Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language | Page 5

father is _maa_; the article na may be prefixed: na maa nau my father. The Rev. A. I. Hopkins says that maaka nau is also commonly used as meaning my father. The word for child is mwela, mwela na ai So-and-So's son, mwela nia his child; aia is used for female relations with ni as singular article and ote as plural: mwaemwane sister, ni mwaemwane a man's sister.
The adjective gale little, is used preceding the noun to describe something young: ro fe gale bola two young pigeons. The article used with te, mother, is _ni_: ni te nau my mother; ta ro mwai telana nau my wife and child, ta ro mwai fungona two relations-at-law; ai person, man, is used as a vocative: mwela ai hey, you there! na ai oe your people, ai ni raoa a servant, ai tou the little one, the lesser.
PRONOUNS.
The pronouns may be classified as (A) those used as the subject of a verb; (B) those suffixed to a verb or a preposition as object; (c) those suffixed to nouns substantive and denoting possession.
A. PRONOUNS USED AS THE SUBJECT OF A VERB.
Singular: (1) _inau, naut gu_. (2) _ioe, oe, o_. (3) _inia, niat nit e_.
Plural: Inclusive: (1) _igia, gia; igolu, golu_. Exclusive: (1) _igami, gami, mi; igamelu, gamelu_. (2) _igamu, gamu; igamolu, gamolu_. (3) _igera, gera, da; idalu, dalu_.
Dual: Inclusive: (1) _igoro, goro_. Exclusive: (1) _igamere, gamere_. (2) _igamoro, gamoro_. (3) idarot daro.
1. The longer forms, those with i, are used as possessive pronouns when the suffixed pronoun can not be added: geni inau my wife.
The forms with i are never used by themselves as the subject, but are accompanied by one of the shorter forms: igera da ada ma da si ada na they see but do not see. The three longer forms in the singular are of more or less infrequent use. The initial i is run on to the preceding vowel in pronunciation.
2. All the forms without i are used alone as the subject of the verb. Where there are three forms the second and third are generally used together as subjects: gami mi langi si saetamana we do not know; but the short forms gu, o, mi, mu, da, may be used alone as subjects: gu si saea I do not know. The forms in lu are not used as a trial number, but denote a more restricted number of persons.
3. Nia is used as meaning, there is, it is: efita fe bread nia agamolu, how many loaves have you? It may be used before a proper name as the equivalent to a genitive: ana maaedangi nia Abiathar in the days of Abiathar. When the meaning is, there is, it is, nia is preceded by _e_: na liqa gera enia ada they have their holes; ma te ai enia i luma there is only one person in the house; with na demonstrative added: nia na that is it, that is so.
4. The form ni is seen in nifai what? where? It occurs in certain phrases as meaning, it is, there is: e uta ro si lio ni agamu how is it ye are of two minds? na light fuana noni ni maa the light of the body it is the eye.
5. The plural sign gi is used with the forms in the plural but not with those ending in _lu_: gia gi fi dao na we have just come.
6. The forms in the plural third igera and gera are used as equivalent to a plural article: igera na judea the Jews.
7. The pronouns of the third person singular and plural may be used of impersonal or inanimate things.
B. PRONOUNS SUFFIXED TO VERBS OR TO PREPOSITIONS AS OBJECT.
Singular: (1) nau. (2) oe. (3) a.
Plural: Inclusive: (1) gia, golu. Exclusive: (1) gami, gamelu. (2) gamu, gamolu. (3) gera, da, dalu.
Dual: Inclusive: (1) goro. Exclusive: (1) gamere. (2) gamoro. (3) daro.
1. Examples of usage are, gera saegera sui they were all summoned, nia lea fonosia he went to get it. A second object of the verb always appears in the suffixed pronoun singular and plural third: gu langi si adasia na ola I did not see a canoe, gera gutafigera na mwane gi they persecuted the men. All prepositions governing nouns have the pronoun suffixed as an anticipatory object in agreement with the noun: gera lea fonosia fera they went to harm the land, fafia si doo concerning the matter.
2. The verb dori (to wish) has the pronoun suffixed where in Sa'a none would be used: nia langi si doria gwou ana he would not drink (it) of it.
3. To taifili (alone) the pronouns are suffixed: te taifilia he alone, taifiligera they alone.
C. PRONOUNS SUFFIXED TO NOUNS OR TO VERBAL NOUNS USED AS PREPOSITIONS.
Singular: (1) gu. (2) mu. (3) na.
Plural: Inclusive: (1) gia, golu.