The Mafulu Part 29

_-tu_, upon (to or at places on mountains): _kulumitu, ma_, put it on the table; _Falitu g'anga_, he is gone to Faliba.

Note. _Ale_ in the sense of "with" is used when the second substantive is considered as an accessory to the first. Ex. _an' al amu_, a married man (man with a wife); _uli sondal' ale_, pot with a handle. There are not yet enough examples to distinguish the two forms.

IV. Prepositional Phrases.

_u mome_, above: _kurum' u mome yarime_, hang it over the table; _u bane_, behind; _mel' an' u ban' ando_, the child is behind the man; _ul' umbo(le)_, in the middle of; _Veke ul' umbol' ando_, he is at Vee.

Conjunctions.

I. Copulative.

_-u(ne)_, and, with; _naga kitoval' u kene' ema_, I killed a black and white parrot.

_Une_ is generally only used to connect two nouns, and is placed between the two. But sometimes it comes after the second, especially when meaning "with," and the first noun is then followed by the personal p.r.o.noun. There are a few doubtful examples of _une_ joining two phrases: _ake tale mu, Augustin' un' ando_, many men are with Augustin.

II. Adversative.

_-ta_, yet, but: _nuni safa' ta nani kakava_, you are weak but I am strong.

_Ta_, meaning "but," precedes the phrase which it governs: _nuni natsi, ta nani fema_, you will eat, but I do not.

III. Sequence.

_-ta_, when (when a fact is accomplished, or will certainly happen), lest: _aked' indiota, dinoi gatsi_, when the men arrive, we will go together.

_Ta_ in this sense follows the verb, which is in the past if the action depends on the person who speaks or is spoken to, in other cases in the subjunctive: _kuku neta, etsi gatsi_, when I (or you) have eaten, I will (or you will) go to the village; _mulamula angetota, gadiu_, lest the medicine fall, tie it up.

_-tamai_, when (uncertain event): _oki finolitamai, na natatsi_, when the fire blazes, warn me.

_Tamai_ always requires the subjunctive.

_-mai_, if: _Augus...o...b..bulimai, dimuku e gaditsi_. If Augusto delays, we ourselves will build the house.

_-umba_, so, like: _an' umba ne i_, give me (one) like that.

Interjections.

_mamu(la)_! admiration.

_ile_! sadness.

_fanimo(le)_, commiseration.

_fanikoe_! commiseration.

_-e_ (suffix), commiseration.

_segoa_! joy at another's misfortune.

_biu_! contempt.

_alaila_! a command for silence.

_faiamela_! expresses the recognition of an error.

Notes on Dependent Clauses.

1. A final proposition with the future is expressed in four ways.

a. By the infinitive preceding the verb which it governs: _na nul'

em' arim' an gatsi_, I will go to see thy village, lit, I thy village to-see will-go.

b. By the simple future preceded by the verb: _na songe, Tsekari aritsi_, I go, I shall see Tseka.

c. By the future preceding the verb: _ake Mambutsi itatsi m' ando_, the men remain to sleep at Mambo.

d. By the suffix _-du(le]: Pe' Egidi yol' itadul andemai, puatsitatsi,_ If Pere Egidi stays to sleep up there, he will fire a gun; _ake Baidane (gatsi) ame boladu_, the men will go to Baidane to leave the girl; _muto yetadu, Labao gatsi_; I will go to Yule Is to take the sheep, (_muto_, Fr. mouton). The use of the verb "to go" is not certain.

2. A dependent sentence with the past is expressed in two ways.

a. By the simple past: _na so, fang' an_, I went to see the trap.

b. By the suffix _-ua_, with the omission of the verb: _Tsekan'

alilua_, I went to see Tseka, which might also be translated: _na sova, Tsekan' ari_.

3. Causative sentences appear to be governed by the same rules as the preceding.

Ex. _ame nu arim' undede_, the girl is afraid to see you; _andal'

un' arim' ete_, what has he seen to talk about.

4. Conditional sentences precede the princ.i.p.al and have their verb in the subjunctive with the conjunction _-mai_ or _-tamai_. (See p. 330, III.).

5. A dependent sentence expressing time also precedes the princ.i.p.al sentence. It has its verb in the subjunctive or indicative, followed by the conjunction _-ta_ or sometimes _-tamai_. (See p. 330, III.).

CHAPTER II

Note on the Afoa Language

By Dr. W. M. Strong

The vocabulary recorded below was obtained from a Fuyuge native who spoke the Afoa language. He had travelled with me to the Afoa-speaking villages on Mount Pitsoko and I could a.s.sure myself that he spoke the language fluently. In spite of the vocabulary having been obtained through a Fuyuge native there is very little similarity between this and the Fuyuge vocabulary. It should be noted that the words for "I"

and for "thou" are substantially the same in the two languages.

I also obtained a short vocabulary from a native who came down the coast to me, and found that this was substantially the same as the Pitsoko vocabulary. The native had come from a village which appeared to be situated on the slopes of Mount Davidson and on the inland side of it. According to native accounts the Afoa language is spoken in numerous villages which stretch from Mount Davidson to the head of the St. Joseph River in the Mafulu district. All the Afoa villages are situated north of the St. Joseph and its main branches.