VERBS. j 53 



VERBS OF REPETITION. 



Reduplicated Verbs. \ 



§ 149. 1. The reduplication of a syllable in Dakota verbs is very common. In 

 intransitive verbs it simply indicates a repetition of the action ; as, ipsi6a, to jump, 

 ipsipsi6a, to hop or jump repeatedly; iha, to laugh, ihaha, to laugh often. In 

 transitive verbs it either indicates that the action is repeated on the same object, 

 or that it is performed upon several objects ; as, yahtaka, to bite, yahtahtaka, to 

 bite often ; baksa, to cut a stick in two, baksaksa, to cut a stick in two often, or 

 to cut several sticks in two. Verbs of one syllable are rarely reduplicated. 



2. There are some verbs whose meaning almost necessarily implies a repetition 

 of the action and which therefore are generally used in their reduplicated form ; 

 as, yuhuhuza, to shake; panini, to jog ; kapsiqpsigta, to whip ; yusiqsiq, to tickle; 

 nasuqsui), to struggle, etc. 



3. Verbs signifying to be are repeated to denote continuance ; as, den mar)ka 

 maqke, / continue to stay here ; hen dukaq dukaqpi, you reside there. 



§ 150. The use of a reduplicated form of a verb in its proper place is very 

 important. It is as much a violation of the rules of the Dakota language to use a 

 simple for the reduplicated form, as to use the singular for the plural number. 



Verbs with the Suffixes ' s'a ' and ' ka.' 



§ 151. 'S'a' is suffixed to verbs to denote frequency of action or habit ; as, 

 yahi s'a, thou earnest often ; iyatoq^ni s'a, thou dost tell lies habitually, i. e. thou art a 

 liar ; wamanoq s'a, one who steals ojten, i. e. a thief. 



§ 152. ' Ka' has sometimes the same signification with ' s'a ;' as, waoka, a good 

 hunter. But sometimes it does not produce any perceptible difference in the mean- 

 ing of the verb ; as, wa^teda and wastedaka, to love any thing. 



§ 153. When the verb, to which 'ka' or ' s'a' is suffixed, takes the plural form, 

 the suffix usually follows the plural termination ; as, waopika, marksmen ; edogpi 

 s'a, doers. But in the verb ' da,' to esteem, ' ka ' may either precede or follow the 

 plural termination ; as, wastedakapi and wastedapika. 



SUBSTANTIVE VERBS. 



§ 154. The verbs 'uq,' ' onqyaii,' 'yaqka,' 'yukaq,' and 'hiyeya,' all signify 

 to he, but when used, they must be accompanied by other verbs, adverbs, parti- 

 ciples, or prepositions, descriptive of the place or manner of being; as, mani wauq, 

 / am walking ; ti mahen maijka, I am in the house ; he6iya yakoqpi, they are there ; 

 en maur), it is in me. 



§ 155. The verb ' ee ' occurs without a word descriptive of the mode or place of 

 existence ; but it is confined to the third person, and is used rather to declare the 

 identity than the existence of a thing. ' Yukaq ' is used to declare that there is, and 

 wanida, that there is none ; as, Wakaqtaqka yukaq, there is a God ; Wakaqtaqka 

 wanida, there is no God. 



