22 DAKOTA GRAMMAR, TEXTS, AND ETHNOGRAPHY. 
1. Most Dakota verbs may assume a frequentative form, that is, a form 
which conveys the idea of frequency of action. It consists in doubling a 
syllable, generally the last; as, baksa, to cut off with a knife, baksaksa, to 
cut off in several places. This form is conjugated in all respects just as the 
verb is before reduplication. 
2. The so-called absolute form of active verbs is made by prefixing 
‘wa’ and is conjugated in the same manner as the primitive verb, except 
that it can not take an objective noun or pronoun. The ‘wa’ appears to be 
equivalent to the English something; as manoy, to steal, wamanoy, to steal 
something; taspaytayka mawanoy (apple I-stole), I stole an apple, wama- 
wanon, I stole something, i. e., I committed a theft. 
3. When the agent acts on his own, i. e. something belonging to him- 
self, the verb assumes the possessive form. This is made in two ways: First, 
by prefixing or inserting the possessive pronoun ‘ki’ (and in some cases ‘k’ 
alone); as, wastedaka, to love anything; Ginéa wastekidaka, he loves his 
child. Secondly, in verbs in ‘yu,’ ‘ya,’ and ‘yo,’ the possessive form is 
made by changing ‘y’ into ‘hd;’ as, yuha, to have or possess any thing; 
hduha, to have one’s own; Suktayka wahduha, I have my own horse. 
It has already been noted that in the Yankton dialect the ‘y’ becomes 
‘kd’ and inthe Teton dialect ‘gl;’ thus in the three dialects they stand, 
hduha, kduha, gluha. The verb ‘hi,’ to come to, forms the possessive in the 
same way: hdi, kdi, gli, to come to one’s own home. Examples of ‘k’ alone 
agglutinated forming the possessive are found in kpatay, kpagan, kpaksa, 
ete. It should be also remarked that the ‘k’ is interchangable with ‘t,’ so 
that among some of the Dakotas we hear tpatan, ete. 
4. When the agent acts on himself, the verb is put in the reflexive form. 
The reflexive is formed in two ways: First, by incorporating the reflexive 
pronouns, ii, nigi, midi, and unkiéi; as, wastei¢idaka, he loves himself. Sec- 
ondly, verbs in ‘yu,’ ‘ya,’ and ‘yo,’ that make the possessive by changing 
‘y’ into ‘hd,’ prefix to this form ‘1;’ as, yuzaza, to wash any thing; hduzaza, 
to wash one’s own, as one’s clothes; ihduzaza, to wash oneself. 
5. Another form of verbs is made by prefixing or inserting preposi- 
tions meaning fo and for. This may be called the dative form. 
(a) When the action is done fo another, the preposition ‘ki’ is prefixed 
or inserted; as, ka@a, to make any thing; kiéaga, to make to one; wowapi 
kiéaza (writing to-him-he-made), he wrote him a letter. This form is also used 
when the action is done on something that belongs to another; as, Suyka 
kikte, (dog to-him-he-killed) he killed his dog. 
