460 BtTREAtJ OP AMERICAN" ETHNOLOGY [bull. 40 



modal in character, indicating distribution, negation, location of 

 action, and the attempt to perform a given act. 



Nominal suffixes are, comparatively speaking, few in number, and 

 express chiefly adverbial ideas, such as local relationships and instru- 

 mentality. They are used, furthermore, for the purpose of forming 

 abstract concepts, diminutive and augmentative nouns, and also ex- 

 press cases of nouns. 



Ideas of plurality are hardly developed; for, with the exception of 

 two suffixes that express plurality of the subject of the sentence, 

 Siuslaw has no other grammatical means of indicating plurality of 

 action or of nominal concepts. Distinct verbal and nominal stems for 

 singular and plural subjects or objects, such as are employed in other 

 languages, do not exist. Plurality of subject and object is sometimes 

 indicated by particles. 



Reduplication expresses primarily repetition and duration of action; 

 while phonetic changes serve the purpose of denoting the performer 

 and intensity of action. 



The grammatical function of particles covers a wide range of ideas, 

 pertaining chiefly to the verb. Some express finality of action, sources 

 of knowledge, emotional states, connection with previousl}^ expressed 

 ideas, others have an exhortative and restrictive significance. 



In the pronoun, three persons, and a singular, dual, and plural, are 

 distinguished. Grammatical gender does not exist. The first per- 

 son dual has two distinct forms, — one indicating the inclusive (i and 

 thou), and the other the exclusive (i and he). In like manner the first 

 person plural shows two separate forms, — one expressing the inclusive 

 (i and ye), and the other the exclusive (i and they). 



The demonstrative pronoun, while showing a variety of forms, does 

 not accentuate visibility or invisibilit}^, presence or absence, and near- 

 ness or remoteness, in relation to the three pronominal persons. 



The numeral is poorly developed, exhibiting forms for the cardinals 

 only. Means of forming the other numerals do not exist. They are 

 expressed mostly by the cardinals. The ordinals are sometimes indi- 

 cated by means of an adverbial suffix. 



The syntactic structure of the sentence presents no complications. 

 The different parts of speech may shift their position freely without 

 affecting the meaning of the sentence. Nominal incorporation and 



§ 19 



