Page:The Native Tribes of South Australia (1879).djvu/200

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126 LANGUAGE. The interrogative s "who" and "what" are thus declined:— "NGANGGE" (WHO). ngangge, who. nak, to whom. nak an angk, to whom (plural) nauwe, whose, or of whom. nauwurle, whose, or of whom. ngande, by whom. nambe, for whom. "MINYE" (WHAT). minye, what. mek, to what. mek, of what. mengye, by what (how). mekimbe, for what (what for). minyandai, what times (how often). minyurti, what sort. minyai, munyarai, what numher. minde, what reason, why. murel, with what intention. The verbs are always formed from roots, which consist invariably of one or two vowel sounds, and two or three consonantal sounds. The tenses are made hy participles joined to the roots. For example, let us take the word "lakkin" (spearing):— Root, lak, to spear or pierce. Present, lakkin, spearing. Imperative, lakour, must spear. Past, lakemb, speared a long time ago. Past, lakkir speared recently. Future, lakkani, will spear. Past Participle, laggelin, speared. lakuramb, for the purpose of speariug, lakilde, ought to spear. lakai, spear not. Let us take a further example, and give some sentences in which is the word "pettin" (stealing):— Stealing by him it. Pettin ile ityan. He steals it. Steal with it. Pet al yan. Let him steal it. Steal with thee it. Pet al um ityan. Let you steal it (permissive). Thou steal must it. Nginte pet our ityan. Thou must steal it. By him it was stolen. Kile yan petemb. He stole it a long time ago. Steal did by him it nearly. Pet emb ile ityan ngak. He nearly stole it.