ArPENDix. 461 



conveys "with certainty the information " lie saw a bear," But 

 in this sentence both the noun and the verb retain the objective 

 inflections, as in the former instances. These inflections are not 

 uniformly un, but sometimes een, as in ogeen^ his mother, and 

 sometimes 6n, as in odakeek-6n^ his kettle, in all which instances, 

 however, the number is left indeterminate. It may hence be 

 observed, and it is a remark which we shall presently have occa- 

 sion to corroborate, that the plural inflection to inanimate nouns 

 (which have no objective form), forms the objective inflection to 

 animate nouns, which have no number in the third person. 



3. This leads us to the consideration of the mode of forming 

 possessives, the existence of which, when it shall have been indi- 

 cated by full examples, will present to the mind of the inquirer, 

 one of those tautologies in grammatical forms, which, without 

 imparting additional precision, serve to clothe the language with 

 accumulated verbiage. The strong tendency to combination and 

 amalo-amation, existing- in the lan2;uao;e, renders it difficult, in 

 fact, to discuss the principles of it in that elementary form which 

 could be wished. In the analysis of words and forms we are 

 constantly led from the central point of discussion. To recur, 

 however, from these collateral unravellings to the main thread of 

 inquiry, at as short and frequent intervals as possible, and thus 

 to preserve the chain of conclusions and proofs, is so important, 

 that, without keeping the object distinctly in view, I should de- 

 spair of conveying any clear impressions of those grammatical 

 features which impart to the language its peculiar character. 



It has been remarked that the distinctions of number are 

 founded upon a modification of the five vowel sounds. Posses- 

 sives are likewise founded upon the basis of the vowel sounds. 

 There are five declensions of the noun to mark the possessive, 

 ending in the possessive in dm, eem, im, 6m, um, oom. Where the 

 nominative ends with a vowel, the possessive is made by adding 

 the letter m, as in maimai, a woodcock, oii maimaim, my wood- 

 cock, &c. Where the nominative ends in a consonant, as in ais, 

 a shell, the full possessive inflection is required, making nin dais- 

 im, my shell. In the latter form, the consonant d is interposed 

 between the pronoun and noun, and sounded with the noun, in 

 conformity with a general rule. Where the nominative ends in 

 the broad in lieu of the long sound of a, as in ogirnd, a chief, the 



