Brinton.] doD [March 20 



The verb cannot be considered to be present as a separate part of 

 speech, when a verb can thus be made out of any word, not merely 

 those stamped as verbs, but also out of those which bear the express 

 characteristics of nouns ; and therefore I include all these cases in the 

 class under consideration. For in all these languages there is in fact 

 no verb, but only separate elements of speech with the verb omitted. 

 Such cases are, however, interesting, as showing the gradual approach 

 to the verb, and the effort of the instinct of language to anive at gram- 

 matical form. 



The independent personal pronoun rarely makes an element of verbal 

 form, as in speaking it is generally worn down to an affix. When it is 

 used to form a verbal expression, the difference of the elements is 



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apparent. Thus, in the Carib, anaiaca puin au — I (am) not a divider. 

 In that tongue, however, this placement is not applicable to every noun, 

 but only after certain definite verbal forms, especially in negative 

 expressions. 



The Lule language confines this notation to participials, and expresses 



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by it the condition of the action and also its time ; mil quis amaiciton, 



13 3 



you (are) nie loving. 



The affixed pronouns are either special, confined to these expressions, 

 or if elsewhere in the tongue, are not employed with verbs, or not in 

 this manner ; or they are the pronominal affixes of the verb itself. 



The Maya or Yucatecan language has a special pronoun which added 

 to any noun forms a sentence with it, and possesses the power to add 

 the idea of the verb ; Pedro en, I am Pedro. But when it stands alone, 

 without a predicate, it loses this power, as en alone does not mean, "I 

 am." 



In the Beto language there is, indeed, no special pronoun of this kind, 

 as the one used is also a possessive. Its position, however, makes the 

 difference. When it is prefixed, it is the possessive, but when suffixed 

 it carries with it the power of the verb : humani rru, man I (am) ; 

 fofei mi, bad I (am). In a similar manner this tongue forms a sub- 

 stantive verb, ajoi rru. The meaning of the root is not given, but it 

 seems to mean something present, at hand. It is siiggestive that in 

 these phrases the accent is always on tlie pronoun, as if to signify that 

 that is the important element. 



It is very common in American languages to find the noun and the 

 verb using the same pronouns, with the former to indicate possession, 

 with the latter the subject. This might be explained by supposing 

 that the action is regarded as the possession of. the agent. But it is 

 simpler to suppose that in each case the connection of the person with 

 the noun and the verb is in the thoughts, and this relation is recognized 

 in expression. 



In this way the Mbaya language has a sort of descriptive conjugation ; 



