366 VOCABULARIES OF NORTH AMERICA. 



ends in b, and is differently declined. Examples are sub- 

 joined. The power of the affixes varies according as the noun 

 is used with a transitive or intransitive verb. Nouns may 

 also be varied by affixes expressive of augmentation, dimi- 

 nution, affection, ridicule, humility, or multitude. Some 

 of these terminations are arsuk, arsuit, diminutives ; and 

 soak, sudset, sudsek, augmentatives ; vak placed before any 

 of them increases their power ; and the adverbial aluk 

 denoting " very " may be put after them, and is applicable 

 to either good or bad. Vavak, signifying an extraordinary 

 number, is placed before suareluit* 



Adjectives have also their declensions; and likewise 

 comparisons made by the addition of the syllable nek, or by 

 verbs. The adjective generally follows the noun, and must 

 agree with it in case and number. If the substantive have 

 an affix, so must the adjective. Nouns may be changed 

 into verbs by the affix evok or ovok, and the adjective then 

 must take the same termination. 



Pronouns are declined like the nouns by affixes, which 

 require much nicety in their due employment. Affixes 

 supply the place of possessive pronouns. 



The third person singular of the indicative is considered 

 to be the root of the verb, and may be used as a noun with 

 a change in the termination, " a hunter" being equivalent 

 to " he hunts." The inflections of the verb are extremely 

 numerous, and are expressive of affirmation, negation, in- 

 terrogation, and of the various circumstances in which the 

 agent or object can be placed with respect to time, place, 

 mood, or possession. The infinitive, formed by the termi- 

 nation nek, is used when things are spoken of indefinitely, 

 or when two verbs come together, and is conjugated in the 



* Akkatu is employed by tlie Eskimo of Churchill in the same way 

 as suareluit. 



