96 



ON THE CLASSIFICATION 



distinct plurals have not discarded the use of reduplication. 

 After all plurality is a sort of repetition, and repetition being 

 best represented by reduplication, we need not be astonished 

 that the latter be chosen as a medium for pointing out 

 plurality. In fact, it is one of the main specialities of 

 reduplication, for the others as continuation, intensity, diver- 

 sity or distribution are either intimately connected with or 

 even derived from plurality. 152 



Reduplication, as a substitute for plurality, recommends 

 itself in many respects. It appears natural, is intelligible to 

 such an extent, that common usage supports it. But it is for 

 all that a clumsy contrivance. 



In Chinese and Anamese there exist compounds in which 

 the supplemented word does not add any new significance to 

 the term to which it is added, but only specifies more 

 distinctly its meaning. To fu father, and mu mother, is thus 

 joined tin (kindred), as fu-cin father, mu-cin mother. The 

 original meaning of the apposition becomes lost in such 

 compounds, and it is used as a mere classic addition, as are 

 such words like lao old (in lao-hu tiger, lao-yu raven, &c.) ; teu 

 head (round) in si-teu sun; or I child (young in years) in 

 tian-orl point, smallness, sin-orl news, &c. ; and ce child, in 



(152) Eedupli cation enhances the meaning of a noun as well as of an 

 adjective and adverb. If an object is, e.g., big, reduplication renders it bigger ; 

 if small, it becomes smaller. Bingo in Mandengo and di in Sisu mean child, 

 dindingo and didi is a little child ; ba in Mandengo is river, baba rivulet. In 

 Fijian civ a is oyster and civaciva is a little oyster ; vale is house and valevale 

 a small house (house on canoes). The comparative and superlative degrees 

 of adjectives and adverbs convey intensifications of the positive, and can thus 

 be properly expressed by reduplication. Mandam in Sanskrit is slow, mandam 

 mandam signifies very slow ; the Hebrew meod much, in meod meod means very- 

 much. The Malayan language often forms adverbs by reduplication : kunung 

 kunung suddenly, from kunung ; asing asing separately, from asing separate. 

 Continuation is often expressed by reduplication, as shows the Hebrew mattdh 

 matt ah deeper and deeper, the Telugu vini vini having continually heard, 

 vrdyagd vrdyagd continually writing. This signification of continuation 

 and intensity secures, when repetition is resorted to in the conjugation of a 

 verb, to such formation the meaning of past time, as prove the reduplicated 

 Perfects in Sanskrit and Greek. 



