Ko. 29.— 1884.] 



THRESH 1NG— FLOOR. 



245 



Feminine nouns were next introduced (i with the setting 

 apart of certain derivative suffixes for females. By this 

 all other words became masculine. At a still later time 

 certain forms were set apart for things that were neuter." 



I think, then, we have an analogous instance in this 

 language of the threshing-floor, which is in effect a rudi- 

 mentary language. 



