n - University of Newcastle

The interrogatives seem to be the connectkw link between the
nouns ancl the verbs. This arises from the fact that they take
both the noun ancl the verbal suffixes. For instance, while inji
' \\-hen ' S takes, at times, the forms inj i-go ancl inj i-gal, it also
becomes inj i-gun ailcl in j i-gun-ga, ancl these last terminations
are verbal suEses. The morcl miny ug ' what ' ? may also take
such forn1s as these:--minyu~allela? 'what nre you cloing'?
minyu&en? 'what is the matter'? miny~~goro? ' what isdone'!
In fornl, there is really no clistinction between intei-rogative and
assertive sentences ; hence any ii1terrogati1-e may have also an
assertire meaning ; miny ukallela gai, therefore, may mean ' I
an1 cloing something.' In this dialect, there is a grammatical
clistinction between the imperative, the affirmati\-e, ancl the negative
forms of speech; but all these forms may be made interrogatire
by the tone of the voice.
S~cflx-2>out~1ositio1zs zlsecl zcitl~ L f i ~ ~ and q ~ P,.onou~2s.
~
It m y be as well to ask, at this stage, if there are any prc-
positions in ISSin y u &. There is a large number of words clenoting
place ; most of them are simplc adverbs, and some of them clemon-
stratives, and some occasioilally have such a 'elationship to the
noun that they call only be regarcled as folfilling the office of
pre1)ositions. They are not always placed before the noun, the
&Sinjug having the greatest freedom with respect to the collo-
cation of ~5-orcls. The morcl kam, which is among the demon-
strntives, may also be regarded at times as a preposition. When
a native says malo ]ram kubbil ky us, which is, literz~lly, ' you
to scmb go,' why shoulcl not lcam be callecl a preposition? In
the same way, kagga kubbil means 'out to the scrub.'
There are a few words of this kind that have s limited Llflec-
tion; e.y., balli 07. ballia means 'uncler'; juy,Jua, junno are
'do~vn,' 'into'; bundagil, bunclagally, bunditgalla, 'near.' Of
these, the particular form used is that which agrees in telmination
with the noun qualified.
Every word in BIinyug ends either wit11 a vowel or a liquid,
ailel there are certain euphonic rules to be followecl in connecting
the suffixes with each kind of encling. I11 the following tables
examples will be given of each kincl. In Table I., all the inflecting
suffixes will be joinecl to mully. In Table 11. mill be found the
singular persolla1 pronouns, 31-hich contain some irregularities,
ancl a life-noun ending in I, 911, n, ng, ra, or o. It will, homerel;
be unnecessary to give in full the declension of these.
I11 Table III., four non-life nouns are chosen, ending in -I, -18,
-in, ancl -xi, and the teinlinations giren are those numberecl I, 8,9,
From these examples, all other forms can he understood.
TIIE MIXTUSG DIALECT.