Evidence for the Temporal Stability of Cree and Chipewyan Indian Animal Names

Following publication of my short paper on mammal and bird names in the Indian languages, Dr. C. Stuart Houston of Saskatoon kindly pointed out to me that a considerable number of Cree animal names are given in the Fauna Boreali Americana of Richardson and Swainson. As this publication is based on journeys made by Richardson in 1819-1821 and 1825-1827, whereas I collected Cree names in 1971, it is possible to compare names in use at two periods separated by an interval of approximately 150 years. Richardson travelled over most of the Cree country, from Hudson Bay to present day Alberta, while my informants were all from central or northern Alberta. Many differences in the two lists of names may therefore be due to regional, as opposed to temporal, differences; nevertheless a preponderant similarity between the old and the present-day names is evident on comparison. Richardson also listed a few Chipewyan animal names, so that a similar comparison, though on a small sample, can be made for this language as well. I have grouped the results of the comparison into three categories: names which are alike, and in many cases the same, allowing for the fact that there is often more than one way of writing the same sound for English readers; names which are cognate; and names which are different. Some examples, using Cree names only, are tabulated below. Of 23 mammals for which Cree names are given in the two sources compared, 18 were alike, 4 cognate and only one different. In the case of 42 bird names, 21 were alike, 7 cognate and 14 were different. For all 65 names the proportions are: 60% alike, 17% cognate and 23% different. The few Chipewyan names given in the Fauna Boreali-Americana make it possible to compare ten (six mammal and four bird) names with ones from my own material. Eight of these names are alike and two different. Irving, comparing Eskimo bird names in use in 1877 and 1960 in one locality, Cumberland Sound, Baffin Island, and thus eliminating the factor of regional differences, found that 92% were alike. Hisdata and that given above for two Indian languages indicate that animal names in these particular Amerindian languages are no less enduring in time than those used in languages which have writing

Julius Von Payer (1842-1915)

Julius von Payer was born near Teplitz in Bohemia. ... Due to his expertise on alpine glaciers, he was invited to join the German Polar Expedition of 1869-70, which worked in "new" areas in northeast Greenland. ... Payer and his friend naval Lieutenant Weyprecht thought that the area between Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya might offer a relatively ice-free zone to the north. Financed by Count Wylzeck, they chartered a small sailing vessel and during a favourable period in 1871 made a preliminary expedition in the area, reaching a maximal northern latitude of 78.5. Their next and last polar expedition, 1872-74, led to what might be called the "accidental" discovery of an archipelago of islands that they named Franz Josef Land, after their emperor. ... In September 1872 the [motorized sailing ship] Tegetthoff became ice bound and drifted northward over an irregular course. In August 1873 the southernmost island of Franz Josef Land was seen but could not be reached until October of the same year. Lieutenant Weyprecht commanded the ship and Payer led the sled expeditions that in early 1874 discovered the central portion of the island archipelago. ... Payer's sledge parties covered about 800 km, the northernmost point being 81 51 N. ... Their ship was still ice bound when the sledge parties returned. Some members of the expedition had died, including an old Norwegian whaling captain. In May, an expedition with sleds and three 60-m boats struck out for the depot left in 1871 on the island of Novaya Zemlya. Progress over the snow-covered ice was so slow that after eight days the leaders decided to await the breakup of the ice. It was mid-August before they were able to row and sail southward, covering the 300 km to Novaya Zemlya. Because of the land ice on the west coast of the island, they were unable to get to their depot and had to sail and row almost to its southern extremity before they were picked up by a Russian fishing vessel on 24 August 1874. ... Payer was not only an alpinist and explorer but also an artist. His book is illustrated with many drawings, two of which are reproduced here. Payer also made water-colour sketches in the Arctic. On his return from the North, Payer lived as a civilian in Paris until 1890, where he studied art. He then returned to Vienna and opened his own school of painting. He painted arctic landscapes based on sketches he had made during his expeditions. These were well received at several important exhibitions and he was, in fact, the first artist to depict the Arctic in colours. He died in Vienna in 1915

Karotten von der Saat bis zum Teller - Einfluss von Sorte Standort, Jahr und Anbauweise auf den Mineralstoffgehalt

Wie wertvoll sind Karotten für unsere Ernährung? Die Fachwelt ist sich einig, dass der tägliche Konsum von Früchten und Gemüse erhöht werden soll. Es gibt jedoch Presseberichte, die den ernährungsphysiologischen Wert von heutigem Gemüse hinterfragen. Die Rolle der Karotte als Mineralstoffquelle wird durchleuchtet

Karotten von der Saat bis zum Teller - Einfluss von Sorte, Standort, Jahr, Anbauweise und Lagerung auf den Carotingehalt

Karotten sind ergiebige Quellen an a- und ß-Carotin und weiterer sekundärer Pflanzenstoffe (SPS). Es ist bekannt, dass viele SPS auch für Geschmack, Aroma und Farbe eine Rolle spielen. Der Einfluss von Vorernte- und Nacherntefaktoren auf den Gehalt an SPS gewinnt deshalb zunehmend an Bedeutung. Für die Entwicklung eines Qualitätssicherungskonzepts sind die Kenntnisse über die Auswirkung dieser Faktoren unumgänglich

Effective relational dynamics

We provide a synopsis of an effective approach to the problem of time in the semiclassical regime. The essential features of this new approach to evaluating relational quantum dynamics in constrained systems are illustrated by means of a simple toy model.Comment: 4 pages, based on a talk given at Loops '11 in Madrid, to appear in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS

Hidden magnetic order in CuNCN

We report a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the quasi-one-dimensional quantum magnet CuNCN. Based on magnetization measurements above room temperature as well as muon spin rotation and electron spin resonance measurements, we unequivocally establish the localized Cu+2-based magnetism and the magnetic transition around 70 K, both controversially discussed in the previous literature. Thermodynamic data conform to the uniform-spin-chain model with a nearest-neighbor intrachain coupling of about 2300 K, in remarkable agreement with the microscopic magnetic model based on density functional theory band-structure calculations. Using exact diagonalization and the coupled-cluster method, we derive a collinear antiferromagnetic order with a strongly reduced ordered moment of about 0.4 mu_B, indicating strong quantum fluctuations inherent to this quasi-one-dimensional spin system. We re-analyze the available neutron-scattering data, and conclude that they are not sufficient to resolve or disprove the magnetic order in CuNCN. By contrast, spectroscopic techniques indeed show signatures of long-range magnetic order below 70 K, yet with a rather broad distribution of internal field probed by implanted muons. We contemplate the possible structural origin of this effect and emphasize peculiar features of the microstructure studied with synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figures, 1 tabl