Page:A SEA Dyak Dictionary in alphabetical parts, with examples and quotations shewing the use and meaning of words.pdf/9

IX An adjective must follow its substantive, as orang brani, a brave man; orang badas, a good man.

Degrees of comparison are expressed by the addition of adverbs as agi, lebih, bendar, pemadu, korang, nadai. Thus: brani, brave; brani agi (or lebih brani), braver ; brani bendar (or pemadu brani), bravest ; korang brani, less brave ; nadai brani, least brave.

Adverbs are placed either before or after their verbs, as, iya bejalai dras, or iya dras bejalai, he walks fast; iya landik bejako, or iya bejako landik, he talks fluently.

There are no articles in Dyak which correspond with our defi­nite article the and indefinite articles a, an. Ukui, dog, manok, fowl, signify equally the dog and the fowl.

The possessive pronouns are expressed by the words empu and enggi. Thus aku empu, or enggi aku, mine. Nuan empu, or enggi nuan, yours. Iya empu, or enggi iya, his, or hers. Similarly also with the plural.

There is only one relative pronoun ti (the other forms are ki and kai), who, which, that. Burong ti siga. A bird that is wild. Raja ti lurus. A king who is just. Utai ti iya empu. The things which belong to him.

The demonstrative pronouns are tu, this, and nya, that. Tu anak aku. This is my child. Nya anak iya. That is her child.

In giving examples of the use and meaning of the Dyak words we have drawn upon the undermentioned sources: (I) published Dyak works, (11) well-known sayings or proverbs (ensumbar jako), (III) incantations, or, as in the majority of the examples given, have (IV) composed sentences in which we have endeavoured to shew how a word is commonly used or its meaning by the context.