1870.] 349 [Brinton. 



Past tenses. There are two past tenses, signified by the particles tuk 

 and tok; tuk is used for tlie immediate and definite past, tok for the re- 

 mote and indefinite past. Tliey may be combined to form the relative or 

 pluperfect past; as, tuk a tuk, tuk a tok, tok a tuk. The particle a. in 

 these expressions is an article-pronoun, and should be rendered thus: he, 

 she, it was. 



Past tense definite, 

 takchi tuk, he, she, it, they tied, did tie, have tied, 



ish takchi tuk, thovi " 



takchi li tuk, I. 



hvsh takche tuk, you. 



e takche tuk, we. 



eho takche tuk, we, etc. 



Past tense distinctive. 

 This is formed by the article-pronoim, okeh. 



takchi tuk okeh, he, etc., tied, did tie, has tied. 

 Another form of the past tense is made by a nasal sound in the fina 

 vowel, as, takchi, chamo. 



Future tense. 

 There are two forms of the future, made by the addition of chi for the 

 immediate, and he, or hi, for the remote and indefinite future. The dis- 

 tinctive future is made by suffixing okeh to chi and he; as, chi okeh, hi 

 okeh. 



The suffix ashkeh is used for the definite, absolute, or imperative future. 



The past and future are combined to form a relative future; as, tuk a 

 chi, tuk a he, tuk ashke, was to tie; also chin tuk, chin tok, he tvik, hitok, 

 will have, shall have, would have, should have. 



§ 11. POTENTIAL MODE. 



This is formed from the infinitive by suffixing the articles hinla, may, 

 can, and puUa, must, will. 



Present tense (but with reference to future time). 



Indefinite takcha hinlah, he, etc., may or can tie. 



Definite takcha hinlvshhe, he, etc., may or can tie. 



Distinctive takcha hinla hokeh, he, etc., may or can tie. 



Indefinite takchi pullah, he, etc., must or will tie. 



Definite takchi puUvsciikeh, he, etc., must or Avill tie. 



Distinctive takchi puUa hokeh, he, etc., must or will tie. 



The past tenses are formed like those in the indicative mode, the tense 

 signs being suffixed to hinla and pulla; as, takchi la hinla tuk, I may or 

 might have tied. 



§ 13. SUBJUNCTIVE MODE. 



This is foi-med from the infinitive by suffixing km for the definite and 

 okm for the distinctive. The m takes the definite article-pronoun a in all 

 its forms. 



Ifote.— km, if, when, whether, is compounded of k, a suffix, definitive 

 of the idea contained in the verb; as, takchik, he ties, at that, in that, or 



A. p. S. — VOL XI. — 16e 



