THE GREAT OCEAN. 391 



The words formed, after the manner of children, 

 by the repetition of one sound, in which the root 

 has sometimes one meaning, sometimes another, 

 and sometimes none at all, which are much more 

 frequent in the common language of the eastern 

 islands than in the western more cultivated dia- 

 lects, in which, however, they are not wanting, 

 give it a peculiar and pleasing character. * 



The Owhyeeans have, besides, adopted many 

 words from foreign nations with whom they trade, 

 which, with their pronunciation, the want of some 



Polynesia, and particularly in Nicholas' Voyage to New 

 Zealand, London, 1817, we find no indication of a greater ex- 

 tent ; and there, too, only two pronouns. Pronoun of the first 

 person, Owhyee, JVau; New Zealand, Aou; Tonga, Au, perhaps 

 the Tagalese Aco; Malay, Ku. Tonga has, besides, among 

 others, Gita ; Tagalese, Quit a ; Malay, Kiln. Pronoun of the 

 second person, Owhyee, Hoe; New Zealand, Eakoe or Acqiioi; 

 Tagalese, Ycao; Malay, Ankati. What confuses us the most in 

 the study of these languages, is the different orthography, 

 used by various collectors of words, and linguists. You must 

 often be acquainted with the word to recognize it. 



* Moku-moku, war. Moku, island, and European ship. 

 Make-make, to love, to like. Make or ynate, to kill, to 



strike. 

 Mire-mirc, to behold, to see. 

 Moe-moe and moe, to sleep. 

 Nomc-nome, to speak, to say. 

 Hane-hane, to make. 

 Para-para, to draw. 

 Mi-mi, mingere, 

 Wite-xmte, quick, sudden. 

 Rike-rikr, just so, just the same. 



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