DATA AND NOTES. 301 



258. 

 mitaku, mataku, mitau, matau, to fear, to be afraid of. 



Niue: matakutaku, to fear; matakumataku, dreaded, inspiring fear. 

 Maori: mataku, to fear, to be fearful, inspiring fear. Uvea, 

 Fakaafo, Nukuoro, Aniwa, Fotuna,Vate, Rarotonga, Mangareva, 

 Bukabuka, Manahiki: mataku, to fear. Rapanui: mataku, 

 alarm, dread, fear. Samoa: mata'u, to fear, to be afraid. 

 Tahiti: matau, fear, dread, to be in terror. Hawaii: makau, id. 

 Marquesas: hadmetau, id. 

 Sesake, Bierian: mataku, to be afraid of. Malo: matacu, id. Arag: 

 matagu, id. Nggela : matagu, fear, to be afraid of; mamataguga, 

 fearful. Belaga: matagu, to fear; mamataguga, fearful. Mota 

 Maligo: matagut, to be afraid of; tagut, to be startled. Fagani: 

 maguta, afraid. Mota Maligo: matagtag, to fear. Motlav: 

 metegteg, fear. Ambrym : matehag, to be frightened at. Vatu- 

 ranga: matahuni, to fear; matahu, fear. Malekula: metoh, id. 

 Aneityum: i-mtac, afraid, timid, cowardly; imiimtac, to fear, 

 to reverence. Suau, Tubetube : matausi, id. Dobu, Wedau : 

 matauta,id. Oiun: matautei, id. Sariba: matousi, id. Tavara, 

 Awalama : matouta, id. Pokau : maka'u, id. Kabadi : mekau, id. 

 King: matiit, to fear. Tanna: meheker, id. Lemaroro : matau, 

 afraid. Baki: merou, to fear. Tagula: marode, id. 

 Malay: takut, fear. Malagasy: tahutra, fear; matahutra, to fear, 



to be afraid. 

 Arabic: taka', to fear; takiyyat, fear, caution. 

 The Proto-Samoan stem is matakut, and it is not only in form a com- 

 posite of the ma of condition with takut, but we have the stem preserved 

 in independent existence in Mota Maligo, in Malay, and in Malagasy. In 

 the Mota tagut to be startled, taken in conjunction with Uvea mataku a 

 trembling with fear, we may find the primal sense of the stem, the quivering 

 of the body in expectant poise to seek refuge in flight when some unwonted 

 noise in the forest home has at last become identified with danger too 

 overpowering to face. 



The final t has vanished except in Samoa objective aspect mata'utia, where 

 it is protected, in Mota Maligo matagut, and in the Indonesian forms. The 

 stem vowel u remains in Mota Maligo, Sesake, Bierian, Malo, Arag, Nggela, 

 Belaga, Fagani, Vaturanga. By abrasion of that vowel we find a new 

 closed form in which the final stem syllable has disappeared ; Mota Maligo 

 matagtag, Motlav, Malekula, Aneityum. The following irregularities call 

 for comment. In Nggela and Belaga occur forms involving the duplication 

 of the conditional ma; this is of very rare occurrence and may perhaps 

 argue that the mataku stem was so archaic that the recollection was lost 

 that this was the ma of condition. This mamatagu in these two Solomon 

 Island languages may be understood as introducing a g in the stem /-place ; 

 Ambrym matehag seems to do the same ; Vaturanga matahuni has an n in 

 that place. We have not sufficient information as to these languages to 

 warrant venturing an opinion as to whether these are mutations of the 

 stem consonant or local devices of word formation. I have refrained from 

 including Aneityum imiimtac with mamatagu as duplication of the condi- 



