Page:An Australian language as spoken by the Awabakal.djvu/100

 14 AX AUSTRALIAN LANCiUAGE.

Adjectives denoting character, manner, or habit, are formed from the roots of verbs, and have the particles y e or k e i added e.y., bim, the root of the verb 'to smite,' gives bunkiye, '; smiter'; whereas b n n k i 11 i-k an would be 'one who smites' wogkal 'to be a fool'; wogkal-kei, 'foolish'; so also gura-kei 'wise, skilful'; b u k k a-k e i, 'ferocious, savage' kekal-kei, 'sweet, nice, pleasant.' Derived forms of the verb also give nouns in -ye; as w i y - a i - y e, ' a talker.'

Of Comparatives and Superlatives.

The following are the methods used in comparison, there being no particles to express degrees of quality : —

1. The comparative of equality is formed thus : — Kekal-kei unni yanti unuo a-k i 1 o a, ' sweet this as that- like,' i.e., 'this is as sweet as that.'

2. The comparative of inferiority is formed by putting the negative particle korien after the adjective; thus: — Kekal-korien unni yanti unno a-k i 1 o a, ' sweet-not this

as that-like,' i.e, ' this is not so sweet as that.'

3. The comparative of superiority is formed by the use of the word k au wal-k an w al, a redu2)lication of 'great,' and the particle of negation added to that which is inferior ; as : — Kekal-kei unni k au w al-kau w al keawai unno a,

'sweet this great-great, not that,' i.e., 'this is most sweet.'

Of Words DExoTixti Dumber.

Numei'als are only cardinal ; they are declined as nouns, so far as they extend ; namely, w a k a 1, ' one '; b u 1 a, b u 1 o a r a, 'two'; goro, 'three'; wariin, 'four'; beyond this there are no further numbers, but the general term k au w al-k au w al, ' much or many' is used. The interrogative of quantity or number, minnan? ' which present ?', means 'how many?'; the answer Avould be given b}^ any of the above numbers ; or by kau w al- kau wal kiiri, ' many men' ; or by ware a kuri, ' few men.' Ordinal numbers can be expressed only by declining the noun to which they may be attached, the ordinal adjective being also subject to declension, according its own termination, indepen- dently of the termination of the noun ; as : —

P u r r e a g-k a g o r o-k a, ' the third day ' ; k u 1 a i-t o a g o r o- k o a, ' by, beside the third tree.' Bui o a r a is used in the dual, and is of the sixth declension.

There are also two other expressions which may be noticed here ; namely, w i n t a, equivalent to ' a part or portion of, some of; also, yantin, equivalent to 'the whole or all'; as, unti-bo winta kuri, 'here be part of the men,' 'some of the men are here'; unti-bo yantin kuri, 'here be all the men,' ' all the men are here.'

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