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The sex of the brute creation is most commonly denoted by 

 prefixing the words Icihai, male, and Nuzhai^ female. 



6. Reciprocal Changes of the Noun. — The pronominal particles 

 with which verbs as well as substantives are generally encum- 

 bered, and the habit of using them in particular and restricted 

 senses, leave but little occasion for the employment of either the 

 present or past infinitive. Most verbs are transitives. A Chip- 

 pewa does not say I love, without indicating, by an inflection of 

 the verb, the object beloved: and thus the expression is con- 

 stantly, I love him, or her, &c. ISTeither does the infinitive ap- 

 pear to be generally the ultimate form of the verb. 



In changing their nouns into verbs, it will not, therefore, be 

 expected that the change should uniformly result in the infinitive, 

 for which there is so little use, but in such of the personal forms 

 of the various moods as circumstances may require. Most com- 

 monly, the third person singular of the indicative, and the second 

 .person singular of the imperative, are the simplest aspects under 

 which the verb appears ; and hence these forms have been some- 

 times mistaken for, and reported as the present infinitive. There 

 are some instances in which the infinitive is employed. Thus, 

 although an Indian cannot say I love, thou lovest, &c., without 

 employing the objective forms of the verb to love, yet he can say 

 I laugh, I cry, &c. ; expressions in which, the action being con- 

 fined to the speaker himself, there is no transition demanded. 

 And in all similar instances the present infinitive, with the pro- 

 per pronoun prefixed, is employed. 



There are several modes of transforming a substantive into a 

 verb. The following examples will supply the rules, so far as 

 known, which govern these changes: — 



INDICATIVE. IMPERATIVK. 



Chiman, a cauoe. Chimai, he paddles. Chimain, paddle thou. 



Pashkizzigun, a gun. Pashkizzigai, he fires. Pashkizzigain, fire thou. 



Jeesidyigun, a broom. Jeesidyigai, he sweeps. Jeesidyigain, sweep thou. 



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