Brinton.] <o [Oct. 2, 



position, may suffer elision. This is strictly similar to the 

 Nahuatl and other sjmthetic tongues. 



Other examples of developed synthesis are not uncommon, as 



away, imibak, from imia to go, jebak, already. 



very hot, palina, from ba + ilinia. 



The opinion that the Bri-Bri is at present a considerably cor- 

 rupted and worn-down dialect of a group of originally highly 

 synthetic tongues is borne out by an examination of the scanty 

 materials we have of its nearest relations. 



Thus in the Terraba we find the same superfluous richness of 

 pronominal forms which occurs in many South American tongues, 

 one indicating that the person is sitting, another that he is 

 standing, a third that he is walking.* 



The Brunca has several distinct forms in the present tense : 



I eat, cha adeh } and atqui chart (atqui = I). 



Although Bishop Thiel supplies a number of verbal forms from 

 this dialect, the plan of their construction is not obvious. This 

 is seen from a comparison of the present and perfect tenses in 



i mi if a tq u h I. 



various words. The pronouns are £ 1 



[ ique, he. 

 For instance : — 



Brunka Verbal Forms. 



To kill (radical, ai). 

 Present, I kill, cha atqui i aira. 

 Perfect, he has killed, iang i aic. 



To die (radical, cojt). 

 Present, I die, cojo drah. 

 Perfect, he has died, cojt crah. 



To hear (radical, do}). 

 Present, I hear, aari doj ograh. 

 Perfect, I have heard, aqui doj crah. 



*Qabl>, ubi supra, p. 539. 



