BOAS J HANDBOOK OF AMEEICAN INDIAN LANGUAGES 541 



§ 56, Irregular Forms 



While this system of forms is quite clear, there remain a number 

 of irregularities in the third person which somewhat obscure its 

 syntactical functions. This is particularly true of the forms without 

 ending. It is difficult to decide whether they are true verbs. Similar 

 difficulties arise in regard to the postnominal forms in -a, without 

 ending, and in -e (see § 48, II). 



The postnominal -e is used particularly with nouns terminating 

 sentences. It is used with nouns in subjective, objective, and instru- 

 mental construction, and signifies a special emphasis laid on the 

 noun, or the contrast between that particular thing and others; for 

 instance, mix'H'dexes xuno'Tcwe he struck his child, because it is not 

 expected that a man would strike his child. Examples from the 

 texts are: 



Id'^lae ye'laqula^e Wd'xmde then Wa'xwid sang his sacred song 



CS 90.6 

 — axk' Id'laxes ^ne^nEmo'Jcwe he called his friends 43.5 

 g'afxHaeda lio'x'^hokwe the ho'x"hok" came 109.39 

 — qd's^lde Ne'nsngase Grizzly-Bear-Woman went X 21.28 



This suffix is postnominal, not verbal, as is proved by the analogous 

 forms of the second person demonstrative: 



g-a/x^TYidx Wvld'sE^wex Wula'so^ came 161.27 



It does not indicate absence or presence, but is merely an emphatic 

 demonstrative. 



In other cases the verbal demonstrative of the third person -e^ is 

 used in a similar position. On account of the weakness of the ter- 

 minal glottal stops, it is difficult to distinguish this ending from -e. 

 Still, the analogous forms of the second person demonstrative prove 

 its verbal character. 



yu'^mes la hEk'.u'sox this is the woodman 258.27 



It seems, that when there are two forms, and the first takes a verbal 

 demonstrative or a possessive, the terminal word is generally a noun. 



yu'^mos wd'ldEmex this is your word 

 When the sentence is opened by a verbal expression without 

 demonstrative ending, the second term is a verb. 



yu'^mes ye'lax^widayuseyox this is his secret song 



It is doubtful, in this case, whether the first word is a noun or a verb, 

 and whether the second word should be considered a separate sentence. 



^ 56 



