KAFFIR LANGUAGE. 237 
The noun here takes the lead, as upon the 
prefix of this, depends the particular form of 
most words which are subject to grammatical 
government. Each of these prefixes has its 
corresponding euphonic letter or letters, as also 
its own form of the adjective, pronoun, and 
verb. 
Consequently, the alliteration of harmony 
between the nominal and other prefixes, is the 
essential thing in the construction of Kaffir 
propositions. 
The ignorance of this peculiarity, which ex- 
isted until lately, formed the main difficulty, to 
Europeans, in mastering the Kaffir language. 
And naturally so ; for, when such total disregard 
appeared to be paid to gender and number, it 
was hard to understand its construction. 
For instance, if one were speaking in English 
of a man, the pronoun he would be employed ; 
if of a girl, she ; and if of a house, it; while 
in the Kaffir, Yona would be used with all, 
that being the corresponding pronoun to the 
prefix in, which, by reason of their forms, would 
be used with each of the Kaffir words em- 
ployed to express, man, girl, and house.* 
* The prefix ima, which takes also the forms of Aba, Ba, Be, &c, in 
the Kaffir language, marks the plural number ; while the prefix umu, 
which appears also in the forms, w, mu, mo, &c, denotes the 
singular. Thus a single individual of the Be-chuana people is ex- 
pressed by 3fo-chuana, and their language is the Se-chuana; Se 
