BOAS] HANDBOOK OP INDIAN LANGUAGES — COOS 407 



PARTICLES (§§ 107-112) 

 § 107. Introductory 



No formal distinction can be made between the stems that were 

 termed '■'syntactic particles" (see §§ 86-95), and the words treated 

 in the following chapters. Both exhibit practically the same phonetic 

 structure. There is, however, a vast difference between these two 

 sets of words, which asserts itself in the grammatical use to which 

 they are applied, and in the morphological treatment that is accorded 

 to them. None of the syntactic particles can be clearly and definitely 

 rendered when used independently ; or, in other words, the syntactic 

 particles are capable of expressing concepts only in a complex of 

 words. On the other hand, all particles proper express definite ideas, 

 regardless of whether they are used independently or not. However, 

 the most important point of distinction between syntactic particles and 

 particles proper lies in the fact that the latter are capable of word 

 composition. Hence all grammatical processes may be applied to 

 them; and, as a matter of fact, the majority of them occur with a 

 number of nominal and verbal suflSxes. 



§ 108. Pronominal Particles 



By means of these particles Coos expresses the ideas conveyed by 

 our indefinite, interrogative, and relative pronouns. The following 

 particles are employed for this purpose: 



wit SOMEBODY is applied to persons only. It often exercises the 

 function of a relative pronoun, and is then translated by who. 

 In tcwit la^ h'iti'imta nobody that one can overtake 92.21, 22 

 Jcwaa'niya wit Idl hu^'mik' she knew who it was that old woman 

 102.20 



dVl SOMETHING is applied to objects other than persons. It always 



follows the object to which it belongs. 



he' mis dlH 'Qk'ilo'wit big something I saw 62.21 



goH dlH hariL hd'wi everything will grow (literally, all something 



will grow) 9.3 

 yu'xwd dlH t^h'ilo'wit two things I saw 112.26, 27 

 ntda'ha dlH tdl he'laq animals arrived there (literally, something 



[that is] with legs [walkers] arrived there) 46.1, 2 

 nLlpe'ne dlH tc% he'laq birds arrived there (literally, something 



[that is] with wings arrived there) 46.2, 3 



§§ 107-108 



