285 
1877.] of Eastern Tarid stem, 
the aux. 3rd pers. Past tense, to the several persons of the Pres. 
Potential of the Verb, means literally: “ my power of doing existed.” 
“ Thy power ... existed,” &c. It is therefore equivalent to the 1st Past 
Potential, q^iiSa-id-hn “ I might have done.” Its possessive affix ’m 
changes for the several persons of the tense, while the aux. idi remains 
in the 3rd pers. throughout, like the bar and the dur of the 2nd Indef. 
Past and of the Intentional Future. It is 
„ • 
The 2nd Past Potential Tense. 
1. Q&Lsa-m-idi “ I might have done.” 
2. QELs«-’ng-zV^’ “ thou mightest have done.” 
3. QEhsa-idi “ he might have done.” 
1. qels«-’ q-idi “ we might have done.” 
2. q~Ei>sa- , ngiz-idi “ ye might have done.” 
3. qwLsa-\&,r-idi “ they might have done.” 
{b). q^L-dim-irsa, &c. This is the 3rd p. of the aux. potential 
“ irsa” added to the several persons of the simple Past. (See Remark, 
on 2nd Indef. Past.) The literal meaning is “ my past doing may 
exist,” i. e., “ I may have done.” But this form seems to he gener¬ 
ally used in the simple sense of qeldim=“ I did,” with the ir-sa added to 
give a very slightly potential sense, as after the word “ when.” This is 
The 3kd Past Potential. 
1. QEL-dim-zVs# “ I may have done.” 
2. QEL-ding-m-« “ thou mayest have done.” 
3. QEL-di-^rs« “ he may have done.” 
(c.) Qel -dim-ikan. Here, in the same way, the 3rd pers. of the 
aux. indef. “ ilcan n is tacked on to the several persons of the Simple 
Past of the Verb. The literal meaning is “ my past doing indefinitely 
exists.” This has simply the meaning “ I did,” but is used in asking a 
question or in making a statement qualified by “ if” or “ when.” 
Ex.: tunu-gon nima ish gel-ding than = “ yesterday what mayest thou 
have done.” 
This is therefore 
The 3ed Indefinite Past Tense. 
1. QEL-dim -ikon “ I may have done.” 
2. QEL-ding-z'&^m “ thou mayest have done.” 
3. QEL-di -iJcan “ he may have done” &c. 
(d.) QVLa-dur-i/can-man, &c. Here the Indefinite ilcan is interposed 
before the pronouns of the Compound Pres. Tense. This Tense has simply 
the meaning of “ I am about doing,” but is used in the same way as the last. 
Ex. : nima-ish qela-dur-iican-san —“ What mayest thou he doing •” 
