iii.J SICHUANA LANGUAGE. 109 



families of languages. Examination of the roots of the 

 words of the dialects, arranged in geographical order, shows 

 that they merge into each other, and there is not nearly so 

 much difference between the extremes of east and west as 

 between those of north and south; the dialect spoken at 

 Tete resembling closely that in Angola 1 ." 



THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SICHUANA LANGUAGE. 



" A bird's-eye view of the structure of the language is 



easily obtained by classifying the particles or signs of 



nouns, and by separating the roots or radicals from all 



their flexions and combinations with prefixes, suffixes, and 



other signs, whereby relation, determination, demonstration, 



reversion, causation, distribution, &c. &c., are expressed. 



Radical nouns and verbs are then seen to constitute the 



hard skeleton of the language, and these, in learning to 



speak it, are to be mastered by the exercise of the memory 



alone 2 ." 



The elementary forms and flexions of the 

 feigns. . , . . . , 



verbs and roots, and the numerous particles 



and signs, form a remarkable feature in this and all cognate 



dialects. These are the chief peculiarities in the structure 



of the language. 



" Each of the signs has a determinate definite meaning, 

 and admits of being classed with others into a few orders, 

 and, when applied to the radicals, they impart thereto their 

 distinctive meaning, and eliminate an almost infinite variety 

 of shades of thought extremely interesting to the mind 

 which can fairly grasp the wonderful peculiarity 3 ." 



These particles are simple, have few exceptions, and are 

 correctly and invariably employed by ah classes. The 

 great feature in them is, that they make up for what would 



1 Travels, p. 339. 2 Analysis, dr. p. 4. 



3 Ibid. p. 4. 



