INFLEXION AND CONSTRUCTION OP WORDS. 31 



SUBJITNOTITE PARTICLES. 



ba. 



§ 139. The verb 'ba' signifies to arrive at, attain to, meet, find, &c. It is 

 employed as an auxiliary particle, chiefly in what may be termed the subjunctive 

 mode, with something of the sense of o^eacMng, arriving at, or attaining to, the 

 action expressed by the verb before which it is placed ; as, bi iwo ba ri i, kpa S, if 

 them seest it. Mil it, lit. if thou attaim, to seeing it or chance to see it. 



§ 140. It is also employed as an emphatic or definite particle in the indicative 

 mode ; as, ile ti mo ba ko ni, o w6 (Jiouse which I huilt Oris, it fell dotoii), the house 

 which I huilt has fallen down ; 6hur) ti Olorui) ba ti wen5, mdh fi kpi^ li aim6 

 (thing which God has cleansed not mahe to-call t&ie uncleanness), the thing which 

 God has cleoMsed call Twt unclean. 



§ 141. It is customary also to use ' ba ' after nigbati, when ; as, nigbati mo ba 

 de, wlien I arrive. 



aba and iba. 



§ 142. These particles, which appear to be derivatives of 'ba,' imply duty or 

 obligation ; as, emi aba ^e e, or iba se e, / ought to do it; eqyiq ki iba ti 16h, ye 

 shoidd not go or have gone. (For the use of ti after ki, not, see § 131, 2, 6.) 



§ 143. In subjunctive sentences 'iba' is equivalent to if; as, iba se woli, i ba 

 mb, if he wei'e a prophet, he tvould hnow / iba ^e mo ni iye {if it-were I had 

 wings'), if I had wings ; a form of expression employed for oh! that I had, c&c. 



ki. 



§ 144. Another subjunctive form arises from the use of the conjunction ki, that : 



1. If the nominative to the verb is i), I, or a monosyllabic pronoun (except 



' 6i) '), only one ' ki ' is used ; as, 



ki n ri, ) , _ 

 1 A • • r that 1 see. 

 ki emi n, j 



ki o ri, tliat tliou see. • 



ki 6 ri, that he see. 



ki d ri, that we see. 



ki 6 ri, that ye see. 



2. If the nominative begins with a consonant or consists of two or more syllables, 

 it is usually followed by a second 'ki,' with the pronoun 6 or 6, he, she, or it; as, 



ki iwo ki 6 ri, tlmt thou see. 

 ki awa ki 6 ri, tlmt toe see. 

 ki nwoi) ki 6 ri, tluit they see. 

 ki babd ki 6 ri, that father see. 



3. The pronoun 6r), lie, she, it, is used with one ' ki' or with two ; as, ki 6q ri, or 

 ki 6q ki 6 ri, tlmt he s^e. 



§ 145. These forms are employed as follows : 



1. Subjunctively ; as, ki q ri, ki emi ri, or ki emi ki 6 ri, which may be rendered, 

 according to the context, tliat I see, that I shall see, that I may see. 



2. Imperatively; a.s. 



