INFLEXION AND CONSTRUCTION OF WOKDS. 



2T 



VERBS. 

 Princijjiles of Conjugation. 



§ 123. Through all the variatious of person, number, mode, and tense, the 

 Yoiniba verbal root remains unchanged. 



§ 124. Person and number are denoted by the form of the personal pronoun 

 that represents the subject, as follows : 



emi ri, I see or saw. awa ri, toe see or saio. 



iwo ri, thou seest or saioest. ?r)yiq I'i, y^^ see or saw. 



bi) ri, he sees or saw. nwoq ri, they see or sa/io. 



§ 125. The modes and tenses are indicated by auxiliary particles placed before 

 the verb. The whole diificulty of the Yoruba verb lies in the position and meaning 

 of the^e particles ; and thus the intricacies usually found in the in^exions of the verb 

 are here transferred, as it were, to the department of syntax. 



§ 126. There is but one conjugation, and no irregular verbs, in Yoruba; all verbs 

 being varied in the same manner. We will here give a synoptical view of the 

 various forms of the verb. 



INDICATIVE FORMS. 



AORIST. 



Past. 



Future. 



Simple. 



j Perf. emi ri, I see or saw. 



\ Impf. emi qri, I am or was seeing. 



j Perf. emi ti ri, Iluive or had seen. 



\ Impf. emi ti qri or qti qri, I have or had been seeing. 



{First, emi 6 ri or k ri, I shall or will see. 

 Sec. emi 6 ti ri,* / sJudl or will hawe seen. 



Aorist. 



Past. 



Future. 



\Perf. 

 [ Imjyf. 



First. 

 Sec. 



until ni or li o. 



emi ni ri, I see or saio. 

 emi li o ri, / saiv or see. 

 emi ni qri, la/m or tvas seeing. 

 emi li o ti ri, I have seen. 



] . °. ^' . > I sJudl or will see. 

 emi ni yi o ri, J 



emi ni yi 6 ti ri, I shall or tvill have seen. 



OPTATIVE OR POTENTIAL FORMS. 



Aorist. emi ma ri, I may or loould see, or a77i seeing. 

 Past. emi ma ti ri, I might or woidd liave seen. 

 Future, emi 6 ma ri, I may see or shall he seeing. 



This form is scarcely recognised by the Natives. 



