Two Prayers in 17th Century Montagnais

Abstract

Two prayers in Montagnais included in Pére Paul Le Jeune's Jesuit Relation of 1634 have been reprinted four times in the past hundred and thirty years. An investigation of the various editions reveals differences in the rendering of the Montagnais text, some due to misreading, some due to misprints, and some due to the use of both a printed original and a contemporary manuscript version. A correct reading is presented here, along with some philological and linguistic comment.