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On proceeding to institute a comparison between the
eastern and the western dialects in regard to the designation
of certain objects, the first general difficulty might be expected
from the relative poorness of the western vocabularies, while for
Greenland and Labrador we possess regular dictionaries. But
as to the said new words the western vocabularies nevertheless
proved to be tolerably well provided. It will be seen that with
a few exceptions all the principal objects here in question are
represented in them. Another difficulty might seem to arise in
trying to discern between what had to be considered new, and
what had been known to the natives from their life in an earlier
home in more southern regions. Certain well known birds, for
instance are very characteristic of the polar sea, but may have
been known from far-off lakes too, visited by them at certain
seasons, and it is doubtful whether the invention of the Eskimo
dog sledge is due to a period after their settling on the northern
shores or before. But on the other hand it may be with safety
asserted, that the emigrants from the south can not have
become acquainted with the walrus and the polar bear before
reaching the arctic sea. However in giving a list of such
decidedly arctic objects there is no sufficient reason for omitting
others of a similar kind, if even some doubt may be raised
about their origin. At any rate it must be left to the reader,
as to how they finally have to be ranged.
THE NAMES OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARCTIC
ANIMALS. After these previous remarks we will turn to the
appended vocabulary and select the words in question, arranging
them conformably to their importance for our proposed research.
The first class of course comprises the arctic mammiferous
animals, the seals, whales and the polar bear. The vocabulary
shows, that the following animals and objects relating to them
have identical names in the east and the west: 1. the spotted
seal. — 2. the fiord seal. — 3. the bearded seal. —
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