470 PHILOLOGY. 



In writing the language, seven vowel characters (a, a,, e, i, o, u, u) have been used, 

 and fifteen consonants (j , /, h, k, I, m, n, #, p, r, s, t, Q, v, w). It is probable that two 

 of these vowels, and u, and two consonants, g and w, will hereafter be found unneces- 

 sary, their places being supplied respectively by a, o, s and v, thus reducing the number 

 of elements to seventeen. 



The law which prevails in the Polynesian dialects by which two consonants never occur 

 without a vowel between them, does not apply to this tongue. At the same time, the com- 

 binations are neither numerous nor harsh, and the general sound of the language is soft 

 and pleasing. 



THE ARTICLE. 



The article is to, or da,* which seems to be the same word with the numeral one, and 

 answers to both the indefinite and definite articles in English. In the latter case, it some- 

 times takes the place of the demonstrative that, opposed to ti, this. Both these words (ta 

 and ti) are postfixed to the nouns to which they belong, as, hula (cons, hual) moon, 

 kualda or hualta, the moon ; hedu (cons. JieiO) star, heidda, the star ; -dai or \>a, man ; 

 era Qd-ta, \)d-ti, not that man, [but] this man. 



The final vowel of this particle is sometimes dropped, as, ota u\)a on wdkaf, my 

 father his canoe that, for, that is the canoe of my father. 



THE NOUN. 



The only real inflection which nouns undergo is the euphonic change already men- 

 tioned. Gender, when it exists in nature, is distinguished by affixing to the substantive 

 the words -9ai or -da, male, and honi, hani, or hen, female ; as, lea, child, leddi, boy, 

 Zehoni, girl ; u or hu, parent, uda, father, uhoni or uhen, mother. 



The genitive is formed either by the pronoun on, his (as in an example just given), or 

 by the affix n, which is probably an abbreviated form of a preposition (no or m), meaning 

 of; as, uddn Qata, father of that man. 



The dative and ablative are expressed by means of the prepositions se and e; as, se 

 Rotuma, to Rotuma ; e ahoi, in the ship ; e Rotuma, from Rotuma. Se appears to be 

 also employed to denote the simple accusative, as yo feel se aia, I see thee. 



No particle marking the plural could be discovered, except the word maoi, many ; as, 

 ri maoi, many houses, &c. If the language possess any more direct method of express- 

 ing plurality, it is probably seldom used. 



ADJECTIVES AND NUMERALS. 



These follow the noun to which they belong ; as, da lelei, good man ; hual sayhul, 

 ten months. 



The comparative degree is expressed by means of the preposition e, following the 

 adjective; as, ten (cons, ti'), great, yo ti' e data, 1 am great by (greater than) that man. 



* The d is merely a softened sound oft, which might, with propriety, be substituted for it. We have 

 preferred, however, to leave the words as they were originally written. 



