368 



PHILOLOGY. 



omission of the letter k, its place being indicated by a slight guttural catch, as, wd'a for 

 waka, nu'u for nuku. At Mathuata, in addition to this, the t is frequently dropped, 

 as, 'awfcz'a for tamata. This pronunciation, however, is considered faulty by the natives 

 themselves. In some words which are elsewhere pronounced with the double consonant 

 nd, the natives of Vanua-levu employ the simple element t, as, vundi, banana, is pro- 

 nounced vuti; nduru, knee, turn; ndatou, we, tatou. There are also verbal differences, 

 such as ngoli, for ika, fish ; but these are few in number, at least for words of common 

 occurrence. It is said by the missionaries that in words and locutions of a more recon- 

 dite cast, such, for instance, as those expressing the operations of the mind, and particu- 

 larly in compound terms, the difference is much greater. Indeed, they fear that they 

 shall be obliged to make distinct versions of the Bible for the two stations. 



3. On the eastern side of Viti-Ievu, and particularly in Rewa, the language is said by 

 the natives to be spoken in its greatest purity. There are, however, some slight verbal 

 differences even between the neighbouring towns of Mbau and Rewa. The dialect of the 

 adjoining islands, Ovolau, Koro, Ngau, &c., is very nearly the same. That of Kandavu 

 is said to vary somewhat more. 



4. On the western side of Viti-levu, we were informed by the white men resident on 

 the island, that the difference of dialect was so great as to render the language nearly 

 unintelligible, at first, to natives of other parts. The inhabitants have very little inter- 

 course, either for commercial or hostile purposes, with other sections of the group, and 

 are considered the most barbarous of the Feejeeans. I saw but one individual from this 

 quarter, and in a brief vocabulary of common words obtained from him, found but a 

 small proportion that were peculiar. 



The dialectical variations, both of words and construction, are noted in the grammar 

 and dictionary. But it should be observed that even where a word or form of expression 

 is peculiar to one section of the group, it will commonly be understood by the natives of 

 most others. 



ETYMOLOGY. 

 THE ARTICLE. 



There is but one word in Vitian which can, with strict propriety, be called an article. 

 This is a or na, which answers generally to the English the, though it may sometimes 

 be rendered by the indefinite article. It is used only before common nouns. Na is a 

 euphonic variation, which is employed, at Lakemba, after a preposition, and after the 

 conjunction ka, and, (or more properly with) ; as, e vinaka a matau ka na kuro, good 

 are the axe and the pot. At Rewa, however, the a is only employed at the beginning of 

 a sentence, and the na in all other cases. 



It is a peculiarity of the Vitian language that certain words are always preceded, 

 except when they begin a sentence, by the letter i, which has no meaning, and seems to 

 be used merely for euphony. Although, in point of fact, it belongs to the word which 

 follows it, it is nevertheless affixed, in pronunciation, to that which precedes. In such 

 cases the article a becomes ai, as, valu, war, ai valu, the war ; yava, spade, omui yava, 

 thy spade, &c. 



