352 THE POLYNESIAN WANDERINGS. 



Regarding the suffixed n as characteristic of Indonesia and affixed upon 

 Polynesian loan material in accordance with an idiosyncrasy foreign to the 

 source of the loan, we may dispose of many of these forms by a list which 

 exhibits their progress in variation from the standard type: jikan, ikan, 

 ikani, ikiani, maran-igan, ackan, iani, yano, nyan, iyan, ian, ein. Sulu isda 

 is impossible of coordination. Nicobar ka and ga would need proof that ika 

 could sacrifice that former syllable which only in Silong ackan has admitted 

 of any alteration whatever. Java iwa is last to be noted ; it should not be 

 understood as involving a k-w mutation, but rather does it represent some- 

 thing very much like Samoa i'a, and the semivowel w is but the attempt 

 to hold the two vowels apart, as is accomplished in Samoa by the '. This 

 is a particularly interesting identification, for it is the only language in 

 Indonesia which has not added n to the Proto-Samoan stem. 



Concerning the Semitic Dr. Macdonald writes : "It is possible that ika is the 

 same by the elision of the d." Equally is it possible that darksome is 

 irksome "by the elision of the d." A simple philology. 



"I'a is the general name for fishes," Pratt notes in his Samoan dictionary, 

 "except the bonito and shellfish (mollusca and Crustacea)." We may for- 

 give the inaccuracy of the biology in our gratitude for the former note. The 

 bonito is not a fish, the bonito is a gentleman, and not for worlds would 

 Samoa offend against his state. The Samoan in his 'upu fa'aaloalo has his 

 own Basakrama, the language of courtesy to be used to them of high degree, 

 to chiefs and bonitos. 



One does not say that he goes to the towns which are favorably situated 

 for the bonito fishery; he says rather that (funa'i) he goes into seclusion, 

 he withdraws himself. He finds that the fleet which is to chase the bonito 

 has an honorable name for this use, that the chief fisher has a name that 

 he never uses ashore. He will not in so many words say that he is going 

 to fish for bonito, he says that he is going out paddling in the courtesy 

 language (alo) ; he even avoids all chance of offending this gentleman of his 

 seas by saying, instead of the blunt vulgarity of the word fishing, rather that 

 he is headed in some other direction (fa'asanga'ese). He does not paddle 

 with the common word but with that (pale) which he uses in compliment 

 to his chief's canoe. He will not so much as speak the word which means 

 canoe; he calls it by another word (tafanga), which may mean the turning 

 away to one side. In this unmentioned canoe he may not carry water by 

 its common name, he must call it (malu) the cool stuff. He will not men- 

 tion his eyes in the canoe; he calls his visor (taulauifi) the shield for his 

 chestnut leaves. Even the word for large becomes something else (sumalie) 

 in this great game. The hook must be tied with ritual care; it is called 

 (pa) out of the common name for hook ; no bonito will take a hook which 

 has not been properly tied ; the fastening is veiled under the name (fanua) 

 for the land. There are many rules to observe; their disregard is called 

 (sopoliu) the stepping over the bilges, from the most unfortunate thing that 

 the fisher can do. He may hail the bonito by his name (atu), or he may 

 call him affectionately or coaxingly (pa'umasunu) old singed-skin. If he 

 has the fortune to hook his bonito he must raise the shout of triumph, 

 Tu! Tu! Tu e!, not his whole name but one of its syllables; he triumphs 

 as over a foe honorably slain in combat, but he avoids hurting the feelings 



