The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological Relations

This volume offers a detailed examination of the Arawack people of Guiana and the structure of their native tongue. Drawing on missionary records, early travelers’ notes, and rare manuscript dictionaries, the author reconstructs both the grammar and the cultural backdrop of a community that once stretched across much of the Caribbean basin. Readers will encounter vivid descriptions of daily life, physical traits, and social customs that set the Arawacks apart from their more warlike neighbors.

In addition to linguistic analysis, the work surveys the tribe’s genealogical system, religious beliefs, and interactions with European settlers from the 16th to the early 19th centuries. The inclusion of original word lists, phonetic observations, and comparative commentary makes the book useful for scholars and anyone curious about how language reflects a people’s identity. Although the material is scholarly, the prose remains accessible, inviting listeners to picture a modest yet resilient society living along the Corentyne and Pomeroon rivers.