n - University of Newcastle

THE WIUDHaEI DULECT. 59
The examples given above show that the variations in declension
arise from assimilation. Thus, when r or I is the last sound of the
word, these letters assimilate the initial consonant of the postfix.
If the vowel of the last syllable is i, either ending the worcl or
syllable or followed by n, euphony adds the sound of y to the cc,
of the postcx ; thus, dya, clyzt, dyi appear instead of da, clzl, A.
When i is ejected, this rule does not apply. The ejection of i pre-
ceded by a takes place in the X0112. 2 ancl in the Locative.
If the possessi~re pronoun is put before its nou~~, it is declined
with the same termination as the noun. But the nlore common
practice is to put the pronoun behincl it in an abbreviated form as
a postfix; as, buraigundi, ' to my boy'; buraignnu, 'to your
boy'; buraigugula, 'to his boy.' ' To my boy,' with the possessive
pronoun detached, would be g a cl clig u bur ai gu.
2. THE COXPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.
There is no comparative form of the adjective, nor, properly
speakin,, a superlative, thougli certain terminations, such as bag
' ~ery,' b am b i la g ' exceedingly,' express a superlative or a very
hlgh quality of the thing. Hence the comparisons on things are
expressed in an indistinct manner. To say, 'this is better than
that,' wouIcI be ginna marog, wirai gannalla; Zit., 't>his is
good, not that'; nila garamba€, gainguagual, lit., 'this very
good, that also.' But to say, 'thisis the best of all,' woulcl be nila
marogbangan, wirai igianna ginnallal; lit., 'this is good
indeecl, these are not like it.' Acljectives may be cleclinecl like
nouns, but in syntax they are not always cleclined.
3. THE VERB.
The study of the verb is attended with some difficulty on account
of its many tenses ancl modifications ; it is, homever, conjugated
in a very regular manner, and, excepting the imperative,
it is non-inflexional throughout all its tenses, all the persons, both
singular and plural, haring the same form. The conjugations
may be reduced to about five, nor do these vary much, and, so far
as they do vary, they follow strict rules according to the termination
of the last syllable and the vowel preceding it.
The verbs, then, are arranged in co~ljugations according to the
terminations of the preseut tense of the indicative ; thus :-
I'ernzinations of Conjzcgatio?zs.
1. -Anna 07. -Ina ; 5. -unna ; 3. -inga ; 4. -arra ; 5. -irra.
The vowel of the penultimate syllable may be said to terminate
the radical part of the verb, which is retahzecl in a11 the tenses
and moditications, whilst the reaainclcr is liable to be thrown off.
Those tenses where a becomes ai are oniy apparent evceptiolls to
the rule.