42 



ON THE COMPARATIVE ETYMOLOGY 



ma ri; 3. The root preceded by the conjunction and pronoun (Cfr., Lat., vidcas, utvideae); 

 ki o ri, or ki o ma ri, that thou see, or that thou may see. The conjunction and pronoun are 

 sometimes reduplicated, e. g. ; ki iwo ki o ma ri, that thou that thou may see. 



28. There are no participles except the verbal nouns, which are formed by the combina- 

 tion of the verbal root with the demonstrative elements. In Yoruba, the perfect participle 

 is often represented by a verb with the prefix rj ; by ki, that, and a verb, — or by a verb 

 used impersonally; as, igi ti a gbig {tree which they planted), a tree planted. The German 

 ge, may perhaps be cognate with one of the first two forms, and the Latin -tus, Egypt., -to, 

 -et, ente-, with the third. 



2i). There is no proper form for the passive, but its meaning is expressed by various 

 circumlocutions. 



30. Presuming that this striking coincidence of grammatical forms will be deemed 

 sufficient to prove that the affinity of Yoruba to Egyptian is even closer than to the 

 Shemitic languages, and that we may, therefore, reasonably expect to obtain new lights 

 for Egyptology and primitive philology from its careful study, I will give a few examples 

 to illustrate its use in radical etymology.* 



31. Dr. Prichard has brief vocal) ularies of South Africanf and Polynesian languages, % 

 from which I select the following common words: 



32. Man. — 1, mtu (plur., watu) ; 2, mutu (atu) ; 3, mundu (andu) ; 4, aito ; 5, mtu ; (>, 

 uhmto; 7, motu; 8, mantu; 9, moontau; 10, mondu; Cfr. Dakota, mdoka; Egypt., ha; 

 Chin., kung; Yor.,ako; {nio, guardian) . v. Father. 



33. Woman. — 1, mtumke; 2, mutshetu; 3, muka; 4, endangili ; 5, mficrc ; G, umfasi; 

 7, massari; 8, make, mekonquc ; 9, kentou, quinto ; 10,kentu. These words, like kindred 

 terms in other languages, appear to be generally derived from the masculine terms by add- 

 ing a root (k, g, h, sh, s, or f), expressive of gestation. Cfr. Yor., ka, to fold; ba, to 

 haul, to hind; bi, to beget, to bear ; bo, to cover ; abo, a female, a bag ; obi, a parent, female; 

 Dak., wi, to wrap around; wi, woman, female ; Eg. s, she ; sak, sna, to bind, to bend; sapi, to 

 form, to create (scliaffen, shape) ; [b is also used in Egyptian words that denote bending, 

 and baah = Yor., obo, pudendum']. Chin., foo, to stoop, hush, store-house, wife ; the female 

 in nature • we or wci, to tie, to surround, a handsome woman; Lat., foemina ; Eng., womb, 

 woman, wife ; Ger., weibe. 



34. Father. — l,2,4,baba; G,bao; 3,atza; 5,dadi; 7,raacho; 8,tcte; 9, tata,bantu; 



* For a resume of tlic general evidences of affinity between the languages of Eastern and Western Africa, see 

 Prichard, p. 640 ^qq. 



f Page G51. 1, Suahali; 2, Wanika ; 3, Wakamba; 4, Ukuafi; 5, Mscgua; G, Kosa; 7, Sichuana; 8, Mo- 

 zambique; 9, 10, Kongo. 



+ Page G65-6. 11, Madccass; 12, Malayan ; 13, Sandwich Islands; 11, Samoan and Fiji Islands; 15, New 

 Hebrides. 



