The Mafulu Part 22

The adjective always follows the noun which it qualifies, and takes the suffix of the noun.

Ex. _a sesada,_ fence long; _emo gai,_ house old; _kodige kisiakatsi,_ plate little-in: _indiv' amoja(le)_ knife blunt-with; _koua baibitu,_ box big-on.

Sometimes the p.r.o.noun _u(ne),_ his, is placed between the noun and the adjective.

The meaning of this is uncertain, but it appears to be more emphatic, as _e.g._ "the road which is good," "the house which is bad."

Ex, _enamb' un' ifa,_ the good road, _em' u koi,_ the bad house.

The adjective used as predicate immediately follows the noun, without a substantive verb.

Ex. _an' ala gududuba,_ that man (is) stingy; _nuni sesada,_ thou (art) tall; _amu safali,_ the women (are) weak.

Note.--When the subject is represented by a p.r.o.noun of the first or second person dual or plural, the predicate remains singular.

Ex. _dini kakava(ne)_ we (are) strong; _yani kapape,_ you two (are) weak; but, _muni isosongai,_ they (are) idle.

When the predicate expresses a negation the word expressing the quality is followed by the adverb _ua(ne)_ not.

Ex. _sesad' ua, onov' aka,_ it is not long, it is short.

3. Comparison.

There is no special form for comparisons. Two positive statements are made, or a superlative may be used.

Ex. My house is larger than yours may be translated: _naul' e baibe, nul' a kisiaka,_ my house is large, yours is small, or _nul'e baibe, naul'a baibe ta,_ your house is large, mine is large much.

Equality is expressed by the suffix _-umba_ or _-yakala._

Ex. _naul' e, nul' em' umba,_ my house is like your house; _nuni sesada, nauyekala,_ you are tall like me.

A superlative is expressed by the prefix _ande,_ or the suffix _-ta._ But if the adjective in the superlative expresses a lessening of the quality then _-aka(ne)_ is suffixed.

Ex. _baibe,_ large, _ande baibe,_ larger; _ifa,_ fine, _ifata,_ finer; but _ono(ve),_ short, _onov'aka,_ shorter.

The prefix _ande_ is used only with adjectives which express an idea of extension.

When the adjective expresses an actual state rather than a pa.s.sive, it is preceded by the sign of past tense, the particle _ga._

Ex. _ant g'ifa,_ the breeches are (have become) good; _ena ga ko,_ the road (is) bad.

III. Demonstrative Adjectives.

The demonstrative adjectives in Fuyuge are represented by the suffixes -_ana_, this, -_ala_, this, here, -_vala_ that, there. The same expressions translate the French "le voici," "le voila."

Ex. _indiv'ana_, this knife; _eni'ala_, this house; _enavala_, that road.

There is no article, but the expression _u mane_ is used in reference to any thing which has been previously spoken about.

Ex. _enamb' ifa_, or _enamb' un' ifa_, it (is) a good road; but _enamb u man' ifa_, the road (which has been mentioned) is good.

IV. Interrogative Adjectives.

For these. _See_ p.r.o.nouns.

V. Indefinite Adjectives.

The indefinite adjectives are _oko_, some, a little, part of; _tale(le)_, several, many; _korio_, several; _gegeto_, a few, several; _alu(ve)_, all; _urambe_, another; _none_, together, one with the other; _dovavemunge_? _domamai_? how many?

Note.--When _oko_ is followed by a word beginning with _i_, it becomes _oku_.

Ex. _Kuku oko nei_, give me some tobacco; _nemb' oko ematsi_, they will spear the birds; _bodol' oko tsia_, take one of his hands; _indiv' oko ya_, take a knife; _kuk oko ua_, (there is) no tobacco; _indiv' oku i_, give him a knife; _ake talel' ando_, there are many men; _kupa korio inde_, give several potatoes; _me' gegeto indiatsi_, some children will come; _aked' aluvi etsi ando_, all the men are in the village; _nau mel' alu_, all my children; _indiv' urambe ya_, take another knife; _Pitsoke non' ade_, the Pitsoke strike one another; _oye non' ongete_, the dogs keep beside each other; _kokol' ul' ombo dovavemunge?_ how many eggs? _nu sise domamai?_ how many dog's teeth?

VI. Possessive Adjectives.

_See_ Possessive p.r.o.nouns.

Numerals.

I. There are only two numerals: _fida (ne)_, one, and _gegeto_, two. _Gegeto_ is also used for a small number, and _gegetom'inda_, is little used for three. For more than three, _gegeto_, meaning "a few," or _tale(le)_, "many" is used.

II. There are no ordinals and the only distributive is _fida fida_, one by one.

p.r.o.nouns.

I. Personal p.r.o.nouns. Simple.

Singular.

lst Person _na, nave, nani,_ I, me 2nd Person _nu, nove, nuni,_ thou, thee 3rd Person _u(ne), ove, uni,_ he, she, it, him, her

Dual.

lst Person _da, dani,_ we, or us two 2nd Person _ya, yani,_ you two 3rd Person _tu, tuni,_ they, or them two

Plural.

1st Person _di, dini,_ we, us 2nd Person _yi yini,_ you 3rd Person _mu, muni,_ they, them