BOAS] HANDBOOK OF AMERICAN INDIAN LANGUAGES 299 



As will be shown later (§22), nouns, verbs, and adverbs may be 

 transformed into elements analogous to the particles here discussed 

 b}^ the addition of the suffix -sm. Since a number of particles have 

 the same ending -edl {haldEin- no. 77; pElEin- no. 80; hElxsEm- no. 

 81; niESEm- no. 83; ndom- no. 96; tsagaiii- no. 9; tiElEia- no. 7; 

 xpilyim- no. 126; lEgEin- no. 5; and the monosyllabic particles am- no. 

 136; ham- no. 156; fEm- no. 110; t'Eui- no. 13; Wetii- no. 152; k'SEm- 

 no. 146; q^am- no. 118; sclehi- no. 56; leui- no. IS-l; ssm- no. 168; 

 dsm- no. 170), it seems justifiable to suggest that at least some of 

 these may either have or have had an independent existence as stems 

 that may take pronominal endings, and that their present form is 

 due to contractions (see § 33). At least one particle {q'ai- no. 122) 

 seems to occur both with and without the connective -Era. 



The particles ma}' be classified according to the fixity of their con- 

 nection with the following stem. In a large number the connection is 

 so firm that the pronoun can not be placed between particle and stem, 

 so that the two form a syntactic unit. A much smaller number may 

 be so separated. Since only the subject of the transitive verb appears 

 in this position (see § 48), it is impossible to tell definitely in every 

 case to which group a particle belongs. Furthermore, the particles of 

 the second group may in some cases be joined to the verb more firmly, 

 so that the pronominal subject precedes them, while this freedom does 

 not exist in the former group. 



The most distinct group among the particles is formed by the local 

 adverbs. Many of these occur in pairs; as up and down, in and out, 

 etc. All of these express motion. In many cases in which we should 

 use an adverb expressing position, the Tsimshian use adverbs express- 

 ing motion, the position being indicated as a result of motion. For 

 instance, instead of he stands near by, the Tsimshian will say he is 

 PLACED TOWARD A PLACE NEAR BY. Thesc particlcs are generally 

 adverbial. This seems to be due, however, more to their significance 

 than to a prevalent adverbial character. We find instances of their 

 use with nouns; as, 



gali-a'Ji"s river {gaJi- up river; ak's water) 



A second group might be distinguished, consisting of local adverbs, 

 which, however, show a gradual transition into modal adverbs. Here 

 belong terms like in, on, over, lengthwise, all over, sideways, 

 etc. In composition this group precedes the first group; but no fixed 



§7 



