INFLEXION AND CONSTRUCTION OF WORDS. 45 



3. When the governing verb is an infinitive, depending on another verb, the 

 objective is placed between the two verbs ; as, ye mi kp^ (cease me calV)^ cease 

 calling me; 6 mo iwe \h, {lie Tcnoivs hook read')^ he knows Iww to read ; emi fe 

 babd ri (I want fatlier see)^ I want to see my father. 



§ 202. The possessive relation is expressed in the following ways: 



1. By placing the two nouns in juxtaposition, the name of the possessor always 

 following that of the thing possessed ; as, iwe omo (hooh of child^^ the child's booh; 

 ile babd, father'' s liouse ; ile eiye, a bird's nest; ebado okuq, the shore of the sea, or 

 the sea-shore ; okpa irii), a staff of iron, or an iron staff. 



2. Less frequently, the relation between the two nouns is expressed, in the Ara- 

 maic manner, by tlie relative pronoun ti, ivho, wJiich, placed between thera, which 

 thus becomes equivalent to the preposition of; as, ile ti babd (house of father), 

 father'' s house ; Kristi ti Oluwa, the Christ of the Lord, or tlie Lord's Christ. 



§ 203. The pronoun or particle 'ti' is necessarily used in the following cases : 



1. When the first noun is omitted. 



a. In propositions where the relation of possession is predicated ; as, ti babd mi 

 ni (of father my it-is), it is my father'' s ; agbara ti idie ti Oloruq (power which is 

 of God), the power which is God''s. 



b. In propositions where the possessive relation is simply indicated and not pre- 

 dicated, but where the name of the thing possessed is not expressed ; as, nwoq se 

 ti orisa (they do of idols), they da the work of idols, i. e. they serve idols ; awoq 

 Nasdra fe ti Oloruq (they Christian love of God), Christians love the doctrine or 

 service of God. When a laborer was looking for a suitable stone, another said to 

 him in my hearing, gbe ti ese r^ (take of foot thy), take the one at thy foot. The 

 following instance comes under the same category : ki i^e Oloruq okii bikd^e ti 

 dye, he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. 



2. When the names of the possessor and possessed might be mistaken for names 

 or epithets of the same person in apposition, the relation of possession must be 

 indicated by ' ti ' ; as, Kristi ti Oluwa, ths Lord^s Christ ; Atiba ti oba, Atiba the 

 servant of the king. Atiba oba, means Atiba tJie King — the present King of 

 Yoruba being named Atiba. 



Apposition. 



§ 204. 1. "When nouns are in apposition, the principal word comes firet; as, 

 Atiba oba, Atiha tlie king, or King Atiba ; Kumi bale, Kumi the governor. 



2. When a pronoun is in apposition with a noun, the pronoun comes first ; as, iwo 

 omo, thou child ; eqyiq ^nia, ye people. 



3. If words in apposition be connected by a copula, the predicate usually comes 

 first; as, emi li Oloruq (spirit is God), God is a spirit; ologboq li iwo (loise- 

 man art thou)., thou art wise. 



ADJECTIVES. 



§ 205. The ofiBce oi predicative adjectives, i. e. of those which affirm or predicate 

 a quality, is performed : 



1. By simple verbs; as, Aina dara, Airui is good; 6 ti dara, /^ has been good; 



