OCR Text |
Show HINTS AND EXPLANATIONS. 51 word, phrase, or clause. Prepositions may be prefixed, infixed, or suffixed to nouns; t. e., they may be particles incorporated in nouns. Nouns may be used as intransitive verbs under the circumstances when in English we would use a noun as the complement of a sentence after the verb " to be." The verb, therefore, often includes within itself subject, direct object, indirect object, qualifier, and relation- idea. Thus it is that the study of an Indian language is, to a large extent, the study of its verbs. From the remarks above, it will be seen that Indian verbs often include within themselves meanings which in English are expressed by adverbs and adverbial phrases and clauses. Thus the verb may express within itself direction, manner, instrument, and purpose, one or all, as the verb " to go" may be represented by a word signifying " go home"; another, " go away from home "; another, " go to a place other than home"; another, " go from a place other than home; one, " go from this place," without reference to home; one, " to go up"; another, " to go down"; one, " go around"; and, perhaps, there will be a verb " go up hill"; another, " go up a valley"; another, " go up a river," & c. Then we may have " to go on foot," " to go on horseback," " to go in a canoe"; still another, " to go for water"; another, " for wood," & c. Distinct words may be used for all these, or a fewer number used, and these varied by incorporated particles. In like manner, the English verb " to break" may be represented by several words, each of which will indicate the manner of performing the act or the instrument with which it is done. Distinct words may be used, or a common word varied with incorporated particles. The verb " to strike," which appears so often in the schedule, may be represented by several words, as signifying severally " to strike with the fist," " to strike with a club," " to strike with the open hand," " to strike with a whip," " to strike with a switch", to strike with a flat instrument," & c. A common word may be used with incorporated particles or entirely different words used. § 29.- VOICE, MODE, AND TENSE. The student will find. the passive voice an interesting subject of study, as in most languages there is no verb " to be" with which it can be formed |