64 



ON THE CLASSIFICATION 



leaf 88 or stone, 89 or any other existing thing, but as their 

 abstracting powers are deficient, do not understand how to 

 name a bird or a fish, a ,leaf or a stone. Even such common 

 natural phenomena as wind 90 and rain 91 are occasionally 

 subject to the same concrete view, and are missing in some 

 languages. The same abstractive deficiency occurs in the 

 specifying of various actions in so far as they are represented 

 by verbs. Many languages, e.g., the American Algonquin, 

 and the Polynesian Hawaian do not possess a term for the 

 auxiliary " to be," 92 while the Karen is said to acknowledge 

 four different varieties of it. 93 



The Dravidian languages distinguish between two negatives, 

 one denies, as it is generally expressed in grammar, the 

 existence, the other a quality (an attribute) of the subject in 

 question. These terms are in Tamil ilia and alia, in Telugu 

 ledu and kddift* in Canarese ilia and alia, and in Malayalam 

 ilia and alia ; e.g., " the Brahman did not come " is in Telugu 

 brdhnanudu rd ledu, " he is not a Brahman" is vddu brdh- 

 manudu Jcddu. 



(88) In both the Tagala and Bisaya there is no generic term for leaf, 

 although in the Tagala are enumerated twenty-one specific names for as 

 many various sorts of leaves ;" Crawfurd, I.e., page exxvi. 



(89) In the two Philippine languages the only generic term for " stone " 

 is the Malay and Javanese batu, but the Tagala has fifteen express 'words 

 for different kinds of stone ; Crawfurd, I.e., page exxvi. 



(90) " The Malayan word is the only general term in the two Philippine 

 languages for both 'air' and 'wind,' yet for 'wind' the Tagala has eleven 

 specific names descriptive of its force or direction," Crawfurd, I.e., page exxvi. 



(91) Crawfurd, I.e., page exxvi. " In the Tagala exists no word for ' rain,' 

 but there are five terms for the different varieties, viz., Lavcmgd little rain, 

 lavalava minute or misty rain, anuta moderate but lasting rain, lanrak 

 rain in great drops, tikatik gentle continuous rain. 



(92) The greatest imperfections we have discovered occur in the degrees of 

 the adjectives, and the deficiency of the auxiliary verb to be, which is implied, 

 but not expressed. See ' ' Remarks on the Hawaian language, in the appendix 

 to the IVth Vol. of the Polynesian Researches" by W. Ellis, page 464. 



(93) Compare: Burmah, by Rev. F. Mason, d.d., page 138. 



(94) Kadu is the third person singular of the Negative Tense (vyatirSk&r- 

 thakamu) of aguta (avuta) to become, Sing. 1. hdnu, 2. kw»u, 3. kadu, kadu; 

 Plur. 1. Mmu, 2. karu, 3. karu, tcavu. Ledu is the third person singular 

 of the Negative Tense of tmduta, Sing. 1. lenu, 2. Uvu, 3. ledu, ledu. Plur. 

 I: lemu, 2. leru, 3. leru, Uvu. 



