SYNTAX—ARTICLES. 61 
wiéasta Siéa Siéaya ohanvaypi kin (men bad badly do the), the bad men who do 
badly. 
§ 114. The signs of the past tense, ‘kon’ and ‘ éikon,’ are used in the 
place of the definite article, and are rendered by the article and relative ; 
as, wiéasta wanmdake ¢ikoy, the man whom TI saw. 
USE. 
§ 115. In general, the definite article in Dakota is used where it would 
be in English. But it also occurs in many places where in English it is not 
admissible. 
(a) It is used with nouns that denote a class; as, wiéasta kin bosdan 
nazinpi (men the upright stand), men stand upright; Suktayka kin duzahanpi 
(horses the swift), horses ure swift ov run fast. 
(b) It is often used, as in Greek, French, ete., with abstract nouns; as, 
wowaste kin) (goodness the), goodness; woaltani kin awihnuniwiéaya (sin the 
destroys-them), sin destroys them. 
(c) It is used with a noun in the vocative case; as, maka kiy nahoy 
wo (earth the hear-thou), O earth, hear! 
(7) As in Greek and Italian, it is used with nouns which are qualified 
by possessive or demonstrative pronouns; as, ninape kin (thy-hand the), thy 
hand; wiéasta kin de (man the this), this man. 
(e) It is often used with finite verbs, giving to them the force of gerunds 
or yebal nouns; as, kagapi kin, the making; mauynipi kin (we walk the), 
our walking; yahi kiy iyomakipi (thou-come the me-pleases), thy coming 
pleases me. 
§ 116. In Dakota the definite article is sometimes omitted where it 
would be required in Enelish. 
(a) Nouns governed by prepositions are generally used without the 
article ; as, Gonkaske ekta mda (garrison to I-go), I am going to the garrison; 
éay mahen wai (wood into I-went), [ went into the woods; tinta akan muynka 
(prairie upon I-lie), I le upon the prairie. 
(b) Proper names and names of rivers and lakes are commonly used 
without the article; as, Tatanka-naziy (buffalo-stands), The-standing-bufialo ; 
Wakpa-minisota, the Minnesota river; Mdeiyedan, Lac-qui-parle. 
(c) When two nouns come together in the relation of possessor and 
possessed (§ 68), the last only takes the article, or rather the entire expres- 
sion is rendered definite by a single article placed after it; as, Gaypahmihma 
ihupa kin, the thill of the cart; Wasiéw) wiéastavatapi kin, the King of the 
French. 
