 140-141. ("Laurentian")
Marianne Mithun. (1981). The Mystery of the Vanished Laurentians, in Papers from the 5th International Congress on Historical Linguistics (Anders Ahlquist, ed.). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Pages 230-242.
Marianne Mithun. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN0-521-29875-X.
James F. Pendergast. (1998). "The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga", Journal of Canadian Studies. Volume 32. Pages 149-167.
Bruce G. Trigger and James F. Pendergast. (1978). "Saint Lawrence Iroquoians", Handbook of North American Indians. Volume 15. Pages 357-361.
Bruce G. Trigger. (1976). The Children of Aataentsic: a History of the Huron People to 1660. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press. pp. 214–228. ("The Disappearance of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians")
External links
List of Web sites on the Laurentian language (Native Languages of the Americas Online Resources)
Laurentian words
May 05, 2023
laurentian, language, variety, french, language, spoken, canada, canadian, french, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, includes, list, genera. For the variety of the French language spoken in Canada see Canadian French This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations April 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article has an unclear citation style The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting August 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Laurentian or St Lawrence Iroquoian was an Iroquoian language spoken until the late 16th century along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River in present day Quebec and Ontario Canada It is believed to have disappeared with the extinction of the St Lawrence Iroquoians likely as a result of warfare by the more powerful Mohawk from the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy to the south in present day New York state of the United States LaurentianNative toCanadaRegionSaint Lawrence River ValleyExtinctlate 16th centuryLanguage familyIroquoian Northern LaurentianLanguage codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code lre class extiw title iso639 3 lre lre a Linguist ListlreGlottologlaur1250Territory occupied by the St Lawrence Iroquois circa 1535 Contents 1 History 2 Classification 3 Vocabulary 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditMain article St Lawrence Iroquoians The explorer Jacques Cartier observed in 1535 and 1536 about a dozen villages in the valley between Stadacona and Hochelega the sites of the modern cities of Quebec City and Montreal 1 Archeologists have unearthed other villages farther west near the eastern end of Lake Ontario St Lawrence Iroquoians lived in villages which were usually located a few kilometres miles inland from the Saint Lawrence River and were often enclosed by a wooden palisade Up to 2000 persons lived in the larger villages By the time the explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1608 however he found no trace of the Iroquoians visited by Jacques Cartier some 75 years earlier 2 Scholars have developed several theories to explain the complete disappearance of the St Lawrence Iroquoians among them devastating wars waged by the Mohawk from the south epidemics of Old World infectious diseases or migration towards the Great Lakes region Archeological evidence points most strongly to devastating wars with neighbouring Iroquoian tribes the Huron and the nations of the Iroquois League especially the Mohawk 3 Classification EditSeveral dialects of Laurentian may have existed in the 16th century in the St Lawrence River valley The sparse records made by Jacques Cartier during his voyages cannot be considered conclusive and the Laurentians may have spoken several distinct languages 4 A few Laurentian words are still in use today as toponyms most notably the word canada meaning village in Laurentian Jacques Cartier used the word to describe both the region and the river that crosses it The name of Donnacona the Iroquoian chieftain Cartier met at Stadacona remains in use as the name of the town of Donnacona Quebec Hochelaga remains in use in the Montreal borough of Hochelaga Maisonneuve and the alternate spelling Osheaga serves as the name of Montreal s annual Osheaga Festival On the basis of the Laurentian vocabularies of Cartier the linguist Marianne Mithun concludes that Laurentian was an Iroquoian language and its speakers were clearly in contact with the Lake Iroquoian peoples Huron and Iroquois Mithun 1981 Vocabulary EditIn 1545 Jacques Cartier published a journal of his voyages including the first list of Laurentian words Here are some examples numbers and parts of the human body as written by Cartier English from French Laurentianone segadatwo tignenythree aschefour honnaconfive ouisconhead aggourzyeyes hegataears ahontasconmouth escaheteeth esgougaytongue osvachevillage canadaA second shorter vocabulary list was appended to his journal of his first voyage which was published much later first in Italian and later in English and French References Edit Jacques Cartier 1545 Relation originale de Jacques Cartier Paris Tross 1863 edition James F Pendergast 1998 The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga Archived 2014 08 12 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Canadian Studies Volume 32 p 149 accessed 3 Feb 2010 Bruce G Trigger The Disappearance of the St Lawrence Iroquoians in The Children of Aataenstic A History of the Huron People to 1660 vol 2 Montreal and London Mcgill Queen s University Press 1976 pp 214 218 220 224 accessed 2 Feb 2010 James F Pendergast 1998 The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga Archived 2014 08 12 at the Wayback Machine Journal of Canadian Studies Volume 32 pp 156 157 accessed 3 Feb 2010 Jacques Cartier 1545 Relation originale de Jacques Cartier Paris Tross 1863 edition Vocabulary list on pages 46 to 48 Floyd G Lounsbury 1978 Iroquoian Languages Handbook of North American Indians Volume 15 Pages 334 343 Juan Francisco Maura 2009 Nuevas aportaciones al estudio de la toponimia iberica en la America Septentrional en el siglo XVI Bulletin of Spanish Studies 86 5 2009 577 603 Marianne Mithun 1979 Iroquoian in Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun The Languages of Native America Austin University of Texas Press Pages 140 141 Laurentian Marianne Mithun 1981 The Mystery of the Vanished Laurentians in Papers from the 5th International Congress on Historical Linguistics Anders Ahlquist ed Amsterdam John Benjamins Pages 230 242 Marianne Mithun 1999 The languages of Native North America Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 23228 7 hbk ISBN 0 521 29875 X James F Pendergast 1998 The Confusing Identities Attributed to Stadacona and Hochelaga Journal of Canadian Studies Volume 32 Pages 149 167 Bruce G Trigger and James F Pendergast 1978 Saint Lawrence Iroquoians Handbook of North American Indians Volume 15 Pages 357 361 Bruce G Trigger 1976 The Children of Aataentsic a History of the Huron People to 1660 Montreal McGill Queen s Press pp 214 228 The Disappearance of the St Lawrence Iroquoians External links EditList of Web sites on the Laurentian language Native Languages of the Americas Online Resources Laurentian words Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Laurentian language amp oldid 1146970843, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
