104 BUREAU OF AMEEICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



the objects bein^ characterized as long, round, flat plural in number, 

 etc. In the intransitive verb this classification relates to the subject; 

 in the transitive verb, to the object. 



§ 14. Number 



Only a few nouns have forms for the plural. These are those denot- 

 ing age and station in life, and relationship. 



The independent as well as the incorporated and prefixed pronouns 

 are capable of expressing the plural in the first and second persons by 

 means of additional forms. The plural of the first person includes, 

 or may include, the third person as well as the second. 



In the third person, -ya- is placed before the root for a plural sub- 

 ject and also for a plural object. One must judge from the context 

 which is intended to be plural, ya- is also prefixed to the possessive 

 form. In the singular, his father is expressed by hal iwta^. Some- 

 times for THEIR FATHER hal yaxota^ is found, liai being the article. 



In certain intransitive verbs a dual is indicated by using the root, 

 indicating a plural subject, without -ya-^ while for the plural -ya- is 

 inserted. 



In many cases Hupa employs the singular, as is shown by the verb, 

 where the plural would be required in English. When a number of 

 individuals do anything as a unit, as in a dance, the singular is used. 



§ 15. Distribution 



The distributives in Hupa are carefully distinguished from the plu- 

 rals. For the expression of distribution the prefix te- is employed: 

 for example, 



tce7iinyai he went out 



tcenindeL two went out 



tceyanindeL they went out 



tcetedeL one by one they went out 



The same element expresses distribution as to the object. For 

 example, 



yawin^an he picked up a stone 



yawillai he picked up stones 



yate^an he picked up a stone here and there 



Distinct from this is the intermittence of the act itself. That a 

 thing is done now and again, or habitually, is indicated bv a syllable, 

 probably e, inserted before the pronominal subjective elements. The 



§§ 14, 15 



