1877.] 
275 
of 'Eastern Turhistan. 
The 2nd Indefinite Past Tense. 
1. QrEJjglian-im bar “ I have done.” 
2. QELghan-ing bar “ thou hast done.” 
8. Q&Lghan-i bar “he had done.” 
1. QELyA<m-imiz bar “ we have done.” 
2. QELy7*tf?2-ingiz bar “ ye have done.” 
3. QELg/ian-ilar bar “ they have done.” 
Bearing in mind that the Indefinite Participle qelghan has among other 
meanings, that of “the action of doing,” we can see very plainly the 
1 2 3 
origin and intention of this formation. For ‘ gelglian-im-bdr , must mean 
2 1-3 
literally : “ My action of doing exists” ; and it can he said to exist 
as the property of the doer by having been done by him. Hence the 
statement is equivalent to saying : “ I have done.”* But all the circum- . 
stances connected with the doing remain vague. The utmost that is predi¬ 
cated is that the action has not been omitted. Here it is to be noted 
that the possessive affix im changes for the several persons of the Tense 
while the auxiliary bar remains throughout in the 3rd pers. The reason 
is obvious on inspection. The Tense is merely a sentence, of which bar 
is the verb, while the subject takes successively the possessive form of the 
several persons. Thus the tense is literally a sentence with a varying 
subject. “ My doing is,” “thy doing is,” “ his doing is”, &c. 
This forms a 2nd Indefinite East Tense. 
( c ). with the Potential Participle : 
This would mean “ the power of doing (is) mine,” i. e., “ I may,” 
or “ might, do.” It is also used in relating a story sometimes, as an 
Historic tense : E. g., Icelsam, hecli Jcishi yog idi— u (when) I came there 
was nobody (there).” The poss. terminations of the 3rd pers. are omitted. 
In the Singular the stem stands alone; and in the Plural, the mere affix of 
Plurality is added. 
The Present Potential. 
1. QELS«-’m “ I may do.” 
2. QELs^-’ng “ thou mayest do.” 
3. qels« “ he may do.” 
1. QELs«’q “ we may do.” 
2. QELs«-’ngiz “ ye may do.” 
3. QELs«-lar “ they may do.” 
(d.) with the Future Participle : 
* As the form- im-bdr means “ there is of mine” or “1 have ”, the above 
tense is absolutely identical with the English “I have done,” which expression is also 
to be accounted for in the same manner (as above). 
