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Show HINTS AND EXPLANATIONS. 47 and inanimate. In some few languages the animate gender is again divided into male and female, but sometimes the genders of Indian tongues are very elaborate and curious. As these distinctions belong chiefly to the personal and article pronouns, they will be hereafter more fully explained in treating of those subjects. There are usually three numbers- singular, dual, and plural- though often the dual number pertains only to the pronoun. In nouns sometimes the names of animate objects only are changed to express number. Nouns are rarely varied to denote case. This subject belongs to the pronouns. Schedule 25 will draw out the principal facts necessary to a proper understanding of these matters. At the same time the student will have discovered some of the demonstrative and adjective pronouns. § 26.- PBESONAL AND AETICLE PRONOUNS- TEANSITIVB VEEBS. In the pronouns we often have the most difficult part of an Indian language. Pronouns are only to a limited extent independent words. Among the free pronouns the student must early learn to distinguish between the personal and the demonstrative. The demonstrative pronouns are more commonly used. The Indian is more accustomed to say this person or thing, that person or thing, than he, she, or it. In the preceding schedule the student has obtained the demonstrative pronouns. Among the free personal pronouns the student may find an equivalent of the pronoun " I," another signifying " I and you;" perhaps another signifying " I and he," and one signifying " we," more than two, including the speaker and those present; and another including the speaker and persons absent. He will also find personal pronouns in the second and third person, perhaps with singular, dual, and plural forms. To a large extent the pronouns are incorporated in the verbs as prefixes, infixes, or suffixes. In such cases we will call them article pronouns. These article pronouns point out with great particularity the person, number, and gender both of subject and object, and sometimes of the indirect object. When the article pronouns are used the personal pronouns may or may not be used; but it is believed that the personal pronouns will always be found. Article pronouns may not always be found. In those languages which are characterized by them they will be used alike when |
