ON THE NORTH-WESTERN TRIBES OF CANADA. 871 



The simplest form of the possessive pronoun is identical with the objective form 

 of the personal pronoun. It precedes the substantive, to which is added the suffix 

 ra: 



Singular, 1st person, dc—ra. Plural, 1st person, etl — ra. 



„ 2nd „ dKfl—ra. „ 2nd „ dalKti — ra. 



„ 3rd „ I — ra. „ 3rd ,, I — ra. 



de k-vi'i — ra, my father. 



In certain compound words the elements are not simplj' placed side by side, but 

 the possessive form is used, corresponding to our genitive. This, however, seems to 

 be the case only when tlie object is really possessed : 



lu'na a'ora, chief = town mother. djd'ata qH'tra, the woman's father. 



The full form of the possessive pronoun in indicative sentences is : 



Singular, 1st person, rjyagF.n — gal Plural, 1st person, etl gyu'ra — gai 



„ 2nd „ dKH gyd'ra — gai „ 2nd „ dalKn ggd'ra — gai 



„ 3rd „ I gyd'ra — gai „ 3rd „ I gyd'ra — gai 



Examples : 



kiia'c gya'gEU ndgai da h'l'ng-asga, later on you will see my house. 



gya'gEii iid'gai, it is my house. 



dun gyd'ra nd'gaigua cts ? is that your house ? 



gEm gya'ycii v'tsranga, it is not mine. 



The same form with the terminal vowel is used for the substantive possessive 

 pronoun : 



gya'genu, mine. etl gyd'rao, ours. 



dKH gyd'rao, yours. dalE' n gyd'rao, yours. 



I gyd'rao, his. la gyd'rao, theirs. 



The second form of the possessive pronoun is the following : 



Singular, 1st person, 7id'ra — gai Plural, 1st person, e'tldra — gai 



„ 2nd „ dsnra — gai „ 2nd „ dalEnra — gai 



„ 3rd „ Id'ra — gai „ 3rd „ Idra — gai 



Note. — In one instance I found for the second person singular : tlnra — gai. 

 In some instances this second form and the first are used indiscriminately : 



kua'a gya'gen ndgai da k-j'r,gasga ) j ^j^^ ^^^^ 



kuae luira nugai da ki ng-asga ) •' •" 



Ir other cases the first form must not be used, but I did not succeed in discovering 

 the rule. The second form serves also as a substantive possessive pronoun : 



nu'ragua, is it mine ? 



luVragua la da k-i/i, do you see mine ? 



tJgiiiyiia ndra da k-in, do }"ou see my land ? 



la ra tla Id'ra ista ! give his to him ! 



hala ! dS yi nd'ra ista .' give me mine ! 



ddrgatl ndra nd'gai da k-i'nyasga, to-morrow you will see my house. 



gyl'iTi nd'i'a u'lai c'tiEil ? where is my paddle 1 



Note. — The suffix -gai is sometimes contracted with the substantive to which 

 it is affixed : 



thvai for tlogai, canoe. tlgai for tlgogai, country. 



qafai for qatgai, father. 



In addressing a person only the suffix -gai is u.sed : 



k-u'ngai ! my father ! dd'gai ! my younger brother I 



In a few instances I found the suffix -rao used for expressing the relation of 

 possession. It is evidently of the same origin as the second part of gyd'rao (see 

 above). 



gylgfo ml'mS c'tsE/i, whose house is that ? 



d'licts im'rai) S'tsi, it is his house. 



tvastlda kunrao S'tsi, that is their father. . 



