94 



BUREAU OF AMEEICAN ETHNOLOGY 



[BULL. 40 



The signification of the verb-stem gives almost no information 

 as to the form of the aorist stem, the various types of aorist forma- 

 tion being each exemplified by a heterogeneous array of verbs, as far 

 as any discernible similarity of meaning is concerned. It is true that, 

 in a comparatively few cases, certain types of aorist formation can 

 be shown to be characteristic of intransitive verbs; but in these the 

 formation of the aorist stem involves the addition of a distinct pho- 

 netic element that has every appearance of being a worn-down suffix. 



Not the least remarkable feature of tense-formation lies in the fact 

 that the most frequently used of the tense-modes, the aorist (equivalent 

 to immediate future, present, and past) , generally shows the derived or 

 amplified form of the base; while the far less important tense-modes, 

 the future, inferential, potential, and present and future imperatives 

 employ the generally more fundamental verb-stem. In its naked 

 form the aorist stem appears as the third person subject third per- 

 son object aorist transitive. For example: 



t.'omdm he killed him 

 naga^ he said to him 

 -lidl he answered him 

 o'H' he hunted for him 



The bare verb-stem appears as the second person singular (third per- 

 son object) present imperative intransitive and transitive. For ex- 

 ample : 



do'^m kill him! 

 odo^ hunt for him! 

 na'^ say ! do ! 



and as the first element of the periphrastic future, that will later 

 receive treatment. 



In striking contrast to the extensive use in Athapascan of distinct 

 and unrelated stems for the singular and plural, only a very few such 

 cases have been discovered in Takelma; and even in these the singu- 

 lar stem may, it seems, also be used in the plural. 



§ 39 



