192 THE MOHAWK LANGUAGE. 



the first instance given, and we need go-no further than the singular 

 as the formation of the dual and plural is quite regular. Take the 

 next word, arrow. 



My Arrow, Ah-kyen-kwi-reh. 



Thy " Sa-yen " " 



His " Ra-o-yen '• " 



Her " Ah-ko-yen" " 



Her or its" A-o-yen " " 



Dual. Plural. 



Our Arrow, Un-ke-ni-yen-kwi-reh Un-kwa-yen-kwi-reh 



Your " Se-ni- " " " Se-wa- " " " 



Male, Their " Ra-o-di- " " " Male, Ra-o-di " " " 



Female") „, • ., . ^^ « « „ Pemale-) 



or [^Their '• A-o-di- " " " or [A-o-di " " " 



neuter, j neuter. ) 



Here we have a slight change in the first person singular, by the 

 coalescing of the last syllable of the pronominal with the first of the 

 substantive element, and instead of having Ah-kwa-yen-kwi-reh, as we 

 should, we get Ah-kyen-kioi-reh. We also have a change in the dual, 

 and in all probability, this form of the dual is the primary, as far as 

 the two given are concerned, and the more correct form. I think we 

 shall find hereafter, in various forms of the verb, that the ni, in the 

 first and second persons and di in the third person, are the proper dual 

 element, which we may hereafter be able to trace to De-ke-nih — two. 



The following are the possessive forms for the remaining three 

 words : — 



TommaJiawk. Knife. Shoe. 



My Ah-kwa-do-kenh, Ah-kwa-sa-reh, Ah-kwah-dah. 



Thy Sa- " " Sa- " " Sah- 



His Ra-o- " " Ra-o- " " Ra-oh- 



Her Ah-ko- " " Ah-ko- " '' Ah-koh " 



Hers or its A-o- *' " A-o- « " A-oh 



The formation of the dual and plural follow thoughout, the same 

 rule as the first example given. 



It will be seen that in the 3rd person plural there is a variation 

 from the English in there being a distinction made in the Mohawk 

 with regard to the gender of the possessor, when such possessor is of 

 the human species. That arises from their being two forms — a mas- 

 culine and a feminine — for the pronoun their- When in speaking of 



