Page:An Ainu-English-Japanese dictionary (including a grammar of the Ainu language).djvu/664

106 (f.) is sometimes heard for “I”; it is a contraction of  which means “we,” and, which signifies “to be” or “to be at a place.”  is principally used by low class Japanese when attempting to speak Ainu, and by Ainu only when addressing Japanese or persons but imperfectly acquainted with the Ainu language. It has come to be pigeon Ainu.

The pronouns of the second person singular are:—

(a.) appears to be the original word from which  has been formed; thus:—

(b.) is now a very contemptuous expression, and is a corruption of. It is in fact pigeon Ainu, and equals of the 1st. person.

(c.), which is a contraction of , is, like , a more polite form of speech than , but neither are so often used. and were originally plurals, and are still so used in certain contexts.

Sometimes the words and  are heard for the first and second person singular respectively, but not often. is a verb meaning “to abide,” “to stay.” Thus really means “I who am here;” and  “you who are there.”

There is no proper third personal pronoun. Its place is supplied by the word, , and the demonstrative adjectives.


 * , “this person” (man or woman).
 * “this thing.”
 * or, “that thing or person” (a little way off.)
 * or, “that thing or person” (a greater distance off).