Page:An Ainu-English-Japanese dictionary (including a grammar of the Ainu language).djvu/644

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The root meaning of is “little” and shades off into various interpretations of a diminutive character. Such as, “tiny;” “small;” young;” “child,” e.g.


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 * style="width: 50%;" |, "a sword”
 * style="width: 50%;" |, “a dirk.”
 * , “a bird”
 * , “a young bird.”
 * , “male”
 * , “a boy.”
 * }
 * , “a boy.”
 * }

The word also enters into geographical nomenclature sometimes. As:—


 * , “the little over-flow stream.”
 * , “the little precipitious valley,” “glen,” or “stream.” Nai-po, “the little glen” or “stream,” or “the little stream” (the meaning being that it comes out of a larger one).
 * , “the little mountain.”
 * , “the little ” (the meaning being that there is another near at hand, or that the one  river flows out of the other).
 * , “the little knob.”
 * , “the small harbour.”
 * , “the little sea-leopard.”
 * , “little stony glen.”

THE ABSTRACT NOUNS.

Nouns expressing abstract qualities are formed by adding or  or  to adjectives and verbs, thus:—


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 * , “bright”
 * ( or ) “brightness.”
 * , “to speak.”
 * , ( or ) “a speech.”
 * }
 * }

Care must be exercised in using for expressing abstract qualities, for that word when used with adjectives sometimes makes concrete nouns.