Page:A Sketch of Mota Grammar.djvu/18

(14) used with ike, ne; i ike, 'this fellow;' iro ine, 'that woman.'

It is evident that the work of possessive pronouns is done for one large division of Mota words by the affixed personal pronouns; but there remains the other division, the class of words to which the pronominal affix does not apply. With them, however, the same usage really prevails, though in the use of words which have the appearance of personal pronouns. These are—nok, 'my;' noma, 'thy;' nona, 'his;' nonara inclusive, nonkara exclusive, 'belonging to us two;' nomurua, 'belonging to you two;' nomam exclusive, nonina inclusive, 'our;' nomiu, 'your;' nora, 'their.' There is equally common the form anok, anoma, &c. Amok mok, amoma, &c., is also my, thy, &c., with a slightly closer relation implied, as of origination.

Anak, anama, &c., in no case nak, nama, is used with regard to persons: o rowrowovag anak, 'my servant.'

It is evident upon the face of it that there is here only a substantive with the pronominal affix. This becomes more distinct on observing the form nanok, namok, with the article; and also the words used as possessive pronouns in regard to things eaten, or drunk, and possessions regarded as choice properties.

A thing for my eating is gak, your gama, and so on.

„„drinking is mak, your mama, &c.

'A pig,' 'a fruit tree,' is pulak, pulama, &c.

These words then apply as apparent personal pronouns to the class of Mota nouns which do not take the pronominal affix. Thus, nok a gasal, 'my knife;' moma or mom vavae, 'your word;' nona or non a togara, 'his behaviour;' and so on throughout the persons.

If anok, amok, is used, it generally follows the noun, nok and mok never do: o gasal anok, o vavae amoma.

Mok, amok, namok, are used in the sense of "my