Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language | Page 9

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 pronoun; 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 pronoun 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 pronoun. 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