414 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



§ 117. Structure of Sentences 



The structure of the Coos sentence is very simple, owing chiefly to 

 the fact that in the absence of incorporation, subjects, objects, and 

 predicates are expressed by means of independent words. No strict 

 rules can be laid down for the consecutive order in which the differ- 

 ent parts of a sentence occur. It may, however, be said in a most 

 general way, that all adverbial ideas precede the verb, and that the 

 subject of the sentence tends to appear at the very end, especially in 

 subordinate clauses. The object may either precede the verb or 

 follow it. 



TcwUe'LeHc tsxu Idl td'tnth in the sweat-house was resting that old 



man 28.11, 12 

 yixd' lOExetc la Is hu^'rrds into the house went the woman 

 Iex t&r^na'hEtc L.'ats Ie mofqaL with the thunder-language spoke 



the crow 

 xwamdj u In'nas Ke tsa'yux^ la/niJc' this is the name (of) the small 



river 46.10, 11 

 sqats Ie hu^'tms Iex swdl seized the woman the grizzly bear 



102.21, 22 

 mii xwin wutxmfyat a person we two brought home 128.8, 9 

 ntd'hUs Ie dl'lol I hit the young man 



Nominal attribute complements precede the noun. When following 

 the noun, they assume a predicative function. 



tsafyux^ lafnik' a small river la'mk' tsafyux^ the river is small 

 he'misyixa'wEx the big house yixd'iuEx he'mis the house is big 

 xafnis md a sick person md xd'nu the person is sick 



No formal distinction is made between coordinate and subordinate 

 clauses, nor is the succession of the parts of speech changed in dif- 

 ferent types of sentences. Subordinate clauses may precede the 

 principal clauses whenever the occasion requires it. Subordinate 

 clauses are distinguished by means of conjunctions that are placed 

 at the beginning. 



Ic'VloHs Ie qE'md Iex dl'lol i la^ M'nl he'laq the young man found 



the kamass when he arrived there 

 % lay- tsxu Ie hu^'nds Jc'Uo'wU Ie yu'yju as the woman lay (there) 



she saw the stars 

 § 117 



