Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/282
270 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [N. s. f 22, 1920
River problem is complicated by the existence of a phonetically similar term in Upper Lillooet: hd'te "father" (vocative only, apparently for both sexes).
To 6. This term includes also the "father's brother's wife." No. 25 rests on a misunderstanding. The term no f x a i' (no'xi') is simply a diminutive or endearing form of the more formal no)'"*. This no'x a i' "my little mother" is not only used endearingly for the mother, mother's sister, and father's brother's wife, but also, by a curious reciprocal usage, for the child or grandchild of an affec- tionate mother or grandmother. In the latter sense it can only be used by a female.
To 7a, 7b. The term nä·'ät' is also used in a wider sense. It
may be employed by any man or woman in addressing a male to
express great regard and affection. The term dd'l is used analo-
gously, except that it may be employed by a woman only. There
are also two terms of reference, not used as vocative or with posses-
sive suffixes, for "boy, son" and "girl, daughter." From birth up
to the time that he is given a name, the son of a family is referred
to as gine' fe s; from birth up to the time that the first mark is made on
her lower lip for the eventual insertion of a labret, the daughter is
known as 'axq'e't's, literally "without a labret mark." These
terms are paralleled by the Tsimshian (
symbol characters) and (symbol characters).
To 15. According to Mr. Calder, ndkc is not used as a vocative.
The proper vocative usage for "spouse" is a teknonymous one.
If the mother has a son or daughter young enough to be referred to
as gme' e s or 'axq'e't's, her husband will address her as noxc gmt te s
or(symbol characters), "mother of the boy!" or "mother of the girl!"
Analogously, the wife will address her husband as n9gwo' fo t's gme fe s
or (symbol characters), "father of the boy!" or "father of the^girl!" gwo
When the spouses no longer have a son or daughter young enough
to be referred to as gme' /e s or 'axq'e't's, they address each other as
"father of so and so!" or "mother of so and so!", using the name of
one or the other of their sons or daughters.
To 25. This term, as already noted, is simply a form of the word for "mother." See preceding note and note to 6.
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