Page:An Australian language as spoken by the Awabakal.djvu/99

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common nouns, -t in, -1 i n,-in, - r in, 'from,' 'on account of,' the consonant varyinj; according to the termination of the word to which it is attached ; (2) k i n - b i r u g, meaning 'from,' used only to pronouns, is opposed to the dative of 'motion towards'; proper names, whether of persons or phices, require k a - b i r u g ; but common nouns reqiiire, according to their terminations, -ta-birug, -ka-birug, -la-birug, -a-birug, -ra-birug, to mark ' motion from,' as opposed to the dative ; (3) k a t o a, meaning to be ' with ' as an agent, is alExed to personal pronouns and proper names of persons only ; but persons, things, and places annex, according to their respecti^'^e terminations, -t o a, -koa, -1 a, -o a, -roa, meaning 'by,' 'through,' 'with,' 'near'; no causative effects are implied in any of these particles ; (4) ka-ba, meaning 'at' or 'on,' and kin-ba, present 'with' a person at his place, are locative.

Por nouns, these postpositions are annexed mostly to the form of the simple nominative ; for pronouns, commonly to the first dative form.

Of Adjectites A^"D Pakticiples.

Adjectives have no distinctive endings ; it depends entirely on their situation, or on the particles used, whether words are nouns, adjectives, verbs, or adverbs. For instance, if murrarag, 'good,' yarakai, 'bad,' and konein, 'j^retty,' be declined according to their terminations, with the particles of agency affixed, they would then become agents, and consequently nouns; as, mnrraragko, ' the good,' yarakaito, 'the bad or evil,' k o n e i n t 0, ' the pretty' or ' the beauty, ' respectively, . . . . ;* but participles in the passive voice terminate always in the com- pound paitiele -toara; the root of the verb is prefixed either with or without the causative particles, according to the sense required ; as, from k i y u, the verb ' to roast with fire, to scorch, to broil,' comes kiy ub a- 1 6 ar a, 'that which is roasted'; k i y u b a - 1 6 a r a b a g, ' I am roasted '; kiyuba-toard, ' that which is roasted '*.

Adjectives denoting abundance are often formed by a redupli- cation; as, murrarag, 'good'; m u r r ar a g-m ur r ara g, 'excellent, abundance of good'; kauwal, 'great, large, big'; k a u w a 1 - k a II w a 1, ' many, abundant.'

Adjectives denoting want are expressed by affixing a negative word ; as, m u r r a r a g-k o r i e n, ' worthless,' lit., ' good-not.'

Adjectives denoting resemblance require the particle -kiloa, 'like,' to be affixed; as, w onnai-kilo a, 'child-like.' ' like a child ' ; but, if they denote habit, the joarticle -k e i is affixed ; as, wonnai-kei, 'childish.'

  • See footnote, page 10.

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