1911.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 41 



was in early days and in many settlements still is similarly much used 

 among the white people of this region. Indeed, among many it is 

 regarded almost as a panacea, being used for coughs and colds, rheuma- 

 tism and other ailiments, as well as for fevers, the medicine sometimes 

 being applied externally and sometimes taken internally, depending 

 upon the affection. In intermittent fevers, the white sage (Eurotia 

 lanata), id' -cop, was considerably used. 



Some Features of Word Formation in the Gosiute Language. 



The primary stems of the Gosiute language are mostly verbal in 

 character. They are monosyllabic in form and are largely further 

 reducible to significant elementary sounds. The vowel sounds where 

 capable of dissociation in this way represent general modes of motion 

 which are modified or conditioned in definite ways by combination 

 with consonants placed in the initial position. Hence, leaving aside 

 secondary and exotic factors, the vital, active part of the language is 

 found to be especially vivid. The verbs largely define themselves, 

 and it is probably for this reason that it has seemed necessary for each 

 verb or verbal combination to be set off or introduced by a general 

 causal particle, ma. 



In the composition of the primary stems to form secondary com- 

 binations and words, the more specific particles come first, those 

 expressing the more general notions being final; i. e., the first syllables 

 control and restrict the final ones. The combination is thus such as 

 clearly to suggest or to define the action or conception to be symbolized 

 or represented. In verbs the final syllable in the indefinite form is 

 one that signifies some general action or mode of action. N, -in or 

 the more definite -kin are such endings representing in effect, making, 

 producing or simply acting or doing; no indicates general motion or 

 transportation, etc. By means of such endings nouns are readily 

 converted into verbs. When a stem representing a noun in the 

 objective or other relation is incorporated, it occupies the initial 

 position in the verbal combination. Some simple examples of verb 

 formation follow : 



a, na, indicates movement or extension out or away from in a straight 

 line, projection, etc. 



a'-pi (a'-vi, ha'-bi), a secondary root derived from the preceding 

 root + bi, (vi), meaning primarily to accumulate, to rest upon, 

 etc. Hence a'-pi means to rest or lie upon while extended, to 

 stretch out upon, to lie down. Used separately in speaking of 

 persons the form of the verb becomes ha'-vi-do. 



