Page:An Ainu-English-Japanese dictionary (including a grammar of the Ainu language).djvu/642

84 not occur at all! There has been a mistake made somewhere. At present I can find no genuine instance where is used as a plural suffix. Feet is not, but. It is quite true that Dobrotvorsky gives as “tooth” and  as “teeth”; but I very much doubt the truth of this definition. “Tooth” is or  as one pleases, while teeth" is  or . Moreover, I find lower down in his work that Dobrotvorsky writes НмакъИмакъ [sic] which he translates by зудъзубъ [sic], “tooth.” The final hard mute ъ may represent the . Examples showing that ъ does sometimes represent  in Dobrotvorsky might easily be given were it necessary, but one clear instance only shall here be produced. It is за́нъэа́нъ [sic] “you,” which is unmistakably  in Ainu.

THE CASES OF NOUNS.

The case or relation of the noun to other words in a sentence, though generally left to be gathered from the context, may, when necessary, be expressed by certain particles; thus:—

But although, expressed or understood, is often used as a possessive factor ( really means to possess), yet this word is very often dropped and the case is expressed by the verb “to be” like the Aryan languages, but preceded in many instances by , “to.” The reason of this is evident. If