Y4 BUREAU OF AMERICAlSr ETHISTOLOGY [boll. 40 



with many intransitive verbs, in which the share of meaning con- 

 tributed by the body-part prefix is apparent enough but where the 

 logical (syntactic) relation of its content to that of the verb proper is 

 hardly capable of precise definition. Thus, from yowo'^ he is are 

 formed by means of body-part prefixes : 



al-^yowo'^ he-eye-is, i. e., he looks 62.6 



dJaP'-^yowo'^ he-ear-is, i. e., he listens, pays attention 96.9 



ha^-gel-^yowo'^ he-up-breast-is, i. e., he Ues belly up 140.5 



In these cases it is obviously impossible, yowo- being an intransitive 

 verb not implying activity, to translate al-, da"'-, and gel- as instru- 

 mental (with the eye, ear, breast) ; nor is there any clear idea of 

 location expressed, though such translations as at the eye, ear, 

 BREAST would perhaps not be too far fetched. In many verbs the 

 body-part prefix has hardly any recognizable meaning, but seems 

 necessary for idiomatic reasons. In a few cases prefixes seem to 

 interchange without perceptible change of meaning, e. g., al- and 

 daV in: 



aldemxigam we shall assemble (186.7) 

 dak'demxia'^H' people (indef.) will assemble (136.11) 



Wliere two body-part prefixes occur in a verb form, they may 

 either both retain their original concrete significance, the first prefix 

 being generally construed as object, the second as instrument (e. g., 

 s'al-H-latsIagi'^n i-foot-hand-touch-him, i. e., i touch his foot with 

 MY hand) ; or the first prefix may have its secondary local signifi- 

 cance, while the second is instrumental in force (e. g., de-H-wl'^gi^n 

 i-front-hand-spre AD-IT, i. e., I SPREAD IT out) ; or both prefixes 

 may have secondary local or indefinite significance (e. g., gwel-ge'l- 



HjOWO^ HE-LEG-BREAST-IS, i. 6., HE FACES AWAY FROM HIM) ; rarely 



do we find that two body-part prefixes are concrete in significance and 

 absolutely coordinated at the same time (see footnote to 12 below). 



To illustrate the various uses of the body-part prefixes it seems 

 preferable to cite examples under each separate prefix rather than to 

 group them under such morphologic headings as objective, instru- 

 mental, and local, as by the former method the range of usage taken 

 up by the various prefixes is more clearly demonstrated. The 

 examples are in each case divided into two groups : (a) literal signifi- 

 cation (objective, instrumental, or local) and (6) general adverbial 

 (local) signification. 



§ 36 



