A comparative study of the Melanesian Island languages

GRAMMAR OF THE BAMBATANA LANGUAGE (i)

I. Alphabet

1. Vowels: a, e, i, o, u.

Consonants: r, 1; k, g,^, n; t, d, n; z; p, b, m; f, v; s.

2. Souiros, The alphabet is that of the Melanesiaa mission,
hence g is the Melanesian g (y), ^ as ng in * finger'; n as ng in
*sing*; d as nd. The sound indicated by z is ch as in *chin';
it is nasalised in the words kunzUy rat, and kunzuku or kunsukuy
head. The b is nasal as mb.

2. Article

3. There is no appearance of an article.

3. Nouns

4. There are two classes of nouns, one used with stiffixed
pronouns, the other with separate possessives.

ii] North-western Solomon Islands 569

5. Number. This does not appear from the examples.

6. Gender. In kokorako velekiy cock, and kokorako kakasay
hen, sex is indicated by the words veleki, male, and kdkasUy
female. In other examples separate words are used: hosoiy
man; gofe, woman; sukuy boy; saligoli or suka kakasUy girl.

7. Vocative. In addressing parents, mama! father! and
nanai! mother! are used instead of the ordinary words tama
and sina,

4. Pronouns

8. Personal. Full forms:

Sing. I. ira. Plur. i inch ita,

2, aro. I excl, rami.

3. ia. 2, ramu,

3. tria.

These are not apparently used alone as subject of the verb ;
they are followed by a short pronoun.
Short forms used as subject of the verb :

Sing. 2. ko. Plur. 3. era, ere.

3- «•
There are no examples of short pronouns used as subject of
the verb in the first person singular, and first and second plural.
Short forms used as object. The only examples show:
Sing. 2.^0, 3. g/.

Short forms suffixed to nouns :

Sing. I. gu. Plur. i inch gtta.

2. mu. I excl. gem.

3. na. 2. gamu.

3. gira.

These are given with the word matUy eye: matagUy tnatamUy
matanUy matagitUy matagemy matagamUy matagira.

With padBy house, and other nouns the full form of pronoun
follows: pade iruy my house; bohote iruy my clothes; pade itUy
our house.

9. Demonstrative. Dinay this, doy dmuy that: pigi dinuy
this knife; nako dOy that fire.

10. Interrogative. No interrogative words appear in the

MS.

5. The Genitive

11. The only examples of genitive constructions are: viu
tunamiy egg or chicken (viuy bird, tunay egg, in vocab. ; Roviana
iUy child), and tara ke nagay door.

570 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

6. Adjectives

12. The adjective follows the noun: lima mataUy hand right;
suka kakasay child female.

The predicative adjective is preceded by i: t gata nako doy
is alive fire that, that fire is alive ; lu lavata i loduj the axe large
is long.

Numerals precede the noun: kavasi suka, four boys; pisa
navuluy three tens.

13. Some names of colours are reduplicated: ponoponOy
black, duduTUy white, kakasUy white, but mesaray red, kuney
black, magehy yellow.

7. Verbs

14. Causative. A particle va is prefixed to form a causative :
aro ko vakekeli pigiy you put the knife down (lit. you make lie
down the knife), cf. aro ko kekeli kobOy you lie down on the mat ;
ira va-pagavay I am (made) afraid; i pagay he (is) afraid.

15. Conjugation. The verb is conjugated by means of the
short pronouns. The phrases do not sufficiently illustrate the
tenses: i mega gi pade itay he sees (it) our house; ira megazagi
doliy I see (it) a snake; aro ko megavay you saw me; ko tekavay
you gave (it) to me.

Other examples of verbs are: pigi dina ira tekegOy knife this
I give thee ; ira logo nogoloy I pull the string; ira megazagi bosoi
ia tekezagi ladey I see a man giving banana to the child; aro
ko punuku nogolOy you tie the string; ia i segi masiy he bathes in
the sea; bosoi i la may the man comes hither; ita za ko Babataruiy
we will go to Bambatana ; ere togopukUy they drag the crocodile ;
kavasi suka ere degere, four boys are standing; ere gigeto mokiy
they cut the wood,

8. Adverbs

16. A directive ma is seen in: sana i la may the sun rises up
(i.e. comes hither); bosoi i la may the man comes here.

Dona, that, is used for ' there ' in bebe i bauku dona^ the butter-
fly flies there.

9. Prepositions

17. With the doubtful exception of ko in the phrase ita za
ko Babatanay we will go to Bambatana, no prepositions appear.
The locative has no sign : ia i segi masiy he bathes (in) the sea ;
aro ko kekeli kobOy you lie down (on) the mat.

GRAMMAR OF THE BAMBATANA LANGUAGE (2)

I. Alphabet

1. Vowels: a, e, i, o, u, 6.

Consonants: r, 1; k, g, q; n; t, d, n; p, b, m; v, j, s, z.

2. Sounds. The 6 is sounded as er in *her'; Mr Rooney
wrote u in the MS. The consonants are: g hard as in *got/
q as ng in ^finger/ n as ng in *sing/ d as nd, b as mb, v
approaches w: vokene or wokene^ moon.

2. Article

3. There is no appearance of an article.

3. Nouns

4. There are two classes. One is used with suffixed pro-
nouns as mata-qUy my eye; the other has separate possessive
words as naqu buky my peace.

5. Form. Noun and verb may have the same form: naqu
tUy my life; mara tUj they shall live; got sa vatana ky he was
near death; ra ma fe, I shall die.

Sometimes there is change of vowels: vtisiliy to blow; voseliay
a blowing; vuvuseUy wind.

A personal noun is formed from a verb by prefixing the
word hosBy man: hose sikosikoy a thief; hose nahuluy servant.

A gerund is formed by the verbal WB with pronouns suffixed
to nouns: kuqUy my staying; pitaOy his seeking; zisini dia^ our
fearing. These forms are common with the negative. Cf. § 29.

An object is similarly shown by the word petUy thing, some-
times with the preposition ni or ta : petani gokiy food ; peta ta
ItiUy thing of the earth.

572 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

It may also be formed by reduplication: tununUy to sit; ta
tutununut bovo€y on the seat of the chief.

A person belonging to a place is shown by bose (man) or
qole (woman) and the preposition ni: bose ni Nazareti^ man of
Nazareth; qole ni Sameriay woman of Samaria.

The preposition ni connects names of people and places:
vudu niOaliliy country of Galilee ; zira noni niBetelema, children
of Bethlehem.

6. Number. The plural is shown by the pronoun zira pre-
ceding the noun: zira vuriniy leaves; zira supu^ mountains;
zira bosey men.

The word taba^ many, may show the plural: vtidu taba ni ta
lua^ countries of the earth.

7. Vocative. In speaking of one's own parents mama!
father ! and nai! mother ! are used instead of the common nouns
tama and tina,

4. Pronouns

8. Personal. Full forms:

Sing. I. ra, Plur. i inch zita. Dual i incl. zituru.

2. re. I excl. rami. i excl, raru.

3. goi, 2. ramu, 2, raburu,

3. zira, 3. ziru.

These are used before the verbal particles and also in the
objective after a verb.

A trial number is formed by adding tara tulu to the plural :
rami tara tuluy we three; zira tara tuluy they three.

Short forms used with verbal particles. See § 28.

9. Short forms suffixed to nouns in the possessive case:

Sing. I. qu, Plur. i incl. dia. Dual i incl. dim,

2. mu. I excl. matni. 1 excl. maru,

3. iy€yO,vo, 2. mina, 2. miburu,

3. dira, 3. diru.

In the third singular goi which is not suffixed is often used.
In all persons and numbers the full form of the pronoun may
follow.

Tuqu or ttiqu ra^ my son; matamu^ thine eye; mate goi ^ his
eye; kurisidia zita^ our hands; likaidia^ our friend; tinai^ his
mother.

Kurisimami ramiy our hands; kurisidira zira, their hands;
lome diru ziturUy lome maru raru, tongues of us two; lome dim

ii] North-westem Solomon Islands 573

jsrzrw, tongues of them two; pisi totimtnay your children; zitene-
dirUy their names.

A trial number is shown by adding tara tulu : kurisi mami tara
tulu, hands of us three.

The third singular e is added to nouns ending in 0: zioe^
his flesh; loboroe^ its inside.

Similarly o, vo are used with verbal WB's used as nouns:
leOy his dying; pitaOy his seeking; vuovOy his staying.

10. Possessive pronouns preceding the noun :

Sing. I. naqu. 2. namu. 3. nai.

In the plural and dual these do not differ from the suffixed
forms: naqu huky my peace; namu visUy thy bed; nai vtsUy his
bed ; mami Banaray our God ; dia baray our refuge ; mina zaqalay
your sins; dira vuvujUy their idols.

11. Demonstrative. latiy tCy this, iCy that: vudu tCy this
world.

The MS. shows the use of these words with zOy come or go,
kuOy to stay: hose ie sa zo me tatty that man comes hither; bose
sa kuo iCy that man stays there ; bose sa kuo iCy sa zo me tatty that
man yonder comes hither.

12. Interrogative. Ade? who? Ade re? who (art) thou?
ode zitonomu? who (is) your name? ade tigoi? who is he?

Ava? what ? Ava ko pijoni re goiy what did you say to him ?
ava peta got sa zito ta kui re? what thing (did) he do to you?
ava ma pint ra? what shall I ask?

13. Indefinite. The numeral koke is used indefinitely for
* one ' : koke ta ziray one of them ; koke bosey a certain man.

The plural ^some' is the same as the interrogative numeral:
kavia ziray some of them,

Tabay all: kama bose tabaoy not every man; zira peta tabay
all things.

14. *Self' is expressed by ta with the possessives: ta naqUy
myself; tanamUy thyself; taniy himself; tanamamiy tanaminay
ourselves, yourselves, etc.; goi sa vabisi taniy he drank of it
himself.

5. The Genitive

15. The second of two nouns is in the genitive case. The
first and governing noun ends in i which is identical with the
suffix pronoun of the third person singular: vurini gozOy leaf

574 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

of tree ; bulukiri rorokoy wing of a bird ; korisi mama ra^ hand of
my father; toti Jonty son of John; boti Joniy head of John;
zukai tUy path of life.

1 6. Nouns denoting relationships and parts of the body
suffix the possessive pronouns. For examples see § 9.

17. The words mama, my father, and naiy my mother, do
not take a suffixed pronoun but the pronoun ra, I, may follow:
mama ra, my father; sa nai se ra^ is my mother also.

18. Other nouns are preceded by the possessive word na
in the singular number only. This takes the suffixed pronouns:
ncupi buky my peace; namu tuna, thy truth; nai visu, his bed.

In the plural na does not appear: dia bara, our refuge; mami
bovoCy our chief; dira vuvugUj their idols; mina zaqala, your
sins.

19. The preposition ta is used to indicate possession with
nouns and pronouns: jam ta korisi bose^ work of hands (of
men); qole ta likamUy wire of thy brother; sa bar a ta zita, our
refuge; vanana ta dirUy nets of them two.

6. Adjectives

20. The adjective follows the noun: jaju noe, work good;
vuvtisele karaputa, wind great; lilio varuga^ word new; zira
bose morOj sick persons.

21. Form. Nouns are used as adjectives without change:
bele kuatCy fish spear {kuate, fish); kapo mola^ canoe paddle
{molay canoe).

The prefix ma appears in mavora, wounded.

The noun qualifying may be instrumental with the preposi-
tion ni: petanigakiy food, thing for eating.

A verb used as an adjective may be reduplicated : gozopapara,
digging stick (para, to dig).

22. Comparison. The verb 'to pass,' tia, tianiy is used in
comparison; koBy to go beyond (?), is also found: tamai sa
tiani maka ra, the Father is greater than I; re mo ri jaju pdu
sa koe peta iatiy thou shalt see a greater thing than this ; jaju
sa tia ta zira jaju iatiy work greater than this work ; peta sa roka
tiaiy a thing that is worse (bad passing it); kana rukusu tia, the
last enemy; (in i Cor. 15. 54, palata sa koe le! victory swallows
death!).

ii] North-western Solomon Islands 575

7. Verbs

23. Form, Some nominal WB's are used as verbs: tUy life,
to live, nai tu^ his life, ma tu napUy he shall live again; kulay
joy, to rejoice, got sa kuluy he rejoices, naqu kulay my joy.

In other cases there is a change of form: vustliy to blow
{vuvmeUy wind).

24. Transitive and Intransitive. As in Roviana transitive
and intransitive WB's are not distinguished by form or ending:
derCy to stand; ^a;fe, to hear; /)orfo, to be born; koloy to call.

But transitive verbs are used with certain suffixes which do
not appear with intransitive verbs.

The transitive verb is followed by the noun object or by the
pronouns: zira ka ri sisiriputUy they saw (n) the star; mamu
ri koke hosCy see ye a man; zira tnara gate got, they shall hear
(gate) him ; tamai sa noni totiy the father loves the son ; goi sa
goki zioqUy he eats my flesh.

When in the objective the pronoun of the first person
singular ra is preceded by the word tnakay and the second
singular by namu : zira base taha ka pita nantu r^, all men seek
(pita) thee; ka pita namu ray they seek thee; re ko ri maka ra^
thou seest me.

The pronoun may be omitted after maka or namu : ramu kamu
risipa makay you have seen me; sa ritoki namUy he takes care
of thee.

The suffix i appears to mark the plural object when the noun
is expressed: ra ko me ne kolo-i bose roka, I come to call (them)
men bad. In the singular: zira ka kolo base, they call the man.
Cf. Roviana Grammar, § 27, p. 550.

Ni is very commonly found as a suffix of transitive verbs:
goi sa toqCy he answered ; but sa toqeni maka ray he answered me.

25. Causative. The causative prefix is va: zoy to go, vazoy
to send; derey to stand up, vaderCy to raise up; vutiniy to know,
vavutiniy to teach ; bovoey a chief, vabovoe goiy make him a king.

Ni is very common as a suffix to causatives: kulay glad,
vakulaniy to make glad.

The final is sometimes changed in forming the causative:
tununUy to sit, vatuniniy to cause to sit; tavata, light n., vatavate
ziray lighten them.

In some words there is a change of vowels: dalOy clean,
vadoloy to cleanse; zira supu mar a nokorOy mountains shall not

576 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

move (nokoro)^ kama nukiri la dtrUy they shall not move them
(lit. not their moving),

26. Reciprocal. The reciprocal prefix is vara : ka kuti vara-
tatanai napu tana dira^ they began to ask one another again;
varakitaki, to have dealings with; varatatavisi, to help; kolo
varaqtiquniy to call together {qoqono, to assemble).

Verbs which imply mutual action prefix vara: varatupari^
to meet; vararikiy to be married; varatanaty to judge; varavat^
to fight.

27. Reflexive. * Self or 'selves' is indicated by ^^«a with
the possessive pronoun, or simply by the subject and object
in the same person: kase iati tana dira zira^ they said this to
themselves; mo vakavili nopo natnuy save (imperat.) thyself,
save thee.

28. Passive. A passive prefix /a may be present in /a<2:at;^ra,
melted, become rotten. Also in: ka ri katura tiki tabikala la^
they saw the stone was rolled {tabikala) away {sa bikibikilila
katura^ he rolled away a stone); zita taba mata ta bitonOy we
shall all be changed.

29. Conjugation. The verb is conjugated by preceding
particles which vary for person, number and tense.

Indefinite tense :

Sing. I, ho.

Plur. I incl. kata.

Dual I incl. kuturu.

2. ho.

I excl. kami.

I excl. karu.

3. sa.

2. kamu.

2. kaburu.

3. ka.

3. kuru.

The personal pronoun may precede the particle or follow
the verb, but all the particles except ko may be used without
the pronouns. Ko requires the pronoun ra or re to be expressed :
ra ko ri namuy I saw thee; re ko ri goi, thou seest him; ^(iV sa ri
tavatay he sees the light; kata vutiniy we know; rami kami
vavutivCy we believe; ramu kamu pita maka ray you seek me;
ka pita namu r^, they call thee; zituru kuturu kuo koke tOy we
two remain one only; raru karu vutini goi toti maruy we two
know he (is) son of us two ; raburu kaburu pita maka ray you
two seek me; ziru kuru zOy they two walked.

Other examples: boseleke sa derey the man stands; likai mami
rami sa pamUy our friend (ramiy we) sleeps; re ko kolo goi y thou
callest him ; tamai sa noni totiy the father loves the son ; zira

ii] North-western Solomon Islands 577

ka ri ststrtputUy they saw the star; ztru kuru kisini dada vananay
they two left their nets; kiku sapoka mCy the sun rose hither.
Past:

Sing. I, toko. Plur. i inch kata tiki.

2. toko. I excl. kami tiki,

3. tiki. z. toko.

3. taka.

These were given in Mr Rooney's notes with the following
examples: ra toko ri namu re^ I saw thee; re toko ri goi^ I saw
him; goi tiki ri goi, he saw him; zita kata tiki ri zira^ we saw
them; rami kami tiki ri namu re^ we saw thee; re toko ri zira^
you saw them; zira taka ri namu re^ they saw thee.

Examples of this construction are not common in the trans-
lations. I find : tiki me aoa or tiki doka ta aoa, the hour is come ;
base sa nanaqorani Jisu tiki make zira lala, the man betraying
Jesus had given them a sign; zira taka tasibaka la ta dira zuka^
they departed on their way ; tiki kaji, he is of age ; ra toko pitai
Banara^ I sought the Lord.

In the translation a definite past is expressed by suffixing
"sipa to the verb : ramu kamu gokisipa zira palavay you did eat
loaves; ra ko pijonisipa ramu^ I have told you (already); zira
taka gatesipa lilio ta bovoe, (when) they had heard the word of
the king; ramu kamu risipa maka^ you have seen me; soda goi
sa gatesipa Joniy when he heard John.

Mana after the verb also appears to express a kind of plu-
perfect: sa vole mana taba bose, he had healed many persons;
tuqu ra sa le mana^ my son was dead; saja mana^ it was lost;
siva goi sa pijoni mana ramu^ as he said to you.

Future :

Sing. I. ma. Plur. i incl. mata.

z. mo. I excl. mami.

3. ma. z. mamu.

3, mar a.

Zita mata vule napu la Jutia, we will go again to Judea; goi
ra ma nukuy him I shall kiss; mara me^ they will come; ^oz ma
la me napu, he shall come hither again ; re mo tu, thou shalt live ;
le ma noro, death shall cease; ra ma make mamu re, I will give
thee; kuse ma we, night will come; zira mara gaki, they shall
eat ; zita mata zito, we shall do it ; zira mara gate goiy they shall
hear him.

In Mr Rooney's notes the future singular is given as i. ba,
2. bo J 3. bay after the word kasada: ra kasada ba ri goiy I will

RML 37

578 North-western Solomon Islands [PT

see him ; re kasada ho ri goiy thou wilt see him ; got kasada ha ri
namu re^ he will see thee. In the translation I find: ra hat
vazaka Banara, I will bless the Lord; but other phrases are
difficult.

30. Negative. In the negative kama^ not, precedes the
verbal WB used as a noun with the possessive pronoun: katna
kuqu^ I do not stay (lit. not my staying); kama vutiniqu ramUy
I know you not, not my knowing you; kama Ilaijamu, you are
not Elijah; kama kuovo iati, he is not here; hose sa goki kama
leOy man eats, not dies; kama vutini maru, we two do not know;
koke ramu kamu vutini mina, one you do not know; kama vutini
diray they do not know; kama vikilioni dira ta koke hose y they
did not tell one person.

Kizao is also used for ' no ' : kizao ka hose sa ri mana tamaiy
no man has seen the father.

Similar expressions are used with nouns and pronouns : goi
kama tavataOy he (was) not (his) light; kama gakioy he had no
food, or he ate not; kama ta ramio, not to us; kama hose tabaOy
not all men, not every man; kama gaki diray they had no food.

31. Interrogative. The interrogative pronouns or adverbs
begin the sentence and «^, apparently an interjection, closes it:
avase re ko zito jaju iati ta kui rarUy ne? why have you done
(work) this to us two? ade r^, ne? who (art) thou? hiziha re ko
kuiy ne? where dwellest thou?

Ba is also used at the end of a direct statement : re ko me ko
soko vui vale rami ha? (dost) thou wish to kill us? rami kami
kodo sey ha? (are) we blind also? ko pamu re, ha? (dost) thou
sleep ?

Ne is similarly used: iati sa vamuma ramu, ne? (does) this
offend you ?

32. Mood. Imperative. The verbal WB may be used alone
in the imperative, or the future particles may be used with or
without pronouns: dere, mata lay arise, let us go; mo dere, mo
dere re or re mo derey arise thou; vanukiri la katuray take away
the stone ;yo/o me, come hither; mamu lupogoiy loose (ye) him;
mo kutu namu visu, take thy bed; mamu me pijoni maka ray
come (ye) hither (and) tell me; mata zo lay let us go forth;
zo mey mo n, come, see.

The negative imperative is expressed by kasi used alone, or
with the pronoun, but without any other particle: kasi zisiy

ii] North-western Solomon Islands 579

fear not (thou) ; re kasi sikoy do not (thou) steal ; kasi zist ramUy
fear not (ye).

33. Subjunctive. A dependent sentence sometimes follows
without a connective : ra ko vutinigoi ma tu napu, I know (that)
he will live again; rami kami vutini namu re ko kuo tuna^ we
know (that) thou art true.

Se introduces an illative sentence, with the future particle:
ra ko me se mara pale tu noey I come so that they shall receive
life; ra ko kia naqu tu se ma pale nopo vile^ I lay down my life
so that I shall take (it) again ; ramu kama toqent mina me ta kui
ra se bamu pale tUy you are not willing to come to me that ye
might have life,

34. Conditional. This is introduced by 6a, if, with the
particles bat, bo, ba: ba re bo kuo mana tatty vaviniqu ra ba se
kama leOy if thou hadst stayed here, my brother would not have
died (not his dying). Ba se is here equivalent to ^ it would have
been that,' or 'perhaps': ba kama podo meo bose tatty sa noe,
if that man was not born, it was good (lit. if not born hither-his,
man that, it (was) good); re bo toqey ba se ko vadolo maka ra,
if thou wilt, thou makest clean me.

35. Desiderative. a wish is expressed by the verb soko:
Herotiasi sa kulini goiy no sa soko vui vale got y ba kama majalaOy
Herodias hated him and wished to kill (strike dead) him, but
could not; avase ramu kamu soko gate vile? why do you wish
to hear again? ^oV kama sokooy he did not wish.

36. Potential. Majala is used for * can,' and with the nega-
tive for ' cannot ' : sa majala peta noe ma la takabola me Nazaretiy
ba? can any good thing come from Nazareth? (is able a thing
good shall come appear hither from Nazareth?); lilio iati sa
taka, ade sa majala gateni? word this is hard, who can hear it ?
ba kama majalaOy she could not (not her ability); kama maja-
lamu ritokiy couldst thou not watch.

37. Infinitive. A verb in the infinitive follows another
without any connective: Pailati soko vakulani zira taba, Pilate
wished to please them all.

38. Participle. This is shown by the verbal WB with the
suffixed possessive pronoun: sa derea kokey one is standing;
ramu kamu soko mamu kuo disaipeli ta goiy kamusey you wish you
were his disciples, you say (you, your wishing, stop disciples

37-3

580 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

of him) ; sa me ripamuidira, he comes sees them sleeping (their
sleeping); ka gakia diruy while they were eating; hi sa podoe?
where (is) his being born?

39. Copula. There is no verb *to be*: iati koke ta zirUy this
(is) one of them.

8. Adverbs

40. Directive. La, thence, forth, mey hither: zo /a, go; zo
mey la /we, come; pale la^ take; pale tw^, qisu me, bring; nukiri
lay move away.

Pokay upward, vanzoloy down: sa doe poka got, he lifted him
up ; ktku sa poka mey sun rose up hither.

41. Interrogative. Bisada? when? Bisada kamu ri ramu
sisirtputUy ne? when did you see the star?

Bi? btziba? where? Biziba re ko kuiy ne? where dwellest
thou? biziba sa kui goi? where is he? (In the notes: bi mamu
lai ramu? where are you going? bi sa kui tamamu? where is
thy father?)

Avase? why? Avase ramu kamu varavanuqUy kamu qelay ne?
why do you make a disturbance, you weep? avase re ko zito
jaju iati ta kui rarUy ne? why hast thou done this to us two?

Bi kase? how? bi mase? how (shall)? Bi kase ka vadodoro
matamu re? how (were) they made open thine eyes? bi mase
goi ba lapodo napu base sa valaka? how shall he (go to) be born
again, a man (that is) old?

42. Time. Nokaney yesterday; sinaniy now; ta tava guniy
to-day; volanoniy then, when; ta ktdzutia, in the beginning; ta
tava, by day; ta lobar kusey in the night; ta marisasa pipiy early
in the morning; nopdy also; napUy vihy again; kenakaiy first.

43. Place. latiy tey here: kama kuovo iati, he is not here;
sa kuo tey he stays here; iey there, ta vudu ie, in that place there;
vatanay near; koUy afar.

44. Manner. Adverbs of manner are formed from adjectives
by the causative prefix : vanoey well (woe, good). Cf . also varukay
exceedingly,

TOy only: koke to totiy one only son.

Sivay like, so, likewise: kama sivavOy it was not like; mo zito
sa sivay do likewise; ba bose sa siva tOy but the man is like him
only.

ii] North-western Solomon Islands 581

9. Prepositions

45. Ta^ of general relation, on, in, at, to, of: [got tiki kukusu
ta luUy he spat on the ground; tnamu mo tununu ta katurUy sit
ye on the stone ; vokene sa tavata ta kusey the moon shines in
the night; miga sa sum me ta zira supUy the rain falls hither on
the hillsji.

Ni is apparently ablative and instrumental, and is, like the
Roviana ni, usually suffixed to the verb : [goi sa pokini zira^
he runs away from them ; ra ma qulisi ni goi loka^ I wash it with
water \g6i sapikeni loto goi, he cut him with a knife.] In the text :
zira ka vuini loso hoti goi, they struck with a reed his head.

In the translation ni is used for ^oV before proper names
of places : bose ni Nazarete, man of Nazareth ; komala ni Betani,
town of Betani; ta pade ta bovoe ni Sinagogo, to the house of
the ruler of the Synagogue.

46, 'To' or 'from' a place is expressed without a preposi-
tion: goi sa kisini Jutia, no sa vide napu la Qaliliy he left Judea
and returned again thither Galilee ; sada goi sa tai me Jutia sa
me doka Qalili, when he came (hither) out of Judea, he went
into Galilee; \ra ma la Bahatana, I go to Bambatana; goi sa
la tai me Babatana, he comes hither (from) Bambatana; bi sa
la tai me goi? where does he come from?].

47, Ta kui is used to express motion to a person: sinani ra
ko la ta kui re, now I come to thee; goi sa zitojaju noe ta kui
ra, she does a work good to me; kose iati ra ta kui ramu, I say
to you ; ma la ta kui mama ra, I will go to my father.

With the verb kuo, to stay, to be with, ta kui is used for
'with': zira bose voza ka kuo ta kui ramu taba sada, men poor
abide with you all time; sa kuo me ta kui goi, it abode on him.

'With' is also expressed by vona: mamu kula vona maka ra,
rejoice (ye) with me; ziru kuru kuo vona goi ta tava nagone,
they two abode with him that day.

48. Verbal. Many verbs convey the meaning of a preposi-
tion with or without the suffix ni: goi sa kope ziru, he went
with them two ; goi sa pijoni Pita, he said to Peter ; sa vasivani
tani Banara, he made himself equal (like) with God; ka kuti
qiqiloni goi, they began to murmur at him; sa goboni bovoe, he
followed the ruler; tavata sa doki rupa, the light shines in the
darkness.

^ Phrases in brackets from Mr Rooney's ms.

582 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

49. Compound. These are formed by a local noun and the
preposition ta.

LoborOj in, inside, between: ta lohoroe goiy in him; ta loborpe
dta, among us; ta loboropadey in the house; ta loboro nako, into
the fire ; ta loboro ktise, in the night ; [bose sa dere ta loboro kuda
no sika, the man stands between the cocopalm and the banana].

KenakUy before, in front of: ta kenakai dtra, before them;
[got sa tununu ta kenakaqu ra^ he sits in front of me].

RukusUy behind, after: ta sada rukusUy afterward; koke ma
me ta rukusuqu ra^ one comes after me; ta rukusui dira zira^
those after; [mo tununu ta rukusudiray sit thou behind them],

Totakay the back: [goi sa tununu ta totakamuy he sits behind
thee],

Sarajole, under: ta sarajole zikini got, under his feet; ta
sarajole lua^ under the earth; ta sarajole gozOy under the tree.

[Jerakuniy under: runzi sa pamu ta jerakuni pade^ the rat
sleeps under the house.]

ID. Conjunctions

50. Copulative. No, and: got sa zito mana rani no vudu
tabay he made heaven and earth (all places); Saimoni no zira
likai goiy Simon and his friends.

Na is also found: goi sa zito rani na vudu taba, he made
heaven and earth ; sa noni Mata na koe goi no Lazarosi, he loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus; tamamu no tinamu or
tamamu na tinamUy thy father and mother.

51. Adversative. Ba, but: sa zare talenediray ba kama gate
diray they have ears, but they do not hear; kizao ka bose sa pale
kisini naqu tu ba ta naqu to ko kiay no man takes away my life,
but of my own (accord) only I lay it down.

52. Disjunctive. *Or' may be shown by bay or without a
conjunction (when a question is asked): ade sa sini? bose iatiy
ba tamaiy tinaigoiy who sinned } this man or his father or mother.

53. Bay if, although: ba zira loka ta kolo mara qutalay if the
waters of the sea shall roar; ba Jisu tani kama bapataisinio ba
zira nai disaipeli ka bapataisiniy though Jesus himself baptised
not, but his disciples baptised.

'Then' indicating a consequence is shown by ba se: re bo
toqey ba se ko vaddlo maka ray sasey if thou wish, then thou
makest clean me, says he; ba re bo kuo mana iatiy vaviniqu ra

ii] North-western Solomon Islands 583

ba se kama lea, if thou hadst been here, then my brother would
not have died,

54. Causal. Batty because; bati got sa base vaivai tOy no
kama gatetaio zira sipiy because he (is) a man hired and does
not care for the sheep ; pade kama voranao bati sa tununai ta
katurUy the house fell not because it was founded (sat) on a rock ;
bati re ko bose to, because you (are) a man only; bati kase zira,
because they said.

Illative. Se, so that : ra ko kula kama kuqu ie^ se ramu mamu
vavutiviy I am glad I was not there, so that you might believe.

Cf-§33- . . ,. . .

'When' is indicated by sada^ time: goi sa kula sada goi sa

gate Joniy he was glad when he heard John ; sada goi sa kuo

JertLsalemay when he was in Jerusalem.

55. A quotation is introduced by the verbal pronouns with
the word se\ sase, says he; kasey say they, etc., at the end of the
words quoted, or by the phrases: sase iati goi or kase iati ziray
he says this, they say this. Sase iati Pilipiy zo me, mo n, sase,
PhiUp said. Come, see, says he; kase iati ziray Ava goi ne? re
ko Ilaijay ne? kasey they say, What is it? Art thou Elijah? say
they; sase iati bovoe pdUy says the great chief.

II. Numerals

56. Cardinal. Koke , one ; kere y two ; tulu y three -yvatiy four;
limay five; vonomOy six; vitUy seven; viuy eight; ziay nine; manOy
ten.

The units above *ten' follow without a connective: mano
kokey eleven; mano kerey twelve.

The tens above the first have compound names based on the
units: karabete^ twenty; tolononOy thirty; keredukiy forty; n^qOy
fifty; neqo manOy sixty; neqo karabetey seventy; neqo tolononOy
eighty; neqo keredukiy ninety.

Vubiy one hundred; kere vubiy two hundred; koke vubi kara-
bete tulUy a hundred and twenty-three.

Koke maoy one thousand ; kokorakoy ten thousand (lit. a fowl).

57. Ordinal. These do not differ from the cardinals except
kenakay first, and rukusuy last.

58. Multiplicative. These are formed by adding saday
time, to the cardinals: koke saday once; kere saday twice; tulu
saday vatisaday etc.

584 North-western Solomon Islands [pt

59. The Interrogative is via? how many? used with ava?
what ? Ava via sada ? how much time ? how long ?

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Ray, Sidney Herbert, 1858-1939.

A comparative study of the Melanesian Island
languages.

Reprint of the 1926 ed. published by the Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, Eng.

Bibliography: p.

1. Melanesian languages. L Title.
i PL6201.R3 1978 499'.5 75-35151
ISBN 0-404-14166-8