246 R. B. Shaw— A Grammar of the Language [No. 3, 
pointed out by Thackeray in the case of Mr. Deuceace, that after a given 
number of repetitions (which may be easily calculated) the original stake 
will have swollen to the size of the National Debt. Fortunately there 
is a limit to the number of times that a Turki verb can double its tenses ; 
but still it reaches a figure which sounds most formidable to those who do 
not know that they can acquire it by a process of multiplication, and are 
not bound to add each unit separately to the mass of their know¬ 
ledge.* 
With all these possible combinations before him, the Turk of the 
East appears to construct his words on each occasion from the elements 
at his disposal (as a compositor sets up type), rather than to employ ready¬ 
made or stereotyped forms. He accumulates affix upon affix until he has 
completed his meaning, instead of looking about him for a single word to 
which that meaning is already assigned.f Hence his belief that his 
language is arbitrary and dependent only on his own will (notwithstanding 
the fact that he really, though unconsciously, works on distinct and simple 
principles), and hence also the fact that to him each element of his words 
retains its separate vitality and meaning. When a Frenchman says “ vous 
etes,” he has ordinarily no notion that in the termination “ —tes” 
he is repeating the pronoun “ vous” in another form. But an Eastern 
Turk is perfectly aware of the meaning of the termination in the words 
dursiz, “ ye are,” kelghcmingiz , “ ye have done” (‘ your doing exists’), and 
will not hesitate to use the same pronouns in other applications (as siz-ga- 
hirdim “ I gave to you,” or even superfluously prefixed to the verb, as siz 
dursiz , “ ye are” ; and so also dt-ingiz , “ your horse”). 
As has been justly pointed out by Prof. Max Muller, among nomad 
families and tribes the tendency to adopt peculiarities and corruptions of 
language is constantly being neutralized by meetings and by the necessities 
of intercourse with other families or tribes among whom no such pecu¬ 
liarities, or different ones, have sprung up; while these meetings do 
* It may easily be calculated how many separate elements require to be retained 
in the memory, in order to remember the vast number of forms of a single Eastern 
Turkish verb. Thus there are about 13 participial (and root) stems, and 25 different 
syllables or words used in the formation of tenses (including pronouns, auxiliary roots, 
and participles). There are also 6 modifying syllables, making the secondary verb- 
forms. Thus absolutely only 44 verb-elements require to be learned by rote, the com¬ 
binations and permutations of which suffice to make up the entire Turki verb con¬ 
jugation amounting to nearly 29,000 possible forms applicable to each separate (trans¬ 
itive) verb root. See N. B. at end of “ Verbs.” 
f In Eastern Turki “ un-get-at-able-ness” would be a perfectly legitimate form 
(indeed quite a characteristic one). Vide Yet- at- mas- liJc , $c. 
attain able not ness. 
