Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language, Solomon Islands Part 4

Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language, Solomon Islands Part 4

a. A consonant with _i_: _fi_, _li_, _mi_, _ni_, _ngi_, _si_, or _i_ by itself; e.g. _tau_, _taufi_; _mae_, _maeli_: _ano_, _anomi_; _mou_, _mouni_; _sau_, _saungi_; _ada_, _adasi_; _manatat_, _manatai_; to the verb _taa_ to be bad, both _si_ and _li_ are added and the causative _fa_ is prefixed: _fataasi_, _fataali_, to make worse. Certain verbs which are active in Lau are neuter in Sa'a: _angai_ to lift, _angaia_ lift it, Sa'a _angainia_; _faodo_ to straighten, _faodoa_ straighten it, Sa'a _ha'aodohie_; _famae_ to kill, _famaea_, Sa'a _ha'amaesie_; _famou_ to frighten, _famoua_, Sa'a _ ha'ama'usie_.

b. The termination _ai_ is suffixed by itself to nouns to convert them into verbs, _sato_, _satoai_. When this syllable _ai_ is suffixed to verbs the genitive _ni_ may be added, and to the form _aini_ the consonants f, m, ng, t, are prefixed: _oli_ to return, _olifaini_ to carry back, _ala_ to answer, _alamaini_ to consent, _sau_ to become, _saungaini_ to make, _tagala_ lost, _tagalangaini_ to drive out, _foaa_ to pray, _foaataini_ to pray for. The forms in _ai_ are also used intransitively: _tege_ to fall, _tegelai_ lost, _oli_ to turn, _olitai_ converted.

The genitive _ni_ (cf. M. L., p. 532) is often omitted and is not invariably used as it is in Sa'a, since the form _ai_ without the addition of _ni_ is transitive: _gonitai_ to receive, _gwoutai_ or _gwoutaini_ to be left alone, _oalangai_ to apportion, _fatolamai_ to command.

_Ani_ appears to be used by itself as a transitive suffix: _ui_ to throw, _uiani_ to throw away, _laga_ to drive, _lagaani_ to drive away, _taba_ to strike, _tabaani_ to destroy; _ani_ is used also with _too_ to hit, _tooani_ to understand.

With either cla.s.s of suffixes there is no difference in meaning between one suffix and another.

5. Prefixes to verbs: These are causative and reciprocal.

The causative is _fa_: it may be prefixed to almost any word, and it may be used with words which have a transitive suffix. The use of _fa_ frequently obviates the use of a transitive suffix and of itself makes verbs transitive.

The reciprocal is _qai_: generally when _qai_ is prefixed to a verb the action of the verb is enlarged and the subject is included. The illative _fe_ also marks repet.i.tion or restoration or continuance; it is followed by the adverb _lau_ again: _na abana e fe boeboela lau_ his hand was restored whole.

6. Pa.s.sive: The pa.s.sive is expressed by the use of the personal p.r.o.noun plural third _gera_ or _da_, with the verb and the adverb _na_ already: _gera taufia na_ it has been washed; _gera_ and _da_ are used impersonally. The word _saetana_ it is said, _sae_ to say, is used as a pa.s.sive: _se doo saetana_ the thing said, _si baela ne saetana uri_ the word which was said.

7. Auxiliary verbs: _Alu_ to put, is used as meaning, to be, to become; _talae_, v. tr. to begin, means also to become; _sau_ to make, with the possessive _ana, sau ana_ to become.

8. Reflexive verb: The word _mara_ with suffixed p.r.o.noun is used to denote reflexive action: _nia saungia marana_. It also carries the meaning self, of one's own accord: _i bobongi ka manata tetea ana marana_ the morrow can take care of itself.

9. Reduplication: Verbs are reduplicated in two ways: (a) by reduplication of the first syllable: _liu_, _liliu_; _bae_, _babae_; (b) by repet.i.tion of the whole word: _gwou_, _gwougwou_. There is no difference between the various forms beyond an intensification in meaning. In the vocabulary the reduplicated form is presented under the entry of the stem.

ADVERBS.

There are pure adverbs in Lau, but many words used as adverbs are truly nouns and others are verbs; adjectives may also occur in this employment.

1. Adverbs of place: _mai_ here, hither; go there, thither, _ne_ may be added, gone, also _langi_ go, no. _Lo_ there, is compounded with _go_ and _gi_, _logo_ north, west; _se_ here, a noun, _i se_, _isena_, here, in this place, _gula_ place, a noun: _si gula na_ this place, here, _gula i maa_ outside. _bali_ side, a noun, _bali ne_ here, on this side; _i bali jordan i bali logo_ on the far side of Jordan; _ifai_ where, _gamu mai ifai_ whence are you? _tau_, a verb, far off: _alaa_ up, south, east, _ilangi_, _ifafo_, up.

2. Adverbs of time: _kada na_ (_ne_), _manga na_, now; _si manga, kademanga_, when, _i kademanga na_ (_ne_), at the time when; _i angita, si manga uta_, when? _inao_ of old, in the past; _ua mai inao_ from of old; _isingana ne_ henceforth: _alua fasi_, _taraina_, presently; _urii_ just now; _lau, _lau go_, again; _oli_ back; _na_, _ua na_, already; _ua_ yet, still, still left; _ua go i uarodo_ while still dark in the early morning; _ua mai ana lua_ from the flood, _toongi ua inao_ old clothes, _e langi ua_ not yet, still wanting; _firi_, _tefou_, always; _too ka tau_ forever; _suli dangifiri_ daily; _taraina_ to-day; _i rogi_ yesterday; _maaedangi i fafo_ day before yesterday; _bobongi_ to-morrow; _taraina lao rodo_ to-night; _talae_ first; _loulou_ quick; _aliali_ forthwith; _maasia_, _kade manga_, while.

3. Adverbs of manner: _alafana_ as, like, as if; _uri_, _uria_, _sae_, _saea_, that (of quotation); _uri_, _urina_, thus; _e uta_ how? _gele_ somewhat; _asia_ completely, too much; _saumala_ granted that; _falaete, mamaloni_, only; _ooni_ merely; _talai_ for no reason; _tefou_ together; _afui_ altogether (precedes verb); _boro_, _oto_, _otomone_, _tamone_, _bota ana_, perhaps; _mone_ gives life, _ba_ gives force, to the narrative; _ba_ also explains and makes the diction less abrupt; _tasa_, _tasaana_, too much; _faoroa_ often.

PREPOSITIONS.

1. Simple prepositions.

Locative, _i_.

Motion to, _fua_, _isuli_, _suli_.

Motion from, _fasi_, _ita_.

Causation, _fafi_.

Position, _fonosi_.

Dative, _fua_.

Instrumental, _ana_, _ani_.

Relation, _ana_, _ani_, _fai_, _sai_, _usi_.

Gentive, _ni_, _i_.

The locative _i_ is seen in _ifai_ where; it is also largely used with adverbs of place and time and it precedes every name of place.

With the exception of the locative, the instrumental, the genitive, and also _ana_, _ita_, _usi_, all the foregoing prepositions are used with a suffixed p.r.o.noun; _ita_ is used with the possessive.

_Isuli_ denotes motion after, motion over: _sulia rodo ma na asua_ day and night, _manata suli_ to know.

_Fafi_ means, about, concerning, because of, around, on: _gera ogu fafia_ they crowded round him, _nia alua abana fafia_ he laid his hand on him, _lau fafi_ to rescue, _fafi taa_ what about, why; _fuana_ in order that, _mae fuana_ to die to his disadvantage, _soe ledia fuana_ question him about it, _bae fuana_ forbid him, _fuana taa_ wherefore?

Of the two instrumental prepositions _ana_ is the one in more general use, its meaning is with: _doo gera saungia ana_ the thing they killed him with. _Ana_ appears to denote the actual instrument, _ani_ the method of action; _ani_ may be translated withal. When the noun denoting the instrument is not preceded by an article or when the noun is used in a general sense, _ani_ is used in the place of _ana_: _suu fafia ani taa_ to clothe himself with what? _lea ani ola_ to go by canoe.

The p.r.o.noun _a_ may be suffixed to _ani_; _tasi doo gera qaifamanatai ania_ the thing they taught withal; _ka modea na toongi ua inao ania_ to mend the old garment withal.

_Ana_ also denotes at, in, place where, among: _luma ana foaa_ (_luma ni foaa_) a house of prayer, _kakao ana ano_ an earthen vessel, _nia liu ana ta maaedangi_ he went on a certain day, _tani ai ana aigi_ some of the people, _nia saea ana satana_ he called him by his name, _o ngalia ana ati_ from whom did you get it? _lea ana fera_ to go into the country. _Ani_ is used as meaning in, _e langi ani nau_ there is nothing in me, _gera ote gera ani nau_ they will have nothing to do with me.

_Fai_ means with: _faioe_ with thee, _qaimani fai_ to help, _oko gaimani fainau_ you help me. The genitive _ni_ may be added, _lea fainia_ go with him; _fainia_ moreover, and.

_Sia_ means at, at home, and always has the suffixed p.r.o.noun. By the ordinary Melanesian idiom place at comes to be used of motion to: _siagamelu chez nous_, _siena ere_ beside the fire, _lea mai siegu_ come here to me. _Usi_ means over, on behalf of, for: _gera ngisu usia_ they spat on him, _na captain usia na too_ a captain over the people, _na taba olisia usia na aigi_ a redemption for the people.

The genitives have been dealt with under nouns: _i_ is in most general use, both are used to express purpose, and _ni_ also denotes for, belonging to: _fasia muka manata ni bae uri_ think not to say thus, _gera mou ni oli_ they feared to return, _ka ote nia ni rosuli_ he is tired of obeying.

2. Compound prepositions.

Some of these are nouns used with the locative; the p.r.o.noun is suffixed as the actual object or as the antic.i.p.atory object when a noun follows: _i fafo_ above, _i fara_ beneath, _i lao_ within. The locative need not be used with _lao_: _lao rodo_ in the night, _lao tala_ in the path, _lao salo_ in the sky. Some are constructed from verbal nouns to which the suffixed p.r.o.noun is always added: _fonosia_ in front of him, _nia initoo fonosi gera_ he ruled over them, _fonosi taa_ to meet what? for what purpose? Certain verbs are used as prepositions: _maasi_ to await, _garangi_ to be near.

CONJUNCTIONS.

Copulative, _ma_.

Adversative, _ta_, _ma ta_ Connective, _ta_.

Disjunctive, _langi_, _langi fa_, _ma langi_, _ma ka langi_.

Conditional, _ana_, _ma ana_, _saea_.

Illative, _fi fe_.

A mark of quotation is _saea_, _uri_. Neither, nor, is expressed by a negative followed by _ma_. Until is _dao ana_, _lea dao ana_.

NUMERALS.

The numerical system is decimal. All numbers over the tens are expressed in tens.

1. Cardinals.

1. _eta_, _ta_, _te_.

2. _e rua_, _ro_.

3. _e olu_.

4. _e fai_.

5. _e lima_.

6. _e ono_.

7. _e qalu_.

8. _e fiu_.