156 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
must employ what are called “Tenses.” Tenses mark an action as being 
either Present, Past or Future, as: 
Tlaou kwoyadung, I love. 
Tlaou kwoyadaguni, I loved. 
Tlaou kwoyadasang, LI will love. 
We have also two Historic Tenses which are used only when relating 
something that was not done in the presence of the audience. 
Examples. 
Kin tliskwudas il istagangang bagunan 7 
il kwutungéstigang, He was sorry for the wrong he had done, 
Jesus itil hagunan kwotalang, Jesus died for us. 
Itil il kwoyadagangang, He had loved us. 
Adshi tligé daungangang, _ This world had been wicked. 
Ltha il kangang, He saw them. 
Herod Itha hahudila tlitagangang, Herod killed the children. 
4. Number and Person. 
There are two numbers in every tense and mood ; they are called 
the singular and the plural. Each number has three persons ; the first 
is the person who speaks ; the second is the person spoken to, and the 
third is the person spoken of. The subjects of verbs are always nouns 
and pronouns. They form separate words and always precede the verb. 
5. Conjugation of Verbs. 
A. CONJUGATION OF THE AUXILIARY VERB—TO BE. 
InpIcATIVE Moop. 
Present Tense. 
Tlaou iching, Iam. 
Dahou iching, Thou art. 
Laou iching, He is. 
Talung iching, We are. 
Dalung iching, Ye are. 
Ltha iching, They are. 
if a few : Laou iswang, They are. 
Past T'ense. 
Tlaou idjang, I was. 
Dahou idjang, Thou wast. 
Laou idjang, He was. 
Talung idjang, We were. 
Dalung idjang, . Ye were. 
Ltha idjang, They were. 
Ifunder ten: Laou isouwang, They were. 
