38 The Oceanic Languages Semitic : 



In 1 we have the Oc.-Se. reflexive pronoun alone in i, ia, 

 a, or strengthened by the demonstrative n (see § 10, B. a.). 

 But here it is sufiixed, there prefixed or infixed. In 2, the 

 initial consonants /, r, ni, &c., in niina or onia, fina or fia, 

 &LC., are the transitive or verb object particles : see § 9, e. 

 Halevy (Ro. Gr. § §55-6) observes/' It is remarkable that some 

 of the active verbs of the Eastern dialects seem to be derived 

 from the passive forms of New Zealand, as . , . kini, 

 N.Z., to pinch, passive kinitia, Hawaiian 'initi, to pinch." 

 This verb is in Fa. kini, as kini nans, " nip reeds," kinitia, 

 " nip or pinch it." Thus kinitia is not passive at all in Fa., 

 and the t is simply the transitive particle directing the 

 action of the verb to ia, '"it," or "self" When Fa. uses this 

 ia (or i) for " self," as it sometimes does (with and without a 

 transitive particle), the expression is always reflexive, not 

 passive ; on the other hand, in Sam. the expression is always 

 passive, the original reflexive meaning ha^dng passed into 

 the passive. 



1. The Malagasy, rarely the Ja., often infixes this in, which 

 the Mg. usually, the Sam. always, sufiixes, and the original 

 reflexive meaning has passed into the passive. The Mg. 

 drops, or does not use the n with the suffixed reflexive 

 pronoun in the " Imperative passive," as " sotro, drink, 

 sotroina, is drunk ; imp. sotroy, let it be drunk, i.e. drink ; " 

 prefixed to the verb in Mg. it is also without the n, and 

 reflexive rather than passive, as it is also in Sam. and Fa. 

 (prefixed) : § 10, 5. a. h. The Se. Niphal form is much used 

 as a passive. 



2. The reflexive pronoun tec prefixed makes a form 

 frequently used as a passive in Oc. and Se. My tar forms a 

 passive : § 10, 5. a. h. As to the ''change of the reflexive 

 into the passive " in Indo-European, as well as in Semitic, 

 see the Note in Ges. Heb. Gr. § 51, p. 86. 



b. The passive formed by a prefixed verb substantive. 



My. Fa. (Pa.) 



di.-, ka- Fiji, ra-, ka- 



Ja. di-, ka- 

 (My. kana) 



My. di and Fi. ra are probably the same. My. di seems 

 to be an abbreviation of the verb substantive ada, which is 

 identical with Mg. ary and ala, Tig. all, Eth. halo, see § 4, h. 



