THE OCEANIC FAMILY OF LANGUAGES. 831 
In the light of the preceding phonological facts, the letter- 
changes here are not only according to rule, but, in such constantly 
used inflexional particles, very slight, as ¢ to k, h, and to 7, g; 
the elision of n ; and the change of m to 6, f, v, p. As to signifi- 
cation, the consonance is even more remarkable, of 1 with 1, 2 
with 2, 3 with 3, 4 with 4, 5 with 5, 6 with 6, 7 with 7, 8 with 8, 
9 with 9. The conclusion is that they are identical ; and let it 
be observed that these prefixes, together with the before dealt 
with suffixes dn, ina, na, ana, ia, a, constitute virtually the whole 
of the Oceanic living inflexional material, these external inflexions 
having, according to the law of the analytical development of the 
Semitic languages, increased in frequency of use so as to replace 
the lost (as living) internal inflexions. 
The object of this paper was stated as to show as briefly as 
possible that the common stock of numerals, pronouns, and other 
fundamental words of word building or formative prefixes and 
suffixes, and of grammatical or syntactrial words and pronouns, 
which constitutes the Oceanic languages one perfectly well-defined 
family, is Semitic, thus establishing the relationship of the Oceanic 
to the Semitic family of languages. I now submit that the 
foregoing being substantially correct, allowing for any possible 
errors of detail, this has been done, or at least it has been shown 
conclusively that it can be done; for it has been shown that 
the Oceanic mother-tongue had the peculiar phonology, the peculiar 
triliteral numerals and other words with, of course, their peculiar 
inflexion of internal vowel change, the peculiar nunation the 
peculiar dual feminine ending, the peculiar plural masculine 
ending, and singular feminine ending, the peculiar formative, 
abstract, or infinitive endings and formative adjective endings, 
the peculiar pronouns with their grammatical use with verbs and 
nouns, and the peculiar formative or verb building prefixes of the 
Semitic family of languages. 
It remains to make a few concluding remarks on the foregoing. 
As to the method, it will be admitted that the numerals, 
pronouns, and other words, the word building or formative 
particles, and the phonology, though set forth in a paper like this 
necessarily in the briefest possible manner, yet even as thus set 
forth, show sufficiently for the purpose in hand the individuality 
of the Oceanic family of languages. Nor will it be disputed that 
the method of taking account of all of these, as stated at the 
outset, and not of a part only, is the right method ; for instance, 
all the twelve numeral words given are certainly and purely 
Oceanic. Therefore, it has to be shown, in order to establish the 
relationship of the Oceanic to some known linguistic family, 
that all of them belong to that family. This method, which has 
been carried out in this paper, was not carried out by Max Muller, 
A. H. Keane, and Bopp, in endeavouring to establish the 
