Indian Antiquary Vol 36

SR No.: 032528
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 241

August, 1907.)
RECORD OF THE LANGUAGES OF SAVAGES.
225
The introducers of interrogation in Bēa are Ba' and An? And so, too, " Is. -?" are introduced by "An_
--?" Either these introducers are used, or an interrogative sentence begins with a special introducer, like " Ten ? Where Michiba P What? Mijola (honorific form ), or Mija? Who?" and so on.
n. - The Mode of expressing the Functions and the Interrelation of Words.
But the Andamanese do not rely entirely on position to express the function of the sentence and the functions and interrelation of its words. By varying the ends of their words, they express the functions of such sentences as convey information, and at the same time the functions of the words composing them.
Thus, the final form of Pulugrla, Luratutla, chapala, Tomolola proclaim them to be indicators (nouns): of mamila, boika, prugatka, umore, okodalre, l'otpugurire, to be predicators (verbs): of chapa-tapnga (phrase) to be an explicator (adjective): of Toll'ukotimalen (phrase), chapelik, Wota-Emi-baruijlen (phrase) to be illustrators (adverbs).
0.- Expression of Intimate Relation. The intimate relation between words is expressed by change of form at the commencement of the latter of them.
Thus in Luratut (c. in.) l'otpugurire (p.), where Luratut is the complement (object) and l'otpupurire is the predicator ( verb ), the intimate relation between them is expressed by the r of l'otyugurire. So again in Tarcheker l'otpugurire.
In phrases, or words that are fundamentally phrases, the same method of intimately joining them is adopted.
Thus Tol-L'olco-tina-len means in practice "in Tóll'okotima," a place so named, but fundamentally
Tol -
I
okotima - len Tol (tree) — (its) — corner-in means "in (the encampment at, unexpressed the corner of the Tol (trees, unexpressed )." Here the intimate relation between tol and okotima is expressed by the intervening I'. The actual use of the phrases is precisely that of the words they represent. Thus,
Wota-Emi-baraij- len
Wota-Emi-village--in Here a phrase, consisting of three indicators (nouns) placed in juxtaposition, is used as one illustrator word (adverb).
D.-Use of the Affixes, Prefixes, Infixes, Suffixes. It follows from what has been above said that the Andamanese partly make words ful91 their functions by varying their forms by means of affixes.
Thus they use suffixes to indicate the class of a word. E. g., ka, re, to indicate predicators ( verb ) : la, da, for indicators (noun ) : nga for explicators (adj.): len, lik for illustrators (adverbs). They use prefixes, e.g., l', to indicate intimate relation, and infixes for joining up phrases into compound words, based on the prefix l'.
It also follows that their functional affixes are prefixes, infixes, and suffixes.
It is further clear that they effect the transfer of a word from class to class by means of suffixes.
Thus, the compound indicator (noun ) Toll'okotima is transferred to illustrator (adverb) by saffixing lon : indicator (noun) chapa to illustrator (adverb) by suffixing lik: indicator (noan) phrase Wota-Emi-barai to illustrator (adverb) by suffixing lon: predicator (verb) tap (-ke, -ka, -re) to explicator (adj.) by sufiling nga.