Page:An introduction to Indonesian linguistics, being four essays.djvu/357

 338. The word lagu in IN signifies “modulation of the voice, melody, tempo, and style, in speaking or reciting”. 339. We may distinguish between three kinds of lagu, viz. those characteristic of particular languages, particular individuals, and particular circumstances, or the emotions arising therefrom, respectively. Of the second sort there is nothing to be said here. I. The lagu of particular languages. “The Sundanese are in the habit of speaking slowly and quietly, in a peculiar tone, lagu, which sounds singing and prolonged” " (Coolsma). — “The Achinese speak rapidly” (Snouck Hurgronje). — “The Puqu-m-Boto dialect is spoken in a tone that sounds more cheerful and is more prolonged, than the average Bareqe. The tone of the To-Lage dialect sounds somewhat proud and mocking, even in the mouths of slaves and children” (Adriani). II. The lagu of particular circumstances. Here the excessive lengthening of vowels and even of consonants is a phenomenon of particularly frequent occurrence. “In Minangkabau, if one wants to express pity for the person addressed, one says : tuaaan, ‘lord !’ ; if a man sees a runaway horse, he shouts out: kudooo!” (Van der Toorn). — “In Madurese, they say kab . . . bhi, ' all !', instead of kabbhi, if they want to express astonishment” . 340. From the tem fo there result certain phonetic phenomena, viz. the lento an d alltgro forms. In Dayak the article i coalesces with the pronoun aku to form yaku, “I”. When speaking slowly the Dayak says iaku. This iaku is the lento form, and at the same time the exceptional one, the normal form being yaku. According to Ophuijsen the Malay duwa- Rh