212 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. I. 



5TH. — They have but a limited number of words expressive of abstract- 

 ness, collectivity or generality. 



6th. — Most of their root nouns are monosyllabic, though some are 

 dissyllabic. 



7TH. — The almost totality of their adjectives are regular verbs, and as 

 such they invariably follow the noun they qualify. 



8th. — The possessive pronouns are prefixed to the nouns they deter- 

 mine, and constitute an integral part thereof. 



9TH. — The adverbs always precede the verbs. 



lOTH. — The primary, or main verbal, roots are in every case the last 

 syllable of the verb, the penult being invariably the pronominal or inflect- 

 ible element, which may be preceded by a secondary radical, the nega- 

 tive particle, the completive — direct, or indirect, or both — pronouns, and 

 the various accessory sense-modifying affixes- 



iiTH. — The substantive verb " to be" exists in its independent form. 



I2TH — The divisions of the verbs into transitive, intransitive, passive, 

 etc., are purely theoretical, and have no effect upon the conjugations. 



13TH. — There are three conjugations with only one mode and four 

 primary tenses. 



14TH. — The negation is, at least, triple in Carrier, double in Chif/ohtin 

 and single in the Eastern dialects. 



ISTH. — The Carrier is the most synthetical and inflective of all the 

 Western or Eastern dialects. 



