ABSTRACT
In August 1961 I met another Ainu scholar, Kindaichi Kyōsuke, at Noboribetsu, where I was working as a "display" Ainu. Professor Kindaichi figured in one of my father's favorite anecdotes concerning researchers of the Ainu language. To the question, "What three words of great import to the Ainu have the same suffix?" Father instantly replied "Noype (brain), sanpe (heart), parunpe (tongue)," to which the professor smiled and retaliated, "Siretok (beauty), rametok (courage), pawetok (eloquence)," 1 leaving the two in laughter. Whenever my father got started talking about the Ainu language, he inevitably brought up this exchange with Professor Kindaichi.
