Page:Ethnological studies (Roth).djvu/25

 ABORIGINALS : AN ELEMENTARY GRAMMAR.

The remaining series (d) of personal pronouns objective, indirect object, refer to the person's benefit, use, or advantage : their inflexions are similar to those characterising the possessive pronouns (sect. lOJ), and take the additional -na or -ko already referred to, according as the action takes place in present and past, or future time.

d. Person — for whoso benefit, use, or advantage, something is done.

Number.

Person.

I. — In Present and Past Time.

II.— In Putuve Time.

1st

nun-ysL-ti-ni, = for me, for my benefit,

manya-tl-ks = for me, for my benefit.

for my advantage

for my advantage

2ad

Jng'-ka.-tl-na = for thee, for thy benefit.

fofl'-ka-ti-ko = for thee, for thy benefit.

ti

for thy advantage

for thy advantage

S

3rd

tio-ka-tIi!.i-S, See.

no-ka- tl-io-u, &c.

"3

no-kS-tl-na-ka

no-ka-ti-ko-ka

a

no-ka-tl-rwi-rl

no-ka-tI-ko-(i-rI

ic

ntin-ka-tl-jM-g

niin-ka-ti-i-o-u

m!(m-ka-tl-na,-ka

»M«-ka-tl-ko-ka

nftn-ka-tl-miJ-rl

ntin-ka-tI-ko-(J-rI

1st

7MjWlng-a-na = for the benefit, use.

nifZ-llng-a-ko = for the benefit, use.

advantage of us both

advantage of us both

■3

2nd

jioo-l&ng-S-nS, &;c.

moo-18ng-a-ko, &e.

3rd

poo-lSng-a-ni-g

jjoo-lang-a-ko-O

))

poo-l^ng-^ n^-kS,

^oo-lSng-a-ko-ka

jpoo-ia,ng-a-na-rI

poo-iaag-a-ko-(i-ri

1st

TCfin-Sng-S-nS = for the benefit, use.

jiun-ang-S-ko = for the benefit,- use.

.

advantage of us all

advantage of us all

&

2nd

»!oo-rang-a-na, &c.

noo-rang-^-ko, &c.

s

3rd

iMTi-ang-a-ni-S

«S7i-ang-a-ko-1i

s

,]

ifi»-ang-a-na-ka


 * &ji-ang-a-ko-ka,

))

tttn-ang-a-mil-rl

tiin-ang-a-k5-(i-rl

8. The Auxiliary Verbs " to be" and " to have."

The verb " to be" is in reality not expressed; it is only understood by the various inflexional forms of the personal pronouns nominative which, as we have seen (sect. 5), undergo modification in present and past, or future time. There is, however, a verb " kunna-linga" — " to be," in the sense of " to become."

With regard to the verb "to have," i.e., "to possess," the Pitta- Pitta aboriginals adopt the following method of translating, or rather transposing it : thus, instead of saying, like a European, " t have, had, or shall have, a boomerang," they would express themselves, literally, as "I am, was, or shall be, the boomerang- possessor." The possessor, the sign of possession, &c., is rendered by the suffix -md-To {cf. mur-ra = hand) in present and past, or -»?a-r6-ngo in future time (sect. 22) ; hence the sentence would read eithet " bibapooro-maro nunja" or " bibapooro-marongo nunyo" as the tense requires.

[The Mitakoodi blacks of the Cloncurry district have a similar means of denoting possession by means of the suffix -5oo-na.]

Another form of the verb " to have," i.e., in reply to a question involving a transitive verb, can be translated by the transitive verbal pronouns (sect. 18).

9. The Indefinite Articles "a" and "the" are not Translated.

Example 1. 1. Nunkartinari. 2. Ingoena. 3. Ningienyanaka [toka-ka nutto]. 4. Nungonou [pun-ni-a noo-a]. 5. Poolakoari [pite nunyo],. 6. Inna [pite-anutto]. 7. Poolanganaka. 8. Nulliena. 9. Nooraenyana [toka-ka nutto]. 10. Poolaenoka [pun-ui-a noo-a].

Translation. 1. For the benefit of that woman yonder. 2. At thy side. 3. [I brought (it)] from the man close-up-at-the-back-of-me. 4. [He is running] towards the woman-in-front. 5. [I will strike] both of them. 6. [I am beating] you. 7.