Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language | Page 6

Exclusive: (1) gami, gamelu. (2) gamu, gamolu. (3) gera, da, dalu.
Dual: Inclusive: (1) goro. Exclusive: (1) gamere. (2) gamoro. (3) _dar
1. These are the pronouns denoting possession and they are suffixed to a certain class of nouns only, those which denote names of parts of the body, or of family relationship, or of things in close relationship to the possessor. In all other cases possession is denoted by the use of the ordinary personal pronouns.
2. When things and not persons are in question ni is used in place of da in plural third: lea alua i fulini go and put them in their places.
3. Of the plural forms those ending in lu denote a restriction in the number of the persons concerned.
4. These pronouns are also suffixed to the preposition fua to, used as a dative, to afuta all, and to certain other words which show a noun termination but which have no independent existence as nouns: otofa concerning, oofa approaching to, enceinte, sie, at the house of (in the vocabulary all such words are followed by a hyphen); also to mara of one's own accord, alone, te taifilia marana he alone; also to the verb too to hit, toogu, toona, hit me, etc.
DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS.
These are na, ne, this; nena, nana, nane, that.
1. These all follow a noun or a pronoun: a mwela ne this person, nia nana that is it.
2. Na is added after the negative _langi_: langi na no, not that; and after sui finished: sui na that is finished.
3. Go an adverb, there, is used as a demonstrative: tefe doo go ana only one thing, inau go agu I for my part; ne may be added, gone that, inia gone that is so. Ba means that, there: diena ba good! bago is used following a noun or a pronoun: a doo bago that person there.
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS.
1. The words used are ati, who; _taa, tafa_, what. The personal article a makes ati who, singular, gerati plural. Both ti and taa are nouns. The adverb ba may be added to ati for the purpose of emphasis: ati ba who? Ti stands for the name of the person and ati means, what is the name? ati mwane what man? The demonstrative ne may be added for emphasis: ati ne who is it then? Ati has also an indefinite use: ati susulia who knows?
2. With taa, tafa, the definite article si may be used: si taa what, that which, taa may follow the noun, ta si doo taa what sort of thing? si doo taa ne what? The adverb fai (where) may be used as an interrogative pronoun: nifai which, what?
INDEFINITE PRONOUNS.
The uses of ta, _te__, have been dealt with under "articles." These two words are used as signifying, any, some, other.
The noun sai place, thing, has an indefinite use: sai ai that which, what, sai na that which, ta sai ai, one, another (of things), sai oe your place, your duty, tani oto ni sai ai some people. (The Rev. A. I. Hopkins states in a note that sai in Lau is used of food only).
RELATIVE PRONOUNS.
There are no relative pronouns. Their place is supplied by various locutions.
1. By the suffixed pronoun: inia nane gu bae kekerofana fasi uri this is he of whom I spoke. The addition of the demonstrative _ne, nena_, serves to make the meaning clearer: inia nena ai garni mi maasia he is the person for whom we are waiting.
2. By making use of a coordinate clause: igami ne too gera ada fuada na we are the people whom they have chosen.
POSSESSIVES.
Singular: (1) agu. (2) amu. (3) ana.
Plural: Inclusive: (1) aga, agolu. Exclusive: (1) agami, agamelu. (2) agamu, agamolu. (3) agera, ada, adalu.
Dual: Inclusive: (1) agoro. Exclusive: (1) agamere. (2) agamoro. (3) adaro.
The possessive is used:
1. Of things to eat and drink: si fangala agu something for me to eat, o ngalia amu take it for your eating, si doo ana gera priest tafiligera food for the priests only.
When the sense relates to food in general and not to a particular meal the ordinary personal pronouns are employed as possessives: si doo ni gwou inau a drink for me.
2. As meaning, for me, for my part, etc., belonging to, at, with: geni agu a wife for me, nia lea ana he went his way, gu ka gele dau go agu if I but touch, fuana ngalia fera nia agolu to get his land for ourselves, si mamana nia ana power in himself, his power, si doo oro agu I have many things, e langi ana not in it, lost, nia soe agera he questioned them, soea satana ana a doo bago ask so-and-so his name, nia ledia tasi doo agu he asked me about something, ooganga agera their debt.
3. As the object of a neuter verb