11 certain Oceanic Languages. 



[Proc. Rot. Soc. Victoria, 27 (N.S.), Part II.. 191tJ. 



Akt XXI. — Certain ISuffixes in Oceanic Laagumje,^ 



By W. G. I yens, M.A. 



(Comuumicated by R. D. Boys, M.A.). 



1. — Nature of the Enquiry. 

 Four Tables have been compiled by the writer, showing : — 

 Table I.— Verbal Suffixes 

 Table II. — Noun Suffixes 

 Table III.— Passive Suffixes 

 Table IV.— Adjectival Suffixes I 

 After each Table instances are given of words which show tlu 

 presence of such Suffixes witli remarks thereupon, and such con- 

 clusions are drawn as seem to be warranted by the evidence adduced. 



2.— Object of the Enquiry. 



(a) To collect instances of Verbal and Noun Suffixes occurring 

 in languages where their presence has not been recognised hitherto, 



(b) To form a theory that will give a satisfactory explanation of 

 the formation of the Gerundives and of the Passive Suffixes in 

 Polynesian. 



Note. — n is sounded as ng in singer. Abbreviations : v. — verb; 

 v.i. — verb intransitive; v.t. — verb transitive; adj. — adjective; n— 

 noun; adv. — adverb; prep. — preposition; Pol. — Polynesian. 



TABLE I. 



Verbal Suffixes. 

 This Table is founded on the Table of Verbal Suffixes in Dr. 

 Codrington's " Melanesian Languages," p. 180. New features 

 in it are — (1) Nguna, (2) Gilbert Islands, (3) Rotuma, (4) Maori. 

 (5) Samoan, (6) Tongan, Tahitian, Hawaiian, (7) Malay (8) Ulawa, 

 Sa'a, Wango lists have been amplified, (9) Lau, (10) Melanesian 

 New Guinea (Expedition to Torres Straits, Vol. iii., p. 458), (11) 

 New Britain. 



Consonantal. Syllabic. 



(;i) Loyalty Islands. 

 Nengone - - ?ie, ///', // 



Lifu . . ft 



