Was the 18Th and 19Th century Native American languages simplier and more primative than European languages?

Answer 1

Definitely not.

Some native languages are relatively straightforward to learn, once you get used to having different sounds than are used in European languages. Others are extremely difficult and highly complex languages with many compound word-phrases and composite elements.

As an example, the Dine languages used by the Apache tribes and their cousins the Navajo are some of the most difficult and complex languages on the planet, with a large variety of noun classes including "animate", "round object", "long, stiff object" and "granular object". Very simple verbs in Navajo may translate into many words in English; for instance, the verb si' means "to cause a hafted object to move".

An example Navajo text demonstrates the complexity of the language:

Ashiiké tʼóó diigis léiʼ tółikaní łaʼ ádiilnííł dóó nihaa nahidoonih níigo yee hodeezʼą́ jiní. Áko tʼáá ałʼąą chʼil naʼatłʼoʼii kʼiidiilá dóó hááhgóóshį́į́ yinaalnishgo tʼáá áłah chʼil naʼatłʼoʼii néineestʼą́ jiní. Áádóó tółikaní áyiilaago tʼáá bíhígíí tʼáá ałʼąą tłʼízíkágí yiiʼ haidééłbįįd jiní. "Háadida díí tółikaní yígíí doo łaʼ ahaʼdiidził da," níigo ahaʼdeetʼą́ jiníʼ. Áádóó baa nahidoonih biniiyé kintahgóó dah yidiiłjid jiníʼ....

In the Crow language of Montana, there is nothing primitive in the term Awaxaawaxammilaxpáake ('Mountain People'), or in the Crow version of the Lord's Prayer:

Min-upguá, akmakukuré danashé izishíu;

andibabazéze máre híi;

ba-an-da-nas'-dó-díu makukuré,

arakóte amé áken kuh karakotíi.

Maré mapam-barú sua hinné mapé mirikiú

míru baskotáo arakavirét bavíavuk,

Dih maré arakiverétta mirikiú:

arakavía maré diazíssa:

bagavía gagúa maré hizíssa.

Kótak.