42 ETY3I0L0GY AND SYNTAX. 



1. In the perfect aorist, 6 or 6, he, she, it, or that, often follows 'iii' ; as, emi li o 

 ri (^I it-is that saiv), I saw ; eijyii} li o mo {ye it-is that hneiv), ye hiew. But 

 when this tense refers to present time, the relative pronoun is generally omitted ; 

 as, emi ni ri {I it-is see'), I see ; eqyiq ni mo {ye it-is hiow), ye hnow. 



2. In the future tense ' ni ' is followed by yi, lie, she, it, or that ; as, emi ni yi 6 

 ri (J itri^ that will see), Isluill see; eqyiq ni yi 8 mo {ye it-is that will Tcnoio), ye 

 will hiaw. 



g"be. 



§ 186. Gbe, to dwell, abide, takes the place of mbe in the imperative and sub- 

 junctive; as, gbe ib^, le there; di;e ki 6 gbe {mahe tliat he he), let Mm be, or let 

 him alone. 



§ 187. This verb is often pleonastic after adverbs of place ; as, ni ile ti 6 gbe 

 wa, in the house where he %vas ; nihinyi nwoq gbe kit, here they died. 



di. 



§ 188. Di, to become, may be rendered by the verb to be, when change of state is 

 implied; as, iwo 6 di omo buburu, thou wilt be a bad child; 6 di arugbo, he is 

 getting old ; di atoqbi, to beborn again ; 6 di eni egir) {lie became one oi contempt), 

 he %vas despised. 



§ 189. The verb se, to do, to act, may be rendered as a substantive verb in seve- 

 ral cases, as follows : 



1. When it has for its object a noun which denotes one who acts in some capa- 

 city or fills a station ; as, nwoq se woli, they were prophets, i. e. they acted as pro- 

 phets or performed the work of prophets ; iwo ni r)se babd mi, thon art my father ; 

 eni ti ise akobi, _7i6 who is first-born ; okpo li oq &e,-she is a tvidotv ; yi 6 se ami fu 

 qyii], it will be a sign to you. 



2. The verb ' se ' (and sometimes ' d^e ') is used with a negative instead of ' ni ' ; 

 as, oba li 6r), he is a king ; ki ise oba, he is not a Mng. 



3. It is also frequently employed to express the relation of ownership ; as, yi 6 

 se ti re, it shall be thine. 



§ 190. In the imperative with the negative mdh, not, 'se ' is frequently used pleo- 

 nastically, like the English do ; as, mdh se 16h, do not go. It is sometimes used in 

 the same manner in connexion with other negatives to express a refusal ; as, emi ^ 

 ^e loh, / ivill not go. 



dze. 



§ 191. Dze appears to be another form for ' se ' ; at least the use of the two verbs 

 is very similar. D;^e is employed as follows : 



1, To express being or acting in the capacity of an officer; as, o die bale (7i(? 

 acts governor), he is governor ; tali o fi mi die onidadio ? who made me to be 

 judge? i. e. who made me a judge? 



2. Die is the only word emjjloj^ed in the sense of to be in connexion with num- 

 bers ; as, o die ogota {it makes sixty), it is sixty. 



