BOAS] HANDBOOK OF AMERICAN INDIAN LANGUAGES 691 



ral are indicated by suffixes. In the verb, plurality, or rather itera- 

 tion, is expressed by duplication or reduplication. In the pronoun 

 the dual and plural forms are derived in each case from the corre- 

 sponding singular. 



Diminutives, imitatives, inchoatives, desideratives, etc., are all 

 indicated by suffixes, but are in general little used. 



The pronoun indicates each of the three persons by a separate 

 formal element, all of which possess both dual and plural forms. An 

 inclusive and exclusive form of the first person plural exists, but the 

 distinction is not commonly made. The thirtl personal pronoun is 

 frequently used as a demonstrative; but there exist regular demon- 

 strative forms as well that are never used in the personal sense. 



The demonstrative possesses really but two forms, corresponding 

 to our THIS and that, and denoting relative distance from the 

 speaker. The demonstrative is thus comparatively undeveloped in 

 so far as regards number of forms and accuracy of the expression of 

 location, and, even in its simple contrast of nearness or remoteness, 

 is not always strictly used. 



The Maidu sentence is characterized by the definiteness with which 

 the agent of action, the direction of motion, or the qualification of 

 the action is expressed, and by the extent to which ideas of plurality 

 are strictly carried out in all pronominal sentences. In its formal 

 characters, the chief features of the sentence are its flexibility, open- 

 ness, and clarity, the independence of the noun and pronoun, and 

 the absence of the process of incorporation, well marked in many 

 Indian languages. The expression of verbal ideas in nominal form 

 is also a rather common feature.' 



DISCUSSION OF GRAMMAR (§§ 8-37) 



Compositioii (§§ 8-27) 



§ 8, Noniitial Compositioit 



As has been stated in § 5, nominal composition is much less devel- 

 oped than verbal composition in Maidu. Its uses, apart from those 

 expressing syntactic relations, are 



(1 ) In the formation of compound nouns. 



(2) In the formation of diminutives. 



^nise'ki hesd'timenmapetn, literally, our 'WHAT-NOT-shall-do (our nothing shall do), instead of 



WE SHALL DO NOTHING, CAN DO NOTHING. 



