[)Q .NARRATIVE, &c. 



tence indicated in the ordinary conjugation of verbs. As all 

 nouns assume verbal terminations, they undergo all the modifi- 

 cations of other verbs. Possession is indicated by an inflection 

 analogous to, but differing from case. Locality, diminution, and 

 derogation, may be, either separated, or all together, denoted 

 by inflections of the noun. Particles, are very copiously used. 

 And this part of speech is very important, making the use of 

 words definite or exact, which without these adjuncts, would 

 often lack both coherence and exactitude. Adverbs are lib- 

 erally employed, and by their help, the degrees of comparison 

 are formed. There is but one degree of comparison formed by 

 an inflection of the substantive. There is a numerous list of 

 prepositions, which are not, however, disjunctively used, but al- 

 ways as the prefixed syllable or syllables, to substantives. 

 Conjunctions, of which the language has a number, are not thus 

 restricted, and cannot thus be used. The most important dis- 

 tinction, however, which belongs to the language, and that which 

 most rigidly pervades its forms, is the separation of words into 

 two classes, distinguished as animate and inanimate, or personal 

 and impersonal, carrying also, the idea of noble and ignoble. 

 This principle, merges the ordinary distinctions of gender, and 

 imparts a two-fold character to the verb, substantive, and 

 adjective, and consequently creates the necessity of double con- 

 jugations and declensions. This results from the transitive 

 character of the whole language, and its habitual application to 

 material objects. The verb which would be used to imply 

 vision, is made to indicate the presence or absence of vitality, 

 creating the distinction of the animate and inanimate forms. 

 The same principle interdicts the promiscuous use of adjectives. 

 A strong man and a strong house, require different modifications 

 of the w r ord strong. All its concords are directed to the uphol- 

 ding of this rule. This novel and curious principle, appears to 

 lie at the foundation of the syntax, and imparts to the language 

 its most marked characteristic feature. Whatever modifica- 

 tions other rules require, they aii coincide in this. It is a 



