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CHAPTER VI. 



Of Tenses, Voices, Number, and ]^[ooDS of Verbs. 



Tliere are three tenses. The present tense is indicated by the ter- 

 mination " }na " added to the root of the verb, as, tutua, '" to 

 beat." Tu is the root of the verb, but ma is the termination. 



This also represents the Infinitive of the verb, there being no 

 other form to indicate it, so that the meaning is, "I do beat," or 

 " I beat." 



The perfect tense is formed by adding the particle ka, or kala 

 to the root of the verb, as, tuka, or tukala, " I have beaten." 

 The first probably corresponds to the Imperfect and the latter to 

 the Perfect, though the natives themselves cannot explain the 

 difterence. 



There is still another form for the perfect tense, viz., tjifM, as, 

 tufjita, " I have beaten," which is very likely the Preterite, 

 though it is difficult to determine the difference, as they have 

 very little notion of time, and use often for remote time both 

 forms, ilkukaht and ilkufjita, which both mean " I have eaten," 

 l)ut leaves it undecided whether yesterday or a long time ago. 



The future tense is formed by adding tjina to the root of the 

 verb, as, tntjina, "I shall beat;" or, ilkutjiiia, " I shall eat." 



OF voices. 

 The Active Voice signifies always an action executed by a 

 subject, but this may be : — 



a. Intransitive when it signifies an action remaining with the 

 subject, as, antata alknanhuma, "the flower blooms;" or, era 

 lima, " he goes." 



b. Transitive when it signifies that the action is or may be 

 transferred to an object in the accusative case, as, ta kwatja 

 njuina, " I drink water;" or, ta toora tukala, " I have beaten the 



The Middle Voice signifies an action which the subject exe- 

 cutes directly upon himself, as, ta fiukara tulama, " I beat my- 

 self ;" ta nukara tulaka, " I have beaten myself ;" ta nukara 

 tnlitjina, " I shall beat myself." As will be seen, the sign of 

 the middle voice form is inserted in tlie middle of the verb, con- 

 sisting of the particle la or li. 



