Page:An Australian language as spoken by the Awabakal.djvu/101

 Of PrO>'OU>'S.

The personal prououus of the first, second, and third persons singular, have two forms, the one used with the verb as a subject to it, the other used absolutely in answer to an interrogative, or with the verb for the sake of emphasis. The latter form, when used as a subject, precedes the predicate, and always calls atten- tion to the person and not to the verb. These forms will there- fore be designated Personal-nominative pronouns, and marked as such ; thus, Xom. 1 means Personal-nominative ; but the personal pronouns used as the nominative to verbs and never by them- selves, nor in answer to interrogatives, will be marked Xom. 2, to denote Yerbal-nominative, as the verb is then the jDrominent feature to which attention is called, and not the person ; these always follow the verb. The strictest attention must be given to the use of the pronouns in all their persons, numbers, and cases ; for by them the singular, dual, and plural numbers arc known ; by them the active, the passive, the reciprocal, and re- flexive states of the verb ; as will be exemplified in the conjugation of the verbs, as well as in the declension of the pronouns. The plural personal pronouns have only one nominative form to each person ; so also, the singular feminine pronoun, which is only of one description. The dual number also has but one pronoun in the nominative ease ; but it has a case peculiar to this language — a nominative and an accusative case conjoined in one word ; just as if such English pronouns as I and thee, thou and him, could become I-thee, thou-him. This will be called the Conjoined- dual form.

��DECLENSION OF THE NOUNS AND PRONOUNS.

��[The declension of the nouns and pronouns is effected by means of postpositions, as has been already explained in this chapter. The forms of the ablative case may be indefinitely multiplied in number by using other postpositions than those shown in the following paradigms.* — Ed.]

[* In the paradigms of the pronouns and the nouns, Horn. 1 is the nomin- ative case in its simple form, used absolutely ; JVom. 2 is the form used as the nominative of the agent or instrument ; the Gen. means, as usual, ' of,' or 'belonging to' ; Dat. 1 is the dative of ' possession' or 'use,' = ' for' (him, her, it), to have and to use ; Daf. 2 is a sort of locative case ' towards ' (him, &c. ) ; the Ace. is the ' object ' form of the word ; the Voc. is used in 'calling'; Abl. 1 denotes 'from,' 'on account of,' as a cause; Abl. 2, 'from,' 'away from,' 'procession from' ; Abl. 3, 'with,' 'in company with' ; Abl. 4, 'being with,' ' remamuig with,' 'at'; occasionally there is an Abl. 5, which means merely place where, 'at.' — Ed.]

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