This page needs to be proofread.

(29)

natives themselves do not recognise any special force in any particular affix, always excepting vag when it is separable.

It will be convenient to divide these affixes into those which consist (1) of a letter, (2) of a syllable:—

1. The most common form is with g, as already given— manag, matag, vavavag. The other consonants employed are in much less frequent use:

n, as sogon, to stow away; v as sogov to give freely, sogo, being to set out, as food; vanov, put; vano, go.

r, as kokor; vesager, to place above, to put on the fire or the table; va, sage, r, sage, up.

t, as wonot, to oppress; wono, close; mavat, to weigh upon; mava, heavy.

s, as kokos.

The affix when a syllable is either ag, gag, lag, mag, rag, sag, tag, vag, without any difference in sense, but with regard perhaps to euphony: Taleag, turn; tale, about; vanogag, to conduct; vano, to go;—saromag, to sheath a knife; saro to come in, as fish into a net;—vilerag, to distribute; vile, to take or bring;—porosag, to mock; poro, to mock;—ron̈otag, as above;—sirvag, to cut close, as grass; sir, to shave.

The separable affix vag is not the same as this last, but is equivalent to a preposition: mulevag, to go with a thing;—matevag o gopae tutusag, die with a fever; masvag o tapera, fall down with a plate. This vag can go as a preposition, not with the verb but separated from it, and with the substantive: mule raveaglue o tinesara vag o tapera, go through the courtyard with a basket.

The Adverbs reag and vitag are affixed to verbs, but are not affixes of the character here spoken of: mapreag, put a thing away; nomvitag, forgive, think off from.

Ga.—This is not an affix, but it is a termination very