Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language, Solomon Islands Part 5

Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language, Solomon Islands Part 5

9. _e siqa_.

10. _e tangafulu_, _aqala_.

In numbers other than _eta_ the initial _e_ is omitted in quick counting. In composition one is _ta_, two is _ro_, _te_ generally means only: _rua_ is reduplicated into _ruarua_, _tau ruarua_ equidistant.

The prefix _too_ forms distributives: _too ro doo_ two things at a time. _Nima_ is used as well as _lima_ for five. Though _qalu_ eight, appears in the translations as used of an indefinite number it is doubtful whether such use is correct. _Tangafulu_ is the tenth of a series; _aqala_ is used for ten denoting a unit, _aqala fono_ a full ten.

To express units above ten _mana_ is employed: _aqala mana fai_ fourteen.

One hundred is _tangalau_: _tangale doo_ one hundred things. The sum above the hundred is expressed by _mana_: _tangalau fai aqala mana fai_ one hundred and forty-four. One thousand is _too_.

2. Ordinals.

The cardinals with a substantival ending _na_ form ordinals.

First, _etana_.Fourth, _faina_.Seventh, _fiuna_.

Second, _ruana_.Fifth, _limana_.Eighth, _qaluna_.

Third, _oluna_.Sixth, _onona_.Ninth, _siqana_.

Ordinals precede the noun: _ruana na mwane_ the second man.

Ordinals are used to express the number of times: _eruana lau nia lea go_ he went away the second time.

_Ruana_ also means fellow: _na ruana gera_ their fellows.

Tenth is expressed by _tangafulu ana_: _aqala maaedangi mana ruana_ the twelfth day, _tangalau ro aqala mana etana_ one hundred and twenty-first.

_Efita_ how many, is used with the substantival termination _na_: _efitana_ what number?

3. Multiplicatives.

The article _fe_ is employed to form multiplicatives: _guka fai fe olila_ I shall return four times, _sasigu ka fita fe ode doo taala fuagu_ how often shall my brother harm me? _tafe_ once.

The causative _fa_ does not make multiplicatives except in the case of _faoroa_ often.

EXCLAMATIONS.

_Iu_, _iuka_, a.s.sent. _Oto mone_ is that so? _Ne_ is used in questions, _ati ne satamu_ what is your name? _na mwela a Joseph e langi ne_ Is He not the son of Joseph? _Aia_ sums up, so there, well then! _Oimae_ alas! The noun _ai_, person, is added to proper names to call attention, _Joe ai_ hey, Joe!

LAU VOCABULARY

A.

_a_ 1, personal article: used with the names of males, both native and foreign, _a Masuraa_, _a Luke_; is used also with _doo_, thing, _a doo_ So-and-So, _a doo na_, the person; is seen also in _ati_ who? In usage it corresponds to the _i_ of Mota and Malagasy. Cf.

S. _a_.

_a_ 2, termination of the verbal noun: attached to verb, _angi_ to cry, _angia_ a cry, _fanga_ to eat, _fangaa_ a feast; added to compounds _girigiri lifoa_, gnashing of teeth.

_a_ 3, pers. p.r.o.n. sing. 3. suffixed to verbs as object, and to prepositions as antic.i.p.atory object and used both of persons and things: him, her, it. S. _a_.

_a_ 4, stem to which the p.r.o.nouns _gu_, _mu_, _na_, etc. are suffixed in forming the possessive. S. _a_.

_a_ 5, prefix of condition making participles: _luga_ to loose, _aluga_ loosened. S. _'a_.

_a_ 6, adj. term, suffixed to nouns and verbs _rodo_, night, _rorodoa_, belonging to darkness, _bulu_, to be black, _bubulua_, black. S. _a_.

_a_ 7, exclam. negative; don't

_aba_ (_gu_) n., hand, arm, part, leaf: _fuli abae ai_, men's handiwork. S. _apa_.

_abaa_ n., staff. S. _apaa_.

_abalolo_ a banyan tree. S. _'apalolo_.

_abasua_ adj. afraid of, silent out of respect for a person.

_abatoo_ v, i. to be barren, of women.

_abolo_ n., a piece: _abole ai_, a beam. S. _polo_.

_abu_ (_gu_) n., blood: _abu rakaraka_, an issue of blood.

S._'apu_.

_abua_ adj., red.

_abu_ 2. v. i. to be forbidden, taboo: _abu rongo_, to be unwilling to hear. S. _'apu_.

_abulo_ partic., turned round: _abulo fasi_, to face towards,

_abuloa_ v. n. a turning round. S. _apulo_.

_abusu_ v. i. to be filled, satiated.

_abusua_ v. n. satiety.

_ada_ 1. v. i. to see, to awake.

_ada filo_ to perceive; _ada fua_, to choose; _ada sae tamana_, to recognize; _ada_ too, to succeed in finding.

_adala_, v. n. sight, seeing.

_adasi_, v. tr. to see. _faada_.

_ada_ 2. poss. pl. 3, among them, for them, for their part, theirs (of things to eat), used also as obj. to neut. verb; _tani aiai ada_, some of them. S._'ada_.