iiiili! THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES THE MENDE LANGUAGE THE MENDE LANGUAGE CONTAINING USEFUL PHRASES ELEMENTARY GRAMMAR SHORT VOCABULARIES READING MATERIALS F. W. H. MIGEOD TRANSPORT OFFICER GOLD COAST COLONY LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRT'BNER & Co., Ltd. DllYDEX HOUSE, 43 CERKARD STREET, W. 1908 Richard Clay it Sons, Limited, BREAD STREET HILL, E.C., AND BUKOAV, SUFFOLK. PL < 7/ ^/5 INTRODUCTION The Mende nation is located in the eastern part of the Sierra Leone Protectorate. As to its origin I have been unable to obtain any information, but if its recent movement be any indication, the general direction of its migration would seem to have been southerly. In the fourth decade of the nine- teenth century Mendes were apparently little known on the seaboard, except as slaves brought down from the interior. The late Reverend Dr. Schoen, of the Church Missionary Society, and the author of books on the Hausa, Ibo, and Mende languages, states (1882) that "it seems that the nation is pressing on to the seashore, as they occupy at present the country where, in 1839, the slave-dealers had their depots of slaves in the Sherbro country. Their baracoons were destroyed on the banks of the great river Bum by Captain Denman, of the British Navy, in 1840 or 1841, and since that time the country is open to British commerce and mis- sionary operations, and the IMende are the principal occupants of the place, and their language has all but superseded, and will ere long supersede, the Sherbro altogether." This move- ment has continued, but the Sherbro language still exists. The imposition of peace on the country after the war of 1898, when the nation endeavoured to throw off European control, seems to liave been the immediate cause of large numbers of the young men leaving their country. The suppres- sion of local feuds deprived them of their chief activities. AVhen there was constant local Avarfure the safety of the town depended on its male inhabitants being always at homo. With the abolition of the necessity for their presence the young men began to look around for some direction in which to turn their energies, and finding none at home they were necessarily compelled to go abroad ; and they are now to be found in all parts of West Africa, including the French and German colonies. As regards the Gold Coast, they were lirst introduced to that country through being brought in small numbers in tlie capacity either of soldiers or carriers for the local wars, beginning with the Ashanti war of 1873. For G3ii510 vi INTRODUCTION the Asluanti war of 1900 tlioy came in larger numbers. The West African Regiment, which was sent from Sierra Leone, had many Mendes in its I'anks ; and of the carrier.s tliat were enlisted at Freetown for the same war probably over 4000 were Mende. About this time, too, large numbers were recruited as labourei's for tlie Sekondi to Kumasi railway. As many as were willing to go were sent back at the expira- tion of their engagements, but many returned again to obtain work either from the Government or on the mines. At the present time (1907) they probably do not number much more than 1200 in the Colony, and four to five years would seem to be the average period of i-esidence. Their number has been steadily decreasing, owing to tlie restrictions imposed by the Sierra Leone Government on their leaving that Colony, and those that go back home now find it difficult to come again. Unlike the Kruraen, who have considerable objection to leaving the coast-line, and who work in gangs, which come and return annually, the Mendes subject themselves to no similar restrictions, and their enterprise and self-reliance take them everywhere. They are not generally tall, but sturdy, feai'less, and capable of gi'eat endurance. Tlie following tal>le of measurements, which I have made, gives possibly a fairly correct indication of this people's stature. IIkigiits of 894 Mk.ndks measured. X... Shortest \.S^ 5.n^an(15.5;; . 41 Uy) to and iiicludiii^ 4.11 J 14 5.5v ,, 5.5;; . 28 5 ft. and n[> tn 5.0^; iindusivr 2 4 5.6 ,, 5.t)i . 2t> 5.1 ai]d up to 5.1; inclusive 42 5.0.1 5.0i: . '29 5.2 and 5. 2 i 2) 5.0^, ., 5.(ii . 3 1 5.2i 5.2;* 15 5.0V ;, 5.6' 2^' 5.21, ^, 5.25 2t; 5.7 ,, 5.7i . 10 5.2^/ ,, 5.25 22 5.7} 5.7^ . 24 5.:5 ,, 5.3i 25 . lit 5.3} ,, 5.:5i^ 4 5.7v ,, 5.75 23 5.3', ,, 5.3g 2ii 5.S ,. .-..8i . lit 5.3^ ,, 5.3J 10 5.S1 n.8- 8 5.4 ,, 5.4 i 4 3 5.S.', ,, r..s'' . 1 1 5.4.i ., 5.4^ 28 5^8^ ',', ^>A . 11 5.4J, ,, 5.43 ."Jtj 5.9 and over . 40 5.4V ,- 5.4i 37 Tallest 0.1 1 5.5 ,, 5.5i 40 S'. 1 5.54- ,, 5.5g 40 INTRODUCTION vii The nation seems to be formed by an admixture of a tall, slim race, presumably coming from the open country to the northwai'd, with the short, thick-set race, which ancient records, dating back as far as the time of the Phoenicians, show to have teen the inhabitants of the tropical African forest in past ages : vhich view the foregoing figures appear to support. The customs of the Mendes, as far as I can learn from hearsay, do not seem to dilfer greatly from those of their immediate neighbours, who still remain pagans. The great institution of the country is Poro ; an institution similar to which exists among the Vais, their neighbours to the south- east, and I believe also in other adjoining countries. As reference has been made to it, it may be briefly stated that Poro is virtually a system of education. It has been described as a secret society ; but there cannot be much secrecy about what has been attended by nearly all the youth of the country. The coui'se of instruction varies with the desire and status of the individual and the fees paid. Dancing, singing, gymnastics, medicine, and mystic rites are amongst the subjects taught, and for some boys the course lasts seven years. Girls also go through a course of instruction suitable for them, which they are not permitted to talk about with the other sex. What is Poro to the men is called ' Sande ' or ' Bondo' for the women. As to the affinities of the Mende language I am unable to say much, having, of the surrounding languages, only been able to examine Vai. A"ai is a language of interest from its having a syllabic writing of its own. It lias a very con- siderable numl:)er of words in common with Mende, and in many leading particulars the grammar harmonizes. The Vais have a tradition that they themselves came from the north. It is therefore not unlikely that a Mende migration mixing with the already existing coast inhabitants produced the Vai nation. The Mendes call Vais ' Karu,' and the Vais call Mendes ' Huro ' or 'Wuro.' ]\lende must not be confused with Mande, which is the language of the ^landingos. As the structure and grammar of a language are a surer indication of its affinity to other languages than it> words, I have in the sub- joined table compared Mende with Vai as well as with Ilausa. With Hausa, from its distance, it can have no possible con- nection ; but the comparison shows the striking diil'erences in the languages of a relati\'ely small portion of Africa, INTRODUCTION _5 in t r < i^llltl-" ,*- s '^ ci 5 rt ^ ^ --^ o ^ 1-1 c.) O .73 C; ' bO Eh a^ <5<5 >^o -; Cq O' CO >>a O X . w x'O o 6 S '^1 U= =5 C ^' o ^ d o "^ 'tS s g ,o ,o o - o o >^ ^ J>l f>^ (^ ^ "3 .c ,c i .- . . o ?i o o ^ .' - f-^ <5 c *j c > p] O O o - ;i i'' o _3 I "s ' "^ ~ .i^ -5 -2- -^2 ? t I'i 1-1 u o o - 5 ^ ;- x /. 1-1 . <0 INTEODUCTION , ^ cj ce o o ^ ^66^6666 f^; -^ t^ >H 1^ !^ !^ !^ iS. verb, verb. o o o -i3 _o d '2 d 5 d Yes. e co-ordi tion. >%B X 5'^ o ^ s'rt 1 i ^z; ^^^ P-( 02 GJ < 73 o l5 o o ^ c5 -^'-P t-i CJ c "rt y p .2 . o O '' m g; '^ 'Xj 1 1 OJ o 1 .S 3 _o II | ^ 'o 'oJ S b O o o Ph .^ o In fl " o 73! PI o _o nd > H > o o X . rt o >- !2; >H >, >H :^ >. No. Before verb Before verb s in the hai 3 o o s T3 s p tpositioiis, exception. , as pre o 'H-.2 is " c No. pie co-ordin mostly. ...: > O p O Oh 2 - K* m -- rt >^ > -^ ^ >-. ;H i > ^ o S o 1 ^2 i ! g 3 " " M > S o ? " '^ 5P p ?^ O O o .^ P s p: ^j - o 5 o ^ tc^ O " X INTRODUCTION My study of the i\rende language lias been carried on during my last two tours of service on the Gold Coast. The Mendes that are there to -work have come from all parts of their own country, and therefore every form of the language is used. In consequence of this and of their comparatively small number I have not been in a position to strictly confine myself to any one variety of the language. I do not care to use the word ' dialect ' in this respect, as the differences seem generally so small as to render the term ' dialect ' inapplicable. There are, however, some varieties of Mende spoken on the borders of the country where the people have mixed with their neighbours. There is, for instance, the Kpa Mende on the west. This may possibly be entitled to be called a dialect, but I have not yet had an opportiuiity of studying it. There is also the Pokpa, on the east, which, I am informed, is a mixture of Mende, Vai, and (Jura. In this book I have endeavoured to employ the southern form of speech, following Dr. Schoen, who published a grammar in 1882 and a vocabulary in 1884. The former is out of print, and I believe the latter veiy nearly so also. Of the stories at the end of the book, Nos. 1 to 7 were dictated to me by a native of Eo, the remainder l)y a native of Panguma, I have, however, gone througli them with a native of Mofwe, as also I have the other portions of the book, and assimilated them in details of pronunciation. Finally, the scheme I have adopted is one of short sentences of practical use, classified under their proper heads. AVhenever possible a sentence is repeated if it can be made to illustrate more than one grammatical rule, and I have endeavoiu-ed to avoid the coining of phrases for the sake of furnishing examples of a rule. F. W. II. :\Ii(;eod. Septcrahcr, 1907. CONTENTS Introduction PACK V PART I. USEFUL PHRASES. i. One-word phrases 17 ii. Two-word plirases 18 iii. Tliree-word plirases 23 iv. Travelling 28 V. Salutations :u vi. Saying, talking, etc. . :w, vii. Buying and selling M viii. Giving A8 ix. Going . :5!) X. Dei re cut, pass, beat, etc. 42 xi. L2 heart 4.3 xii. Git = can 43 xiii. Want, like 44 xiv. See, look 4.^) XV. To have 45 xvi. Sickness 4(; PAPcT II.-GPAMMAR. CiiAi'TKii I. Gkxi:k\l RE^rARKs on Pronuxctatiox, etc. 47 1. Structure . . . . . .47 ii. Absence of meaning to root fornis . . . 4H iii. Pronunciation general . . . .48 iv. ,, f)f coiisoucanN . . . l-^ V. ,, of vowels .... 4',l vi. Contracticius ...... ")0 vii. Changes of consonants .... oO viii. Changes of vowels . . . . . .")4 ix. List of words much alike .... ").") CONTENTS PAOK Chapter II. Substantives . . . .57 i. Definite and indefinite forms . . . .57 ii. Gender . . . . . .58 iii. Number . . . . . .58 iv. Case . . . . . . .59 V. Compoun 7S 7l so so so Chapter VI. The \vmv, i. Division Voices ^;2 82 CONTENTS ii. Moods Imperative . Infinitive Indicative and Subjunctive Continuous . iii. Tenses Conjugation of tenses in Positive and Negative Aorist Present Past, I Past, II . Past, III . Perfect Pluperfect in three forms Future Future and Conditional Negative Future perfect Imperative Present Continuous Aorist Present Past Future, I Future, II N(jo Form Present Past Future iv. Examples of uses of various tenses V. Conjugation oinge, I say vi. Negative construction . Chapter VII. Adverbs . . . i. Adverbs of place .... (1) Pure adverbs of place (2) Adverbs being also prepositions (3) Adverbial expressions . Exam])les of uses of above . ii. Adverbs of time .... (1) Adverbs of time (2) Adverbial expressions . Exam] lies of uses of above . (3) Before, Mende exjiressions for . (4) Miscellaneous expressions relating to time Adverbs of aflirmation and negation . Adverbs of manner, intensitives, etc. . Hoio? Mende expressions for 111. iv. v. CONTENTS CnAPTKu VIII. Prepositions General remarks . (1) Pure prepositions (2) Postpositions . (3) Nouns, etc., u.sed as ])o.stpositions Examples of above uses . From, out, tcithout, about, Mende expressions for 111 111 111 111 11-2 112 120 Chapter IX. Conjunctions CiiAPTEH X. Interjections 122 12G PART III. VOCABULAIIIES. i. Furniture, utensils, etc ii. Implements iii. Colours iv. Metals . V. Parts of the body vi. Diseases vii. Relationships, titles viii. Seasons ix. House, and its parts X. Games, dances, music xi. Plants . xii. Animals xiii. Birds . xiv. Reptiles, fish, etc. XV. Insects . xvi. Stars xvii. Spiritual terms xviii. Natural features xix. Personal names XX. Mende-English, general xxi. English-Mende, general 127 128 128 12!J 129 131 132 134 135 13(; 137 M2 143 147 148 14!) 14!) 150 150 154 17!) PART IV. READING MATERIALS -STORIES, ETC. i. Tlie spider and his hungry cliildren . . . 200 ii. The fate of the man who abandoned his wife and cliild 201 iii. The fate of the man wlio cleared the busli wlien told not to do so . . . . . . 203 CONTENTS XV PAGE iv. The devil who took a liumau wife . . . 206 V. The twins and tlieir brother .... 209 vi. The boy who fell into a hole .... 211 vii. The boy stolen by a devil .... 214 viii. The woman who did not wish her tUiughter to be married . . . . . .218 ix. The spider and the ma<^got .... 220 X. The spider and the bush goat .... 223 si. Tlie okro tree ...... 227 xii. The race between the deer and the snail . . 232 xiii. The hornbill and the dog .... 237 xiv. The egg-plant and the woman who talked . . 241 XV. The magic shirt ..... 247 xvi. The woman whose child returned lo life,and her enemy 25G xvii. The dream that vanished through disobedience . 202 xviii. Songs thirteen in number .... 268 ERRATA AXD ADDEXDA Page 18, line 1, for Maiculti road Matrulo. Page 20, line 14, for i na read I aa. Page 48, line 4 from bottom, for " IVith A this practice is rarer" read " IFithA and this pra':t ice is alsj adoptid." Page 49, line 2 from bottom, for e read e. Page 58, aft'r line 13, add hia'ln anfl mialn arc used as [ircfixcs, "s, liindolGi, raale child or son ; nyaha I'/i.fcrivdc child or d.'iujjhter. Page 67. after line 8, add Xwoni saweisia tid laindo? Where are the three birds ^ Page 101, line 8 from bottom, to line '"Ha, to-day, now," add UidiL Page 107, line 6 fi'oni bottom, aid after "same," ''awl nc^/itive qaes- tioii is answered hy Yes, ivhen in EiijlisJt No icould be cj'pccted. " Page 115, line 14, fov jie is ia vc&d jesia. Page 128, line '3 from bottom, for Buhc read Eulu. Page 139, line 23, for Kale, gale read tnlu, toll. Page 140. line 7 to read tola or tqicct, tola or tov:e, bean. Page 141, line 13, against Kobo, for rubber tree read girni cop:il. Page 141, at bottom, add njcola, njale, indigo. Page 143, add new lin3 after ''Njahele" I'g'jro, ngfirJ. ape, chiiiipan::cc. Page 143, line 8 iVom bottom, before the word " cliim[)anzej " insert {!'). Page 157, line 7 from bottom, after garna insert Kama. Page 203, line 9 from liottom, after gombui omit semicolon. Page 203, line 7 from Ijottoni, for ye read ya . Page 204, line 15, the words ' they coii'l go away " should be in brackets. Page 214, lines 13 and 21, for gba:e la read gbtieila. Page 219, line 3 from bottom, after /i( insert afullstop. Page 234, line 26, for go read harry. Page 248, footnote, before the wor>l ''chimi)anzee " insert (.'). THE MENDE LANGUAGE PART 1 USEFUL PHRASES I. One-word Phrases. Note 1. o = o ; o = aw ; 9 = o approximating to k. Note 2. When a sentence is sung out to some one at a distance, ' oh ' is usually added. Note 3. Accent is on penultimate syllable unless otherwise indi- cated. See Part II, chap. I, for further remarks on pronunciation. Boa. Bg! Be-ndo Bia! 1 Salutation on meeting. Here. Here ! (more emphatic). You! Do! Stand still, or stop ! Stand it up ! E! Yes. Fe! Give (me) ! Gbele? (Gbwele). Gbema ! (Gbvvema), or Gbelema. Gbia! AVhat is the matter ] Leave off ! Get out, go out ! Hite ! HOU, 07' ho, or homa ! Lower or let down ! Catch hold ! Hold tight ! Igbe? Which ? Kaka! Quickly ! Li! Li la, or Londo ! 1 )i la ! Go! Take it away ! Cease ! Mahijf^u ihaiim) ! ( pronoun- It is far ! ced almost .\[a-n(jv:anfjo). IS THE MENDE LANGUAGE Mawulu ! Wait ! Mbeka ! This side ! Mbuinbu ! Carry ; pick it up ; take it Malewe ! away ! Cut it off ! Mia, or ]\Hando ! Yonder ! Miaka ! Yonder side ! Over there ! Mindo ? or Mi lo ] Where is it] Nda ! Pull ! or lay it down ! Ndakpe ! (Ndakpwe). Fellow ! (A common form of address for men when no name is used.) Nje! Go down, or lower ! Nyaudengo ! It is fine ! Pa! Kill it ! Pi)i! Throw or shoot ! Sao! Se ! {Bi se is more common) Te! Tewe I Wa! Wala ! Yei! No ! (emphatic). Thank you ! Lift it ! Cut it ! Come ! Bring it ! Go down ! II. Two-word Phrases. A fulo ! A kene ] (a = irhere). A gbale? (a = it). A li ! or Ali-oh ! (a = i/oii, imperative). A 1(1 ! A wa ! or A w^a-oh ! A yi ! Untie it ! (pi.) Where is master? Does it hurt ? Go! (p7.) Stand (still) ! (pi.) Come! (pi.) Go down ! (jyl.) Ba liama ! You will not die ! (Ba. = >j(m, singular, imperative, negative.) USEFUL PHEASES 19 Ba lembi ! Ba lua ! Ba pili ! Ba yepe ! Be gbel (be = you say). Be ka 1 (be = here). Beva be 1 Beva na] Bi biyei 1 Bi gbalul ? Bi gboyOa 1 Bi lei ? (Bi lei, or Bi la, is also your Bi inahugbe. Bi mero ] Bi se ! {2)1. Wuse). Bi to? Bia mi ] (Bia mindo 1) Bia na 1 Do kpe ! D(i le ! E gu. E gurna. E wa. Er, er. Fe be! Fe in be ! GUe mia 1 (Gbvve mia ?) Gbe lo ] (Gbwe lo i) Gbigboyoa (Gbwi gl:)oyoa Gbla inbu ! Gbo bima '? Gele ma ! Geiigebni loli. Gome mia, or Gome lo. Do not delay ! Do not be afraid ! Do not throw, or shoot ! Do not talk ! What do you say 1 This side? What is the news here ? What is the news there ? What is your name 1 Are you tired 1 Have you finished ] What is your name 1 used in the sense of you are called, name is called.) Be careful. Do you hear, or understand 1 Thank you ! (also a salutation). Do you see it ? Where are you ? How do you do ? (lit. Are you thei'e ?) Stand still ! Stand (still) a moment ! He cannot (do it). Ditto. He will not come. No. Give (it) to me ! Ditto. What is it ? Ditto. It is all finished. Come out from undorneath ! What is the matter with you ? Stop tliat ! Call tlie labourers. It is a crow. 20 THE MEXDE LANGUAGE Hakei bumbu. Take up or carry tbe load. Hakei luiningo. Tbe load is heavy. Hei ndia, or luliei. Sit in the middle. ]{ei pauda. Sit ])roperly. Ho ngeya. Catch bold of it. I be-ndo. It is not beie. I gboyoa. Jt is finished. 1 gboyoai. It is not finished. 1 gua. It is enough. I gubani. It is not far. I la 1 Has he placed it 1 I lini. He has not gone. I lole ] How many ? I na. He is not thei'e. I nyande. It is not good. I nyandcni. ])itto. I ya. He lias gone, Igbe le ? Which is it 1 Je gel. Walk quickly. Jo loli. Call Jo. Ji bagbango. Tliis is dear. Ke ke ! Master ! Father ! Kol5 igbe ? Which book ? Kolengo le. It is cold. Kpiinde joso. Load the gun. Kpaude ve. Give (me) the gun. Kpandingo le. It is hot. Kpere gboyoa. They are all finished. Kurungo le. It is agreed, or accepted; all right. La ndia. Put it in the middle. Li bu. Go underneath. Li gulo. Go on in front. Li miaka. Go yonder side. Li miando. Go over there. Lo bile ? Wow m:iny days 1 Lo sawa. Three days. Luma mbe. Answer me. USEFUL PHRASES 21 Mamungo le. Maw'u le ( = mawiilu le). Maw'u kru (=mawnlu kulo). Mbome wote. Mendemo ange. Mcndemo abil' i Mendemo aiigii;. Mia lo. Miaka gbe, or ]\Iia gbe. Miyaka? Miudo bina'? ( = bi li na). ]^a gbe ! Nalole? Nda mahu. Ndakpwe' mbo ! Ndaomc gbo. Ndaome lawo. Ndelingo le. Xdome gbia. IVdowe lavenda. Ndowe lave. Kgalei koto. Ngalei yei. Nge dema. Nge luma. Nge wa. Nge pe. Ngi gbaha. Ngl gbahani. Ngl gbeui. Ngl go. Ngl giilo. Ngl hugo. Ngl kui'ua. Ngl kuruni. Ngl menia. Ngl rnoniiii. N<'i ioMga. He is foolish. Wait a little. Ditto. Turn the hammock round, I am a Mende. Are you a Mende ? He is a Mende. It is over there. Look over there. Which direction? Where have you been 1 Look there ! How many there? Put it on top. liit. Fellow ! alas ! (a note of warning). Shut the window. Open the window. It is wet. Take off (your) singlet, or shirt. Fill the hole. Ditto. Poll up the mat. Let down the mat. I am not passing. I am not willing. I shall not come. I shall not do it. I am tired. 1 am not tired. 1 do not care. I do not know. In front of him. I do not understand. I accept (lit. I accepted). I do not accept. I heard. 1 did not hoai'. I have seen. THE MENDE LANGUAGE Ngi wilama. Nji domei (iiji /; nje). Njia gbl. Nya le. Nil yira. Nuniu yira. Nyawo min, or Nyawo le. Njei susungo. Njehu susungo. Ngi yakpei ( = ta yakpei). Njei woma. Nya yakpei. O Jo? Pc bu. Pe fii, or hi. Pel le nyamungo. Powe inia, or lo. Pu ndomoi. \\\ ugeleya. Pe- nde gbo. Pe- nde lao. I'undia. Ta be. Ta ji? Ta gnlo. Ta mia. Ta mindo? Ta kuliaiiia Ta na. Ta puma. Ta waiua. Ta yakpei. TO wa. Tei igbe? Te lingo le. Tewc botongo. 'l"I be. Tl na. T am finishing. Put it on the ground. All right. It is I. One person. Ditto. It is mine. The water is deep. Ditto. He alone. Across the water. I alone. Where is Jo % In the house. Do it so. The road is very bad. It is a pigeon. Put it on the ground. Put it up (aloft). Shut the door. Open the door. Put it in the middle. It is here. Is it this ? He is in front. So it is (a common expression in- troducing a related sul)ject). AYlu-re is he? It is far. He is there. He is behind. He is coming? He alone. They will not come. AVhich town? It is black. Cut plenty. They are not hcic. They are not there. USEFUL PHEASES 23 Ti wama. Tiana? Tia wama. Tia bagbango. Tonya mia, or le. Tukpe kru ( = kulo). Wa be. Wa, jore. Wa kakd. Wa mehei. Wa ndia. Wa mbe. Wa yepe. Wala fere. Wu gbaha ] Ye gbe ? Ye mia? Ye, sao. Yia lele. They are not coming. Are they there"? They are comhig, or Are they coming ] They are dear. It is true, or Is it true 1 Push a little. Come here {sing.). Do not make a noise (^?.). Come quickly {sing.). Bring food (sing.). Come into the middle (si/ig.). Come to me (sing.). Do not talk (pi). Bring two (sing.). Are you tired 1 (2^1.). What does he say 1 Who is it ? He says no. Talk slowly. III. Thhee-word Phrases. A mbome bumbu. A mbome wote. A mu jega ( = jia kfi). A mu li [or li-o). A niu wime. A wa kaka. A wa na. A wa ( wa a) mbome. Ba T gbani. Ba li huguhango (pro- nounced ' itgivaugo). Ba li na. Take up the hammock (pi.). Turn the hammock round (pL). Let us walk quickly. Let us go. Let us run. Come (juickly (j>l.). Come now (pi.). Bring the hammock (pi.), (lit. Come with the hammock.) It is not dear. Do not go far. Do not so there. 24 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Bo njiahu me 1 Bi bumbiia botongo. ]3i hi milo 1 Bi hiya mi. Bi ji liou. Bl lima le. Bl lima le 1 Bi li mil Bi lo mia. Bi ngi wu. Bi milo ge] Bi Mende biyei ? Bi ndai milo ? Bi nde goni ! Bi pui milo ? Bi nemdhu leiigo. Bi nemfiliu gbl na. Bi ya mi ] Bi ye mi ? V>i yepe (o?- yepea) botongo. Bl wani kiika. Bi wo le, or Bi wo mia. Bi wo T lo, or Bi wo yfi na. Bia 1 le. Bia lo mi ? or Bi mi lo 1 Bia yose wa. Bia ku mema 1 Do ngi ma (see also under nd). De ti ma (see also under //'/). Duma nya we. Fe nya we. Ga ' majia lo. Ga meni km. ' For Ga a]id I.). Come, let ns go. Come inside the house. Come, I am going. He says. You go. Who sent you i He says. Look there. Who are you 1 Ditto. Ditto. Whose cloth is it 1 Who is thei'e 1 Ditto. Ditto. Who is underneath there? Who told you 1 Who spoke t IV. Travellino iSina mu li dogljo wai hu. Mi yaka? Mu li Kumasi. Dogbo jiei nyandengo lei Nyandengo le, hiye. Wa mu hakeisia hugbate. Nya longo a nnnga wa- yakpa hakeisia va. Nunga lole mia mbome va ? Kunga gboma wayakpa mbome va. To-moi'row we go to tlie busli (or np country) Wliich direction ] We go to Kumasi. Is bush travelling pleasant 1 It is very nice. (lit. It is nice indeed.) Come, let us pack the loads. I want eight men for the loads. How many men lor llie ham- mock '( Eiglit more inon for the ham- mock. USEFUL PHRASES 29 Ti kpele pu maliu woita. Mehe navoi lo nani va. Ye lo abiii ? Headman ange. Bi biyei 1 Bi lei 1 Nya la a BowT. Nya bije lo a Bowl (mia or lo can be inserted after la or bije). Li bi gengeb'ra luli. Ti wai lo. Ti gbi ti wai lo. Ti kpele ti wai lo. I loa yira (pronounced e rua yira). I ya wai le. Ta wama. Nga wu go a mehe navoi lo woita va. Wu meni ] Mu menia. Bi lei gbo benge bi keni ange] A li pe bu. Ma li lo a ngenda voli. A wa sina ngenda te-te. A wa wu kome. A fotnbo. A bakei wumbu. Bi vala jiei va 1 Bi hugbatea jiei va ? Bi bima gbatea? (pro- nounced batia). Bi jeliu gbatca ? Nya longo a iiumu yira liakei jirria (or ji va). Hakef ji miningo. Ngl lila miningo le. Sixteen in all. (lit. They all six- teen.) Subsistence for four days. Who are youl I am the headman. What is your name % (lit. Your name X) Ditto. My name is Bowi. Ditto. Go call the labourers (carriers). They have come. They have all come. Ditto. There is one left (behind). He has not come yet. He is coming. I give you subsistence for six days. Do you hear % We heard, or understood. What name did you give me yesterday ? Go home. We go at sunrise. Come to-morrow morning early. Come, collect yourselves. Fall in. Take up your loads. Are you ready for the journey 1 Ditto. Ditto. Ditto. 1 want one man for tins load. This load is (too) lieavy. I cannot take it, it is too lieavy. 30 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Li bi wa ngeyei iim liakei ji yili; Bi lo niia (or miando). Bi lo na. Wu fere a li a lenga. Bia {or bi) yese li. Wji jore. Ba yepe. A londo a ngepe. A wa a mbome. Kpande ngili borne bu (pronounced nyri). jVIbome wote. A mbome wote. Numui na kutnngo bome va. Li bi peka luli. Kei a bi lulima. Jo lo mi ? O Jo? Jo, bi la. Ta be. Ta hingde na. Ye lo na 1 Bindi hingde na. Kpande lo mi ] Ta Wuseni yeya. Nda maliLi. A mu li. A mu li-oh ! A mu je ga. ]Mu je mavula. A mu te. A mu bumbu mii te wumba. Te bi kpaki ma. Te bi wumba. A mu nje gbakima. A Id : Do ie ! Do kpe ! Go and bi'ing rope to tie this load with. Stand over there. Stand there. You two go together. You go first (shuj.). Do not make a noise {pi-). Do not talk (sing.). Cease talking (pL). ]5ring tlie hammock (pL). Tie the gun in the hammock. Turn the hammock round (sing.). ]:>itto (pi.). The man is short for the liam- mock. Go call another. Master is calling you. Where is Jo 2 Ditto. Jo, you are called, (lit. Jo, your name.) He is here. He is there, (lit. That place.) Who is there] Bindi is tliere. Wliere is the gun ? Wuseni has it. Lay it on toj). Let us go. Ditto. Let us walk quickly. Let us hasten our pace. Let us raise (it). ]^et us take it up and raise it on our heads, liaise it on your shoulder. liaise it on your head. Let us lower it on our slioulders. Stand, or stop (pL). Stand a moment. Stand still USEFUL PHRASES 31 Lo ngi gulo. Bia wime kulo (pronounced kru). A wIme. I ya a pime. Ye, mil ya wime. Jia panda. Ndakpe, je ga-oli. ]Mu jia lele. Nde dakpalui na ma a je ga. Bi f ukoi lo mi 1 Wa nya fukoi. Wa bi nya fukoi la. Hal La ndia. Gbia mbu. Li mbu. GbQ bima ] Ngari nya boa. Ngari (lo) nya gowe ma. Mbowe fe gi gbia. I gbia ? I ya gbiai. I gbiai lo. A gl)ale 'I Koti nya nwona nya gowe ma. Peli 1 gbekpeni (peli for pele). Peli nyamungo (le). Njei lo pelihu. Hindo ji I nyande. Njei na susungo. Ga kolo. Gbe ngi li gi liugo. Nga li nga to lo. Stand in front of him. Run on a little. Run {2)1-) . He has run off. (lit. He has gone with running.) He says we must not run. Walk properly, or carefully. Young man, hurry up {jidakpe is only used to an equal). Let us walk slowly. Tell that young man to hurry. Where is your head-pad ? {Kdta is the Coast-English word for fukoi.) Bring my head-pad. Come and place my head-pad. Has he placed it 1 Put it in the middle. Come out from under. Go underneath. What is the matter with you ? A thorn has run into me. Thei-e is a thorn in my foot. Give me a knife to get it out. Is it out '? It has not come out. It has come out. Does it hurt ] A stone has wounded my foot. The road is not good. The road is bad. There is water in the road (i. e. the road is under water). This place is not good. That water is deep. I will try it. Let me go and tiy it. 1 am iroing to see. 32 THE MP:NDE LANGUAGE Gbe ngi li iigi to. Let me go and see. Ma yepe ? ^Vllat shall we do .' (lit. llow can we do ?) Susungo le. It is deep. Wa bi iiya wdpn. Come and carry me on your hack. Wa, ga hi wopd. Come, I will carry you on my hack. Hei nya gbakima. Sit on my shoulders. Ndowe lo. It is a hole. Ba lua. Do not l^e afraid. Ba gula (gurii). Do not fall. Ba nya gulfi. Do not drop mo. Nga gula. I shall not fall. Hei panda. Sit properly. A mbome te ngeleya. Raise up the hammock high. Bi gbaha ? Are you tired ? GT gbahani. J am not tired. I kpoyoa na, hite. It is finished now, let me down. Kpawu gbi na. There is no bridge there. ]\Iu jia nguri ji ma. We will walk on this tree. Tei gbe a ji ? What town is this ? Li bi pelc gokoli mu va. do and find a house fiir us. Ngi pele doi lo. I have seen a house. Nyaudengo le 1 Is it a good one ? I nyande panda. It is not too good. Ta lo tei ndia. It is in the middle of the town. Ngi loni a pele tei ndia. I do not like a liouse in the middle of the town. Li bi pelo ikelemagei lo. Go and look at the last house. Bi toi lo 1 Have you seen it ] Gi toi lo. Nyandengo. I have seen it. It is fine. A mu li na. Let us go there. Ti wai lo a hakeisia gbi 1 Have they bi'ought all the loads 1 Haka yira i longa hfi. One load is lost. Ta poma. ]t is behind. Hakei igbe lo 1 Which load is it ? Mehe kaha mia. ]tisthe'chop'bo.\(pr()vision])ox). Bi ndni lo hu. Your whisky (wine, any strong drink) is inside it. Bukwemupu milo? (kpuko Where shall we jiut the bed ? iii'lff. for bed). V\\ hinde na. Put it there. USEFUL PHRASES 33 Ngeye na fulo. Ba tewe. Gbe numu yira i li i kowu kokoli. Sandi lo mi ? I ya njeliu. Gbe nu fere ti li ti \va nje. Li bi nu lolu tuli. Nunga lole (liile) bi soa ? Li bi ngenge ge atie bi \va. Bi ke atiii 1 I, ngi ke atie. Mehe navoi i gboyoa. IMehe gbi nya yeya {or in yeja.for short). Wa ga bi pawa. TT wu pawani 1 Navoi 1 nyandcni. Numu yira i tange huma pelima. Ngi bije lo a ye? Gegbwa mia, Ta lo mi ? Ta be. I nyapoi yahumanga. Ngi wchindei i nyandc. Nga ngi navoi me lo. Gbei na mu fonga Sekondi ga ngi gbe lo ; or, Gbei na ma hite Sekondi ga ngi gbe lo. I>i lemungo le. Xga. ya pT ( = pe = wclc). Ye, ba ngi gbe. Nga ye pe bo 1 Ye, bi ngi dewe. Kurungo le. Headman, li angiii pelc woma bi ngi ndewe pu. 3 Untie that rope. Do not cut it. Let one man go and find wood. Where is Sandi 1 He has gone to the water. Let two men go and fetch watei\ Go and call five men. How many men have you got 1 Go show them their work and come. Have you shown them ] Yes, I have shown them. Subsistence money is finished. I have no food. Come, I will pay you. Have they not paid you ? The money was not good, i. e. I did not get it correct. One man stole cassada in the road. What is his name 1 It is Gegbwa, Where is he? He is here. He stole from a woman. His behaviour is not good, I will stop his pay. When we reach Sekondi I will dismiss him. Ditto. I beg pardon. I will not do it again. He says, Do not dismiss him. What shall I do then 1 He says, Beat him. All right. Headman, take him behind the house and trive him ten cuts. 34 THE MENDE LANGUAGE I gboyoa. Ye bise ka. Pole ji fere ma li a igbo. Mu li a peli ji ke ta inia, mil li a ipekeji be ke ta luia. Mu li a ngeyabu we, nyan- dengo; mu li a gowohu we, nyandengo. Mu yi jiama. Mu li a pelc na mu waila. JT a hije be a li Chama jia lole ? ])C ta Chama jia lole 1 Fy yira jia mia. Vo fere jia mia. Phj gulama mil Ga li gi to. Pele gbl na. Pote ngeja-liu we. J5i ya bi li a ngejahu we. Peli lagboungo. Bi wani pele ji ngova ? Kjei i gula 1 Njei i wa. Njei lo wama. llu ya doii ha. Lifrljili henya lia. It is finished. He says, Thank you very much. There are two roads ; which shall we take 1 Whichever we go by it is the same. (lit. We go by this road and it is one, we go by the other and it is one.) If we go to the right it is good, if we go to the left it is good. We were travelling all night. We go (back) by the road we came. How far is it to Chama'? (lit. If he gets up here he goes Chama, how much walking 1) How far is it to Chama? (lit. Here and Chama, how much walk- ing])^ One day's journey. Two days' journey. What is the obstacle there ? I am going to see. There is no road there. Turn to the right. As you go keep to the right. The road is sluit. Have you been this road before ? Hoes it rain 1 The rain comes, /. e. is now begin- ning to fall. Tlie rain is approacliing. There is a calm to-day. ])itto. V. tSALUTATIONS AND KlM)KK]> PllKASKri iioa ? Uej^y, Pna. Woa ] I>(lva. Uiaua ? liej'lij, Pya. How do you do 1 Ditto {jd-)- JJitto. Hitto. USEFUL PHRASES 35 Bise. Wuse. Bevii bi 1 Bevci na ] Bevii mbui ? Beva mahu 1 Beva pilema 1 Beva bi welei bu ] Gbo wenga miaka "? Gbo wenga bi wa be 1 Bevd bi hijema? (or hiyema) Hinda gbi dogboi hu. I nyamu gbi na. Hinda gbi na. Hinda gb! be. i nyamu gbi be. Bi kei lo na, bi njei lo na 1 Tiana. Xya kei nya njei tia na. (A)Mu ngenda hoe. (PL with A in front.) Mu kpoko hoe, or Mu kpo- ko. (But the addition of hoe is better.) I ngenda vei lo mu we ke iya. I ngenda voi lo mu wc c ya li. ('n lima sina-oh. Gri ya ngi feli tima. Gi ya ngi wa. Bi vangima. Thank you. (Used also as a salutation.) Ditto (2^1). What is your news 1 (The person arriving says this.) What is your news ? (The person sitting down inquires this of the comer.) What news down country ] What news up country 1 What news on the road ? What news in your house 1 What news (what has been done) yonder? What has happened that you are here? What is the news where you come from 1 Nothing in the bush. Nothing bad there. Nothing there. Nothing here. Nothing bad here. Are your father and mother well ? They are well. My father and mother are well. We say good-bye. We say good-night. He said good-night to us and ho went. He said good-night to us before he went. I am going to-morrow. I am going to say good-bye to them. I go, I come ( = I shall be back shortly). You salute him. 36 THE MENDE LANGUAGE I velia bima ] Gi ya mu yei. Wa bi gona. Bi wa sina hoe. Mu va hoe. Gi wai ! Did lie say goo(l-l)ye to you ? I go to my country. Come, make your report . Uome to-morrow then. We say good-night. I have come ! yi. S.vYixci, Talking, etc. Nde nya ma. T)e ti ma. Yo nde bi ma 1 Ye lo i ndeni bi ma ? I)e ngi ma i wa. I ndei lo ta wama. De ngi ma i li kaka. Ba, nde numu gbi ma. Ba lema njiei gi nde bima. De ti ma ta sore (o?' sore we). Njiei ji ga nde, ba gbia nya woma. l^e gbe ] Ye gbe 1 I ye gbe bi ma t Nge sago {or sa'o). Ye .sao. Ngi ye bia. Ngi yiama bia, or Ngi ycma bia. Bia i le nga ye liiina. (Ji bi yiama. Ji le, nga 3'ema (pronounced Ji lenga yema). Ngi yema ji. ^V ye ji ; 11.!-^' yc ji. Ji fere le nga yema. Ngi ye {or yema) ji tabao ngi ye {or yema) ji. Ba ye] e. Wa yepe. Tell me. Tell them. Who told you 1 Ditto. Tell him to come. He said he was coming. Tell him to go quickly. Do not tell anybody. Do not forget what I tell you. Tell them not to make a noise. Do not repeat what I say. What do you say ? What does he say ? What did he say to you ? I said, No ! He says, No ! 1 am not talking to you. Ditto. ])itto. I am talking to you. I did not say this ( = Tliis is Llic wrong one). 1 did not say this one. 1 (lid not this ; I did not say this, /. e. r said neither of these. 1 said neither of these. 1 said neither this nor that. Do not talk {siwj.). Do not talk (f>l). trSEFUL PHRASES 37 Londo a njepe. Bi yepe botongo. Bi yepe le nga ye nclema. Be yepe nya lenga? Gbe yepe bi meni ? Bi nde gora. 1 nde golani. I nde yia lenga. Bia bi lelengo. Bi lele (pronounced al- most ler-le). Bi leni, Bi Mende yiei mere 1 (== me lo). Ga mero kvu krn. Ba mero \ Gi menia. Ngl menini. Bl meni 'I A Mende yia [or yiei) me lo. A Mende yia le lo. Yia lele. Huge ange panda. Ti gbia bi woma. ]Musa lull i wa. Stop talking. You talk too much. I am not talking your ' palaver. You will not talk with me ? What talk did you hear 1 You lie. He did not lie. He has lied. You lie. You are wrong. You lied. Do you understand Mende ? I understand a little. Do you hear, or understand ^ I heard. I did not hear. Do you not understand '? He understands Mende. He talks Mende. Speak slowly. Tell me all about it. They talk behind your back. Call Musa. VTI. Ik'Yixc; AND Sklling. Gbe jongo mia ] Gbe jongo lo a jil Nye ji gbwe jongo ? Te yalui gbe jongo shili yera va? To yalui yira gbe jongo ] Penny yira. Kpele shili' yira (va). Tia ba, cfbaniro. Ji ba gbango. Bfi I srbani. How much is this 1 Ditto. llow much is this fish 1 How many eggs for one shilling ? TIow much for one egg 1: One penny. All for one shilling. Tlioy are dear. Tin's is dear. Tliey ai'e not dear. 38 THE MEN BE LANGUAGE (Ibwe joiigo niia l)a nya boya la 1 Bi majiui panda. Ge bi luimani. ]\Iaye, gO ngeyu. Gi uiayenga ngcya 3r/. Gi kuriia. Gl kuruni. GO luma. Bise ; Di la ; Ngengeyama. Kul6ji T nyandeni. Kulcji nyaningo le ; n ngeya. Ji kpele ji sliili yira. Navoi kuloDgo. Kavni gbotongo le, ji i lila. Ba kula majia lo ? Ga laajia lo. Ngl majiania. Hai ji T ngeya. Li niiando ta na. VTTT. Fembc, or Fc'ho. Fe. Gbe lo wa fembo ? lio ba foinbc 1 Gi fe ngi ye. JIani ji Innnbu lii fe iii^i CA fe be ( = bi we). I ngi ndei ve. I nde, ye, ti fe ngi we. 'li nielie ve lo wu ye ? l;i nya kule fembe. K pa nde ve. Fe nya we. Ta lo n<'a fe bi we. How many will you tlirow inl You cheat me (you did not sell correctly). I have not cheated you. Beduce it, or I do not buy. I lower it 3d. I accept. I do not accept. Thank you ; take it away ; 1 am not buying. This cloth is not good. This cloth is spoilt ; I will not buy it. All these are one shilling. The money is short. The price is too-much, we do not take it. ])o you sell cloth 1 I sell it. I am not selling. This thing I have not got. (Jo over there, it is tliere. GiVK (Fe and ('i linii'i lo 'i 40 TTTE IMKNDE LANGUAGE Ngl lima le. 1 am not going yet. Kgi ya ylmn. I am going to .sleep. Li bi wa kole. Go bring the letters. JJia bi luma bi li vasangel Are you willing to go now? Ba li na. Do not go there. Ba li 'ngwango (hfigulia- Do not go far. ngo). Gi' i la ( = Gi li la). I go away, or take it away. Mu li dogboi hu. We go into the bush. Bi ya mige lo fele go bi lo 1 Where have you been these last two days that I have not seen you? Bi ya ge mi lo fele ge bi lo ? Ditto. BT ya li le ? Have you not gone yet ? Gi ya Takwa bengeme. I went to Tarkwa yesterday. Xgl ya li na. I have never been there, (lit. Not been there.) Gi ya na yira. I went there once. I ya hu [or i fca). It has gone in (as of a nail). Gi ya jijiama. I am going for a walk. Li pe bu. Go home. IMu li a pele na ? Do we go that road ? Mu li a mbele ( - nibe A\'e go this road. wele). DC" ngi ma i li kaka. Tell him to go quick. I ya. He has gone. I lini. He has not gone. Ti gbi ti ya. J^'hey have all gone. A li-oh. Go {pL). Bi lima mi ? Where are you going ? Ba li mi ? Ditto. Bi li mi ] ^^'here did you go ? Balilo, boli? Will you go? or Will you not go? ]Mi lo ti ya na ? Where have they gone now ? Mi lo ba li na ] AVhere are you going now ? W'useni i ya kole gama. Wuseni has gone for letteis. Gi ya kpande Avime {for I am going shooting. wilima, indefinite form). I ya kpande wime. He has gone shooting. A mu li mu kpande will. Let us go and slioot. USEFUL PHRASES 41 Gi ngi lima go. Jl bi male e gbia e li mi lo ] (e = i, he). Ngi male i gbia. Ti ya yima. Ti ya ti yimi. Ye, bi li. Li bi wa kaka. Ngi ya pebu. Bi ya na yira 1 Bi ya na wo ngova 1 A mu li tei hu. I ya miaka (we). I ya poron. I ya muama. i y4 kpoyei ya. Ti ya tuwo. Li bi nwoni gama gbe. Li mehei gama, bi wala, mu me. Li bi pele gama gbe. Li bi Avala kia jina. \a bi kokoi. Li bi na gbe. A do mu li. Xgi ya ngi mehei me. Nu yera li ? Sangi mia ti yu. Bia wa AVuseui a li min. Wa tieni a li mia. Ngi yeto bingi ga li lo (logboi liu. M i yaka i ya ua 1 Kea bi ya lo ? ]>I ya miando, l)i wa, Iji ji I do not know where he has gone. When you found (lit. 1 met) he had gone out, where had he gone ] I found he had gone out. They have gone to sleep. They have gone to their sleeping- place. He says, Go. Go, and come back quickly. I go home. Have you ever been there before ? Ditto. Let us go home. (lit. Let us go back into the town.) He has gone yonder. He has gone far away. He has gone to bathe. It has gone over the sea. They have gune on in front. Go and look for the bird. Go for food, bring it, so that we may eat. Go and look at the house. Go fetch one like this. Go and find it. Go and look there. Pass on, we are going. 1 go to pat. Is one man not going 1 They have just gone. You and Wuseni go yonder. You and they go yonder. (Por other similar examples, see under Pronouns.) I intended yesterday going to the bush. Which direction has he gone i I suppose you are going now ? Before you go there come and do this. 42 THR MENDE LANGUAGE Li iigi gaiiia. A mu li gengemi. Mu ya gengeuie. A mu li genge garni. Gi ya gengeme, or gengciua. Xgia li ? Bia li, bia ba li 1 Jjahai i li lo irbi "cnKema ? (fO for him. J jet us go to work. 1 )itto. Ditto. I am going to work". vSliall'l go J 1 )o you go, or do you^not go 1 Uid Lahai go to work yesterday 1 X. Tewf:, Dewe, Lbwe, Te, L Lewe Kowui dewe. 31alewe. Tetewe. Tete a ngera ngera. Tewe botongo. J ujiei dewea {or dowTa). Mbake lewe. Ndl lewe. Xgi It dewea. Nge dema. Fo dewengoi. A de mu li. Mu de a ngiyeliu. De a mia we. Dewe kaka wekei ma. A mu njei dewe. I'ele male. 1 dewia tugo {or lugo). Njei i nya madewea. Ngili dewe i wa. Numu yira tewe nyagaina. Ngi nemahu lengo. I dewea ngi mu ji {or a ji). I dewea ngi ma ji hu. Koli ye, nga wimo gi k' dope ma. Fn neni ma mbe lo lo. Ke mahei na i'o i lewe nani i irbate a gu bi ji we ? I gu i li. Ba gu bi kakoi ji le \ Nfrr- n"i do Ije. XII. Gr 1 = Cax, Be Able. What kind of work can you do ] He is unable to go. I shall be able to go. Pessima will be able to go. (Jan you do tliis % I Ic eainiot go. Can you climb tliis wall I I cannot see liiin hci'o. 44 TJIK MKNDE LAN(JUAC!E He gu na ma. Can you not do that. E guma. lie cannot (do it). Kgi gu nga pe lo. I can do it. Ngc gu nga pe. I cannot do it. Nge pe. Ditto. Tl guni a njia gl)i Icla. ''^oy could not s.ay a word. Ha gu ba yengema ] Can you work ] XIIT. "Want, Like, etc. Ln. Xya lougo a niehe. 1 want food. Ngi longo a nielie. Ho wants food. Xgl loni a hani gbi. I do not want anything. (ibo bi longwola ( = lo- Wliat do you want? ngola) 1 Nya longo a nunui yira 1 want a man for this load. hakei ji va. Nya longo a bie. I want you, w I like you. -NgT loni a bii'. I do not want you, or 1 do not like you. Bi longo ange ? Do you like me .' I>i longo a bi navni I I )o you want your money 1 Xya longo a njei ngi I want water to drink. bole. Xgl loni a n;i. I do not like that, or him. Xgl loi la. 1 do not like it. Gbo bi lui la? (Xot so com- What do you want i mon as Cjbo bi longwo- la ?) (Ibeva T loni 1 ^^'hy did he not want to i Xgi mbai ji ta ta li longo- lie and his friend wen^ mucli ma. attached to each other. BI loni bi lil Will you not go? Xya dolongo a bii-. [ dislike you. Ti loin a ngie uu gbate '''f^y hated him because he was va. a rich man. XI 'ongwa meho (is shoit i want food. lor .yi/i> loiKjo II iwIk'). USEFUL PHRASES 45 Ma = in need of. Nja gboli mai lo nyama. I want water to drink. Hani jisia mani lo wuma. You covet these things. Nji mani lo ngima. He is in want of sleep. XIA^ Ske, Look, etc.= To, Gbe. Bi tonga? (pronounced hit- tonga). Gi tonga. NgT toni. Have you seen (it) ? I have seen (it), or found (it), I did not see (it). Ngi ya toi. Gi ngi loi. I have not seen (it). I have not seen him. Bi ngi loi lo ] Have you seen him % lU Yamba loi lo ] Have you seen Yamba ? I ngi doni. He did not see him. Wa bi to va. Come and see. Bi to? Do you see it ? Bi toa ? Did you see it 1 Sina ma to. We shall see to-morrow. Nge ngi do be. I cannot see it here. Na gbe. Look, then. Li bi na gbe. Go and look there. Li bi pebu gbo. Go and look in the house. Li bi pele gama gbe Go and look at the house. XV. To Have. Kulc lo nyu yeya (v for short). u 'yeya I have the cloth. Ta ni 'yeya. I have it. Ta bi yeya, or Ta beya. You have it. I m 'yeya. I have it not. IMbogbc lo AVuseni ycjii- AVuseni has the cutlass. Ta lo AVuscni yeya. Wuseni has it. Numui na nyalia lo ngi That man has a wife. ycy--^- ] ngi yeya. 1 navoi ngeya. He liasn't it. He has not the money. Ha kpande gbl nya yeya. To-diiy I have not gun. Nu lole mia ti In yeya ] Ngi lei fere. Njia nya ma. How many men ha\e you got It has two names. 1 liave a [)alaver 46 THE iMENDE LANGUAGE XVI. Ngi goihu a lewe (or a gbla). Ngi goihu hOnga. Ngi lima lema. Ngi li lo gbalema. Kole i nya houa. Koti nya nwona nya go- we ma. Buli lo nyama. Bi woli hu bondango. Nya go we vengo. Ngi higbea wokpo. Nya higbengo le. Nya higbengo le ge. Gbwame na yill. Hale na jia lu ma. Hale ji gbole. Bi nei gbla. Mi mia a gbale bi ma ? I gbalea gbotongo. Nya mavulango le. Nya liii gbandingo. Blanketi wc bi ma. Fufu gbandi we bi gowe ma. Ga mbera [or tewe) gi gbla. Na vofoeh. Na bono. Jji bi njei gl)andi bu ya. bi gowe gama wua. Ba bawo lo ,sina. Sickness. He has diarrluea. He is constipated. He is retching. His heart hurts. 1 have caught cold. The stone cut my foot. I have a guinea worm [ur other worm). You are deaf. My foot is swollen. I have been sick some time. I am sick. I was sick the other day. Tie up that sore. Riib that medicine over your body. Swallow this medicine. Put out your tongue. Where does it hurt 1 It hurt very much. I have fever. My body is hot. Cover yourself with the blanket. Put a hot poultice on your leg. 1 will cut and pull it out. .Suck it. Suck it. JJoil the water before you wash (the wound on) your leg. Vou will be better to-morrow. PART II GRAMMAR CHAPTER I GENKKAL REMARKS, PRONUNCIATION, EUPHONY, CHANGES, ETC. i. Structure of Words. A NOTICEABLE feature of the language is the readiness with which words are built up from simple root forms, (i) by reduplication, (ii) by the addition of other words, or (iii) by the addition of one or more prepositions either as a prefix or suffix. Example of (i) Mbu, under ; vihwahu, carry, (ii) Kpande, gun ; wili, throw, or shoot ; nwi, sulHx of the agent; kpandewilirnoi, shooter, or liunter. (iii) J/rt, on ; hn^ in ; (juhamjo, high ; iiialiiKjuhancjo, pronounced almost manyicdiKjo, far; /(7, leave; Im, in; InliR, lose. As opposed to this building \\\) is the tendency to cut out, (i) vowels, (ii) syllaljlcs, especially le, (iii) consonants, especially /. Example of (i) Wd kale for wa a krjle, bring the book, (ii) W7; for v:?273^ house, (iii) Nijcud for nyalui, month, egtr, moon. 17 48 THE MENDE LANGUACE ii. AusKNCE OF Meaning to Hoot Forms. A monosyllabic word expressed by itself rarely conveys a clear meaning. This can only be ascertained from the context ; and even a word of two syllables a Mende usually fails to understand if it be put before him without any hint of what it may possibly mean. The only words he is at all likely to recognize are the names of animals, material objects, etc. In every case the word inquii-ed about must, if a substantive, and used without qualification, be put to him in the definite form ; and similarly in his reply the definite form will be used. A word is much less distinct in the definite form ; and for this reason, and owing to the numerous guises in which words appear, as will be seen later, the language is lendered one of considerable difKculty to Europeans. iii. Pronunciation General. Mende having no literature of its own has been reduced to writing on the basis of the Royal Geographical Society's rules for spelling unwritten languages. The limitations of those rules, however, make an accurate expression of the sound of many words a matter of difficulty ; and as, especially with regard to the vowels, a closer approximation than that pro- vided is required, various marks are usually employed to enable words Avhen written to be moi-e readily recognized. The accent is on the penultimate syllable ; but when a sub- stantive is put into the definite form singular, it is moved to the last syllable. The very few exceptions nre speciiilly marked in this l)ook. iv. Pronunciation of Consonants. The consonants call for no special remarks, except that most Mendes when Zy/ or (jh are followed by i or e insert a ii\ as (jhi or (jhtcl, all ; kpeh (kpcre), kjncile [kpicere), all. I'liu in will, however, not Ije written, except in a few sentences in this book where its insertion will assist the beginner. With (I this practice is rarer. ii = ti'j is used when the (j sound is not carried on to tlie succeeding vowel, as, kdna, box = k(oi'j-a, not kan-lace of i in some words, as (jhna for (jhia, pull out. The diphthongs approximate as written. All words except .some adverbs end in a vowel. The exceptions mentioned end in ny. vi. CoXTRAtTIONS. Contractions and the elimination of consonants and vowels are frequent, and are a contributing cause to the difliculty a European has in understanding what is said. (t, wa kole for wa a kolc, bring the book. /, tamoi jnfor tamoi i ya, the man went. (J, sao for sago, no. /i, nyanga for nyahanga, women. /, kpae J'or kprde, farm. ngau for ngalu, moon, egg. pc for pele, house. we for wele, house. yakpe for yelakpe, only. gbeanga for gbelanga, near. /, ka for kara, teach. /', do for dewe, cut. y((, l)eka for beyaka, this side. and y are both frequently dropped when standing between V(wels. vii. Changes of ( 'onsoxant,^. Changes of consonants are a great source of diiliculty to foreigners learning Mende. Presented under sevei'al forms it is by no means easy to recognize a word, especially a mono- sylla])ic one. Tlie changes are made to suit euphony from the native j)oint of vi(;w. 'J'he hard sound occurs genfsrally at the beginning of a s(;ntence, but when the s(3Cond syllable does not admit of softeniiifj the first must be softened. GRAMMAE 51 Pronouns, except the first personal pronoun, do not admit of softening. As examples of the difticulty in recognizing words under this process, sole or jore, noise, and tuwo, luyo, before, may be quoted. Examples. F into V. Fo, give. Fembe, give me. Kpande ve, give me the gun. G into 10. Hege or hewe, soap. Tuwo, tugo, luwo, lugo, before. K into g. Ke, shoAV. Ke a tie, show them. Bi na ge ange, show me that. Kfikn, side. Kilka wekei ma, the other side. Wa mu gakei ma, come to our side. K into w. Kulongo, wulongo, little. K into y. Kfika, side. Be ka, this side. Mi y.aka % which side ? L into r. Kei a bi loli ma, master calls you. Kei a bi ruri ma, ditto. Mia lo, it is yonder. Mia ro, ditto. Bi me lo 1 did you hear ? Bi me ro ? ditto. The auxiliary, which will always bo found written lo, i.s generally pronounced ro. An exception is in the idiom lo a, where the I sound predominates. Ngenda lo a ji, tin's is his, (lit. Ifis share is tliis, nge^ngi.) 52 THE MENDE LANGTIACE /' into w. Piiiie, run. Li a pTme ! run ! (lit. Co with running.) A mu wime, let us run. Pelo, honso. Pe bu, in the house. Massa wc lo a ji, this is mastoi''s liouse. Polo, tlo. Dengima a pelo, tell him not to do it. Jji bi ngenge wili, go and work. Pt'ka, other. Kfika wekei ma, on the other side. Wa pekei, bring the other. /" into //. Prka, other. Kakfi yekei ma, on the other side. J^ into b, rare. Pijwo, bciwe, the flower. S into j. Jolo, noise, sliout. Wa jore, do not shout. Dondo a sole, stop that noise. Joso, i)lug, load. Kpando joso, load the gun. Ngi sosoi lo, I have loaded it. >S' into ?/, rare. Susungo, jusungo, yusungo, deep. T into (I, I, r. Tcwe, cut, pass, etc. Tewe ! cut it ! ]]i dewea 1 did you cut it 1 XgT leweni, I did not cut it. 'I'vli, call. Li l)i ngi toli, go, call liini. Ke a bi ruri ma (l(7ilinia), master is calling you. Tugo, tuwo, lugo, in fi'ont. ir into V. Tcwo, pass. I dowca, he passed. I dcnla, ditto. GRAMMAR 53 Will (pili), throw, shoot. A mu li kpande wime (wiliiue, def. form of wilima), let us go and shoot. A mu li kpande vime, let us go and shoot. Mh into h or w. Mbumbu, lift. Mbumbu, pick it up, or take it. A mu bumbu, let us lift it. Ti vvumbuni, they did not take it. Nd into d, or I. Nde, say. I ndea nyama, he told me. De ngi ma, tell him. Gbo i lea bima? what did he say t') you"? Nda, lay. Nda ! lay it down. La ndia, put it in the middle. Ndia, middle. Hei ndende liei, sit in the middle of the boat. Ndowe lave, fill the hole. N(j into w. Only when followed by o or u. NgOva, old. Ngdvango le, it is old. Iwclvangoi, the old one. Yela, one. Ngalu, egg, month. Ngi, I. NjT, sleep. S(j into y. Only when followed by , e, or i. Xgera ngera, one l)y one. ISTu yTra, one person. Ngaui ji, this month. Te-yalui, fowl's egg. X(j into (J. Ngi ya li na, i have not been there. GT ngi loi, 1 have not seen it. Ay into y. Ta njl hu, he is asleep. 54 THE MENDE LANCUAOE Nji, sloop. Ti ya ti yiiiii, tlioy have gone to their sleeping-place, /. e. to sleep. or, Ti ya yima, they have gone to .sleep. Kp into yh. ivpoyd, finish. I ya kpgyoai, it is not finished. Nu yira gbnyongo, one man finished, i. e. twenty. J\j) or (jb into b or w;. K])ntr>, many, much. Njei lo na botongo, there is a lot of water there. Njei wot(7)ngo, the water is much, or deep. (5 botongo ! plenty ! enough ! T ya kpoto na, there is not much there. Kpiti, grass, etc. Biti gbia, pull up the weeds. /\j) or (jb into //. Kpate, make. A mu ji gbate, let ns mend this. I mani yatc huguhango, he made a trap fai' away. viii. Ckanges of Vowkls. The principal change in the vowels is when a substantive is put in the dcluiite form. This is effected by adding /, meaning he, to the indefinite form. The resulting combination produces a variety of changes difiicult to learn. The accent is shifted to the last syllable. J'J.i'a/iiplen. Imlcfuiitc Combiii- tpiiniiiation. Dolinitc tcnniiiation. .:, ' How i)n)iicnnH.-cd 't'""- an,lwnlt..n. a, iii, e, (!oma, gome, crow. J a, ai, ei, Nyaha, nyahei, woman. [ a, ai, (as in /I'lj/) Jv.ika, kakei, side. a, ai, ai, AVa, wiii, big. (as in ivhi/) GRAMMAR 55 Indefinite ermination. Combin- ation. ueiinite ueriuiuaiioii. How pronounced and written. s, ei, e, s, 6i, ei, (as in hay) 6, ei, e, i, ii, 1, (as in bee) i, ii, i, 8, oi, e or i, 0, oi, oi, Q, Qh 01, (as in 6o7/) 9, oi, 1, 9, oi, ui, (almost icT) 9j oi, oi, u, tti, tii, ", Ul, i, ", ui, I'li, (almost loi) Pene, pene, ringworm. Ke, kei, father. Pole, pole, house. Lclli, loll, dance. Ngall, ngali, thorn. Golo, gole (goli), book. Mendemo, Mendemoi, Mendeman. Dogbo, dogboi, bush. Fol(3, foil, sun. Nyapo, nyapui, girl. Sasalo, sasaloi, a partridge Xgalu, ngalui, egg, moon. Kotu, koti, stone. Tutu, tutui, a swamp bird, a messenger. ix. Words Much Alike. The following list includes a few nouns that in their definite form are much alike, as well as some other similar words. ngari. thorn. ngare, a coarse grass, ngale, mat. kule, gule, cloth. kole, g'jle, book. goli, scissors. kolT, iron. kole, gold, cold, clean. gole, weeping. 9l, leave. lo, day. Ini, day, nun. lOi, son. loe, country. iTlli, call. irilel how many ? rigera, one. n<,'erM, sweep. nyi, bite. y", sleep. lii, lay. ];i, name. \}/'^ 'iii(oi)/ others. CHAPTER II SUBSTANTIVES i, Defixite and Indefinite Forms. There is no definite or indefinite article in Mende. Its place is taken by i, he, which is added to the indefinite form of the word. The pronunciation of the resulting combination of vowels has already been explained, see Chapter I, viii. The indefinite form is used (i) When an indefinite meaning is clearly indicated, as kia gomhu na, like fire. (ii) In negative sentences, as nuimij gbi na, nobody is there ; Gl nmau loi, I saw nobody. (iii) When followed by an adjective. The adjective then takes the definite form. Ilindo lodvei, the old man. (iv) When followed Ijy a numeral adjective, as tamo ijlra, one man, or a certain man ; miinu Icjlu, or nu lohij^ five persons. (v) Vocative case, as X(jewo ! God ! The definite form is used (i) When in English the article tlie is used, as wjeyei lo mi ? where is the rope 1 (ii) When the word is used independently as in answer to a question, as (Jbo hi lomjola I Mhocjhc. What do you want 1 The cutlass. (iii) After a possessive pronoun, as nya lnd'\ my cloth. (iv) When followed by a demonstrative pronoun, as dak- palol ji, this young man. (v) Vocative case, as itdakpcl ! young man ! It will be seen that for the vocative case both indefinite and definite forms are used. There are a few words which are not invariably put into the definite form, the reason for using the indefinite form being probaljly euphony. Kaua, box, is usually heard only in the one form ; and substantives haviug Jm as an affix may 58 THE I\TENDE LANCUACE remain unchanged, or the / indicating the definite may l)e added to the first component word, or be put at the end, as (johri, (joihn, (johi'i, belly. Sometimes it is immaterial whether the indefinite or the definite form be used, as hei mlla, oi' hei ndii'i, sit in the middle. Occasionally the indefinite is used when the definite is clearly indicated, or vicf. versa. The reason may be eujjhony or carelessness. ii. Gkxdeu. There is no gender to nouns, adjectives, or any other part of speech. For human beings different words are used to express the sex, as hindni {hu al. IiiilefiniU'. Drlinilr. IlKlcfilliU'. ])yond tliat is ' many ' ; and for all pi'actical purposes this is sulHcient, seeing that there are no accounts to keep, nor matters re(|uiring mathematics, and that precision in "West Afi-ica is unimportant from the native point of view. The cai'dinal numerals come after the noun, which retains the indefinite form either singular or plural. GRAMMAR 67 Uxam2)les. I ndoi le fei'e. Nwoni sawa. Wa gboma yira. I huei wa pu a ngende iia. Yira be i na. Jia sawa bi do. She bore two children. Three birds. Bring one more. He killed ten beasts on that morning. There is not even one there. "Walk three paces and stop. (ii) Ordinal Numerals. The prefix i and suffix (je are added to the cardinal to form the ordinal numerals. First, ihalagei. This is an exception. Second, ifdegei. Third, isawagel. And so on. Any great extension of these forms does not seem to be in practical use. The cardinals are fallen back on. Yese also means ^rsi adverbially. See under Adverbs. Some other words seem to acquire an ordinal use, as ikjiukolagel and ikelemagei, the last ; ikdkdmagel the side part. Examples. Pele ihalagei. Bia yese wa. Ta yese wa. Ji yese wani bima. Pele ikpakolagei. Pole ikelemagei. The first house. You come first. He comes first. This one came ^ you. The last house. Ditto. before (iii) Di.st ributivc Xiniicrals. The distributive numci'als arc formed by reduplication of the cardinal numerals, as- Bi ti la ngera, ngera. 1 ti dewe a fefele {or felofele). Lay them one by one. lie sent them two by two. 68 THE MENDE LANfJUACIE (iv) Multiplicative XumeralH. Hxi yela, once. Hu fele, twice. Ilfi pa, ten times. llu gbotongo, plenty of times. The liTi. is often omitted, as Massa ye i bi lahinga yira. Master says he has already warned you, or warned you once. (Hani) pu pu na .sawa. Three times ten. (Hani) nani nani {or na How many are three nani) na sawa lule mia ] times four ? {I/ani, thing, may be used or not used.) Bi ya na yira 1 Have you ever been there ] Ma is substituted for ha, as ]Sgi pe hi ma pu. I have done it ten times. (v) rrcdicalivc Form. Ti jrmgo. They are three. Ti sawango. ])itto. Ti felengo. They are two. Bi yango T le You are not the only (yango = yelango). one. CHAPTER lY PRONOUXS i. Personal Pronouns. The personal pronouns are the following a. h. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. - ngia ngi nya nya ngo (a)ngc - , ..^ I bia bia bia bi bo (a)bi(' ta ta ta ta ngi e (a)ngiL' C ma 1 _ / V .. - . mua mua nana mu me (a)mue i^muenij ^ ' r vva ) - / X . Avu a wa - . \ Aviia wna wua wu wo (a)wm ti - ta X(ji and vrja (first person) are sometimes softened to 7?and ga. ngi - ngf bi bi Ija i - a mu ma \ wuenij ; '.' .' \ tia tia tia ti te (a) tit (^ tieni j ^ ' Explanation. i yakpei ma. You yonrself. Bi yakpei bima. Ditto. Xgi yakpei, or tw yakpei. He himself. Ti gbi ti yakpei. They are all the same. The Mende does not say it is the same, but they are the same. (vi) There is a negative use of the pronoun in _/ as follows Mabia mue ya hei liiiula You and 1 will not sit down yira, in one place. Be, mul' sese. You said. Let us not slice it, ii. Demonstrative Pronouns. There are two demonstrative pronouns. .//, this. Vhn-.i], jisia, ji((. X(i, that. Plural, misia, naa, or vd. Xa is sometimes best translated the. The demonstintivo pronoun follows the noun, which stands in the definite form singular. Jf it follow noun and adjective, the noun is in the indefinite form singular and the adjective in the definite form singular. The demonstrative pronoun alone takes the plural form, witli one or two exceptions. Both ji and va can be used substantively, taking also the forms ijf, run, iiuiL Examples. Kule ji T nyandeni. This cloth is not good. ])indi hifidei na. Is Bindi there, (lit. 'J'hat place.) Naa ti gula ] Have they fallen 1 Naa ti na. Those there. Bi ji longa. You left this. Ngl loni a na. I do not like that. Kea ji na. Like this. Kea na na. Like that, \A bi wfi na mia. Go bring that (thing) over tluro. Ta ya ji ; ta lo a ji. It is not this ; it is tliis. Ji ta ya. na. ]t is not that. Ga na lu^igo lo. I will attempt it. GKAMMAR 73 Iji mia. Ji nyandengo le genge gbi va. Ji nyandengo bo va 1 Ye, mba wai na. Na gbi bi waila. Bi wa na srbi. It is this one. This is useful for everything. Is this of any use 1 He says that man is the senior. Bring either. Bring all of those. KoTE. lia, that, must not be confused with ntl, now, or na, there. iii. Relative Pronoun. A^a, that, plviral nasia or nd, is the only one. It is, however, rather the demonstrative pronoun than a true relative pronoun. Numui na a wa nya ye. The person who comes to me. A sentence in which a relative would occur in English is usually broken up into two simple co-ordinate sentences. iv. Interrogative Pronouns. Ye, who. Ghe, what. Ye, who, whose. Plural, yea, yeni. It is followed in all forms by /o,is, are. Ye lo is frequently shortened to yo. Ye also means how. For this meaning see Cliaptor VII, v. Examjdes. Ye lo a bie % Yo a bie 1 Ye mia bie 1 Bia bi ye 1 (unusual). Ye lo na 1 Ye nde biraa ? or Yo ndc bima? Ye lo indo bima % Ye lo bi mbai le 1 Yeni lo ta wa be 1 Yea lo ta wa be 1 A ye bijei lo wu ji Aveni ? Ye gura lo 1 Yo ngi wo a kule ji 1 Ye min 1 Ye lo miando? Bi bi yo va 1 Who are you ? Ditto. Ditto. Who is there ? Who told you ? Ditto. Who is your friend ? Who conic here 1 Ditto. Withwliosc name did yon do tins'? Wliosc clotli is it ? Ditto. Who is it 1 Who is over there 1 For wliom are you hero ? THE MENDE LANGUAGE Also What Is he (it) like ? What is his name 1 N<;i *:;biayei lo a ye 1 Ngi bijci lo a ye 1 (Ihe, what ; iyhe, which ; plural, iyhea, igheni, igho, yho. Ghe In = Gbo. Gbo ha pe na? (Jbo hani lo a ji ? Gbe lo a ji"? Gbo i weui a hakci ji 1 Gbo bi longwola ? Gbo ba pema? Gbe yenge mia b;i guma 1 Gbu bima? Bo ba fembe ? Gbe lo ? or Gha mia ? Gbe le? Bo gbe 1 or Gbo ba nde ? Yo gbe ? Ma gbo we? Igbc ] or i gbe le ? Kole igbe? Gbe hakei.sia mia mia 1 Gbe mia pa pena ] l>i lei gbo benge l)i koiii ange? Ho bi wa kama ? (^be kuh'i lo ? Gl ko gbo i wonga. Gbo bi wail a ? (!T ko gbwe mia. Gl ko gbwo mia aji. Numiu igbi' ? or iglx' le 1 Other ways Bi Inyei ? Bi IMende I>ivoi ] Bi le biyei ? Ngi l)ijei lo a yc ? Ngi gbiayei a gl)o i or Ngi gbiayei lo a yc ? What are yon doing there 1 What thini,' is this ? What is this ? What has he done with that load 1 What do you want ? AVhat are you doing ? What kind of work can }'ou do ? What is the matter with you? What are you going to give me ? What is it ? What is the matter ? What do you say ? What does he say ? What shall we do ? Which ? Which book ? AVhat are those loads there ? What are you going to do then ? What name did you give (lit. show) me yesterday ? What do you come for ? What cloth is this ? I do not know what has bccouK^ of him. What have you brought ? I do not know what it is. T do not know what this is. Which person ? of rendering n-Juit. What is your name ? What is your ^Nlende name 1 AVhat is your birth name? What is liis name ? AVhat is its appearance i Ditto. CHAPTER V THE VERB TO BE There are many forms of the verb to he, as lo, mia, le, ye, yele, ya. i. Lo. The usages of the lo form of the verb to he may be classified as (i) Substantival, and (ii) Auxiliary. Lo, substantival. 1. It is used impersonally. 2. It can follow a noun without an intermediate pronoun. 3. It can stand between a noun and an adverb. 4. It cannot be used as a copulative between two nouns. 5. It cannot be used as a copulative between a noun and adjective, but follows the adjective. G. It does not appear in a negative sentence, being a distinction of the positive. 7. It usually follows words like ye? Avho ? yhe? what'? riiiyhe ? when ? oni ? where "? Example^!. Mia lo. (1) It is yonder. Ta lo na. (3) It is there. Nya yengc lo be. (3) My work is here. Ye lo able 1 (7) Who are you 1 Ye lo na 1, (3 and 7) Who is there 1 Ye kul6 lo ^ (2) Whose cloth is it 'i 76 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Njia wiilo lo. (")) Kpe lo nyama. (2) jMigbele lo bi wa be 1 (7) IMigbe lo bi wa be 1 (7) Ye lo i ndeni bima 1 (7) Gbe lo ? Powe lo, Bia wa Wuseni lo a li mia. IHa lo i Iga. Gbe lo Ilia pe abie ? Nya lo ngi kali wani. Bia lo mil Bi mi lo? Bi pui mi lo 1 Nya lo. Nwoni lo? Jo lo mi ? Pele nyamu lo. Kje gbotongo lo be. ]5i bia bi bi lo ? Xumu lo na? It is a small affair. I am busy. When did you come hero 1 Ditto. Who told you ? What is it ? It is a dove. You and Wusoni go yonder. You are left. What shall we do with you 1 It was I who killed the snake. Where are you? Ditto. Where did you put it ? It is I. Is it a bird ? Where is Jo ] The road is bad. There is much water here. Are you here for yourself ? Is anybody there 1 Lo, auxiliary. As an auxiliary lo is used to emphasize the positive form of some of tlio past and future tenses, as I wai lo. He has come. A wa lo. He will come. Ta lo mba mema. Ho is eating rice. Lo a. When it is required to express existence iri-espoctive of time the form lo <( is used. It is used when an attribute is required to comjilcte the sense. (<\)Q hani lo a ji ? Ye lo a bii' ? Ta lo a ji ? ^Mendeino lo abit- ? IJia hi 3Len(lemo lo abiij ? Xgi 1)1 jei lo a liiiidi. ( 'he jongo lo a ji ? Kpele lo a ji. N}'auda loa ji {or n}'andei). Wliat thing is this ? Who are you ? Is this it i Are you a ]\Iende ? Ditto. His name is Bindi. ]Iow much is this ? It is all tlieso. It is mine. GRAMMAR 77 Covjugation of Lo. io, as a substantival verb, is only conjugated in the present tense. ISTya lo. Bi and bia lo. Ngi, 1, and ta lo. Mu and mua lo. Wu and wua lo. Ti and tia lo. Also Lo ange. Lo abie. Lo angie. Lo amuc. Lo awuii. Lo a tic. (The negative of lo ange is yO, ange. See under Fa.) ii. Mia. This is an impersonal form, positive only. It is not conju- gated and is only used in the present tense. It must not be confused with mia, yonder. Mia and lo (substantival) are usually interchaugeable. Kemei mia ? Tamo mia wo. iS^ya wo mia. Ye mia bie 1 Ta mia. Ta mia % Tonya mia. Gbe mia ba pe na % lla gbi mia I (Ila ^ Nya mia. Gbe jongo mia % Gome mia. Ye mia % Ta mia yira. Soja mia na, angie. Lui). Exannples. Is that the end % There was once a man. It is mine. Who are you % Therefore. Is he there 1 It is true, or Is it true? What are you doing there % Is it anything % It is I. How mueli is it ? It is a crow. Who is it % That is one. He is a soldier now. 78 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Nya mia Jo. I am Jo. Ngi yeto Jo mia. I thought it was Jo. Ma ta mia ma li. I and he will go. Gl ko gbwe mia. I do not know what it is. Gl ko gbwe mia aji. I do not know what this is, Tamiaaji? Is it this? Nya bije mia a Jo. My name is Jo. iii. Le. Le is a substantival verb representing a statement of fact without any attribute, unlike lo a, whicli requires an attribute. It is unconjugated. It is used with adjectives and verbs ending in ngo. It seems occasionally to be changed with lo for euphony. One of its most important uses is to form the negative phrase t le, it is not, which is used to transform what would otherwise be a positive statement, into a negative one. This is dealt with later in Chaptei' VI, vi. on negative construction. Note. It must not be confused with le, yet. Examples. Nya le. It is I. Mua le. It is we. Bi wo le. It is yours. Gbo le i loa ? What is left ? Komo wa a le. He is a great warrior. Kurungo le. All right, or It is accepted. Tonya le. It is true. Kpandingo le. It is hot. Bi wo 1 le. It is not yours. Bia T le ga bi dnli. It is not you I call. Tia 1 le. It is not they. Tonya T le. It is not true. Ngi lahingo le. He i i ^ \ warned. l^has beenj Mi le? (rarely used). Where is it 1 Nya le .)o le. I am Jo. Hakel gboma le? Is it another guinea-fowl ? GRAMMAR 79 iv. Ye. Ye is a past form of the verb to be. It does not stand at the end of a sentence as the last word, but requires a comple- ment. It is the only form of the verb to be that is somewhat fully conjugated. Present. iSing. Ngi ye. Biye. ri. Sing. PL I ye. Mu ye. Wu ye. Ti ye. Future. Nga ye lo. Ba ye lo. A ye lo. Ma ye lo. Wa ye lo. Ta ye lo. Past. Ngi ye lo. Bi ye lo. I ye lo. Mu ye lo. Wu ye lo. Ti ye lo. Future continuous. Nga yema. Ba yema. A yema. Ma yema. Wa yema. Ta yema. For the negative of the above the vowel of the pronoun is lengthened, the Past and Future losing the lo. The lo is occasionally transferred to the end of the sentence. As an avixiliary it is used in the pluperfect tense, and in the continuous mood with the past tense. Ngi yc lo na. I ye na. Ti ye nu woita gboyongo. -Hi ndC'i a ye lo be sina. I^e tdpomamo yela lo i ye Damasku. Kina lo i ye na, bi wo T yele? 1 ye gbengeme T)e. I ye gbengi be lo. lamples. I was tit ere. He was not there. They were 120 persons. Your brother will be here to- morrow. And there was a disciple at Damascus. Whilst it was there, was it not thine own % He was not hero yesterday. He was hero yesterday. 80 THE JMENDJ: LANGUAGE Bi ye mi gbi ] Where were you yesterday 1 I ye gbl bi (be) 1 Was he here yesterday ? I, i mbe gbi. Yes, he was here yesterday. Ti ye nu yira gboyongo. They were twenty. V. Yelf. Tele is a form that is chiefly used with adjectival and verbal forms in )igo. It is also a past form which can be used without an attribute. Xgi lahingo yele. He was warned. Ngi lahingo a yele. He will be warned. Ngi gbakisia tewengo yele. His wings were cut. Kia le i ye na, bi wo I yele ? Whilst it was there, was it not yours 1 vi. Ya. Ya is unconjugated. It is not of common use in its positive form. In its negative form, i. e. with the lengthened vowel yd, it stands as a negative to lo in its combination lo a. Note. There are words ya = go and ya = not. Ya a-nge. Ya a-bie. Ya a-ngiij. Ya a-muij. Ya a-wue. Ya a-ti(i. JSxaviples. JNIaha ya a bie. You are not a chief. Tonya ya na. That is not true. Powo ya na. That is not a pigeon. Kpele ya ji. It is not all these. Ta yana. It is not this. Nu weka gbi ya na. There is no one else there. vii. To he omitted. Where in Englisli the verb to be is expressed, in Mende it is often left out. GRAMMAR li Ta be. I bendo. 1 na. MiJndemo abie 1 Biamil Hinde ji i ya nyande. Njiei kulongo. Pelei nyamungo. Pelei 1 kpekpeni. Ta mindo 1 Ta hindei na. Yambasu hindei na 1 Ngan nani i Sandi hu. Ti a be 1 Ti be. Yira be i na. Kale ji ta nwonisia va. Ti nil gboyongo. Nya la a Jo. Ngi loi i nyrdoi. Bonde nyapoi wele wuma Taji^ Nu wa ancrie. Ie is here. He is not here. He is not there. Are you a Mende 1 Where are you 1 This place is not good. The matter is a small one. Tiie road is bad. The road is not good. Where is he ? He is there. Is Yambasu there ? She was four months in the Sandi bush. Are they here ? They are not here. There is not even one there. This cartridge is for birds. They were twenty. My name is Jo. Her child was a girl. The okra tree was behind the woman's house. Is it this? Ho is a big person. CHAPTER VI THE VERB i. Divisiox. VoicKS. Separate forms do not exist for transitive, intransitive, active or passive. The exact meaning can only be judged by tlio context. For instance, liei, intraiisitive, means tn sit ; transitive, tn set. Pele, ])e, to do, means also to become or to be (lone. Gala means either to fall down or to throw down. The passive may, however, be rendered by the use of they with an active verb ; as, he has been beaten may be translated theij beat him, ti ngi ndewei lo. A passive sense may also be obtained by the addition of the suffix ngo to ti'ansitive verbs, as nyi deweiujo yele, ho was beaten. This suffix makes a past participial meaning when added to transitive verbs, and V(!rbs can also l)e formed from adjectives by means of the same. The conjugation is the same in both cases. ii. Moods. Witli the exception of the continuous mood there is no inflection of the verb form for mood. IMl'EIfATIVE MOOD. The impei'ative, strictly speaking, consists of only the second person singular and plural. 82 GRAMMAR 83 Examjyles. Singular. Plural. Intransitive. Li, ^o ! A li, go ! Transitive. Pii, kill it ! A pit, kill it ! Bi ngi hou. A wu ngi hou, catch him. Ngi go a kole. Give him the book.] INFINITIVE MOOD. Three suffixes are used to indicate the infinitive mood, ma, la, va. Ma is used after verbs of motion, as I ya muama He has gone to bathe. Such sentences may, however, bo rendered Gi ya ngi mua, I go, I wasli. La is used when the infinitive depends on certain other verbs, as can, begin, finish, show, etc. This form is preceded by a, a preposition meaning with, and is thus clearly shown to be a verbal noun. As such it is capable of taking all the inflec- tions of a noun. I guni a lila. He could not go. This may also bo rendered 1 guni i li. He could not go. Va is used whenever ma or la are not strictly applicable as Kpoyei 1 kpekpe gboli va. The sea is not good to drink. Mu ya me va. We go to eat. Examples of sentences in which the infinitive is avoided Ngi yeto bingi ga li lo I intended yesterday going to dogboi hu. the bush. Bi fombe ngi me. Give it to me to eat. Do ngi ma fi na wiri. Tell him not to do that. 84 THE MENDE LANGUAGE INDICATIVE AND SUBJUNCTIVE MOODS. The indicative mood calls for no remarks. The subjunctive mood is the indicative in a subordinate position, preceded by a particle or having;; the particle understood. CONTINUOUS MOOD. The continuous mood is formed by adding via to the verb- stem. It is conjugated throughout by the aid of auxiliaries. It presents the -iny termination in English, as I am yoiiuj, nya lo lima. iii. Tenses. The pi'onoun is inflected as well as the verb, and with the aid of auxiliaries a great variety of tenses is produced. The complete conjugation of the verb is as follows AORIST. Positive. Negative. Ngi tewo, I cut. Ngi tewe, I do or did not cut. Bi tewe. Bl tewe. I tewe. I tewe. Mu tewo. Mu tewe. Wu tewe. Wu tewe. Ti tewe. Ti tewe. (Sometimes, but rarely, lo is added to the positive to render the form quite past time.) PRESENT. Nga tewe, 1 cut. Nga tewe, I do not cut. 15a tewe. Ba tewe. A tewe. A tewe. Ma tewe. Ma tewe. Wa tewe Wa tewe. Ta tewe. Ta tewe. I'AST, I. Ngi tewea, I cut. None. Bi tewea. I tewea. Mu tewea. Wu tewea. Ti tewea. GRA:\rMAR 85 Positive. Ngi teweni, I cut. Bi teweni. I teweni. Mu teweni. Wu teweni. Ti teweni. PAST, II. Negative. Ngi teweni, I did not cut. BI teweni. I teweni. Mu teweni. Wu teweni. Ti teweni. Lo may be added to the positive to emphasize it. PAST, III. Ngi dewenga, I have cut. l^one. Bi dewenga. I dewenga. Mu dewenga. Wu dewenga. Ti dewenga. Ngi tewei lo, I have cut. Bi tewei lo. I tewei lo. Mu tewei lo. Wu tewei lo. Ti tewei lo. / tewenga, I had cut Ngi ye \ tewei lo. I teweni. PERFECT. Xgl tewei, I have not cut. Bl tewei. I tewei. ]\[u tewei. Wii tewei. Tl tewei. I'LL' PERFECT. XgT yo teweni, I had not cut it. J tewenga. Bi ye -j tewei lo. [teweni. r tewenga. I ye J tewei lo. [teweni. r tewenga. Mu ye - tewei lo. [teweni. I tewenga. A\'u \'o- tewei lo. [teweni. /tewenga. Ti ye -' tewei lo. teweni. Bi ye teweni. I ye teweni. ~Slw ye teweni. Wu ye teweni. Tl ye teweni. 86 THE MENDE LANGUAGE FUTURE. Positive. Negative, Nga dewc lo, I shall cut. Nga tewe, I shall not cut. Ba dewc lo. Bil tewe. A dewc lo. A tewe. Ma dewe lo. Mji tewe. \Va dewe lo. Wfi tewe. Ta dewe lo. Ta. tewe. FUTURE AND CONDITIONAL NEGATIVE. Nge tewe, I shall not cut, or I may not cut. Be tewe. E tewe. Me tewe. We tewe. Te tewe. FUTURE TEKFECT. (Kina)ngi tewealo, (When) Ngl tewea, I shall not have cut. I shall have cut. Bi tewea lo. Bi tewea. I tewea lo. I tewea. Mu tewea lo. Mu tewea. Wu tewea lo. Wu tewea. Ti tewea lo. Tl tewea. The emphatic form of the above tenses consists in the repetition of the personal pronoun either with or without lo, as iiya nga ieice, or nya lo v(/a teice. l-'or the form of personal pronoun used, see (Chapter IV, i, ;/. IMPERATIVE Gbe ngi lewo, let me cut. Tewe, cut. Ba tewo, do not cut. Gbe i tewe, let him cut. A (or Vj) tewe, ho must not cut. Gbe mu tewe, or A mu tewe, let us cut. A tewe, cut. Wfi tewe, do not cut. Gbe ti tewe, let them cut. Ta(orTo) tewe,they must not cut. GRAMMAR 87 CONTINUOUS MOOD Note. The accent is on the first syllable of * tewema ' throughout. AORIST. Positive. Ngi tewema (lo), I am, or was, cutting. Bi tewema (lo). I tewema (lo). Mu tewema (lo). Wu tewema (lo). Ti tewema (lo). Negative. Ngl tewema, I am not, or I was not, cutting. BT tewema. I tewema. Mu tewema. Wu tewema. TT tewema. PRESENT. Nya lo tewema, I am cutting. Bia lo tewema. Ta (lo) tewema. Mua (lo) tewema. Wna (lo) tewema. Tia (lo) tewema. None. PAST. Ngi ye tewema, I was cutting. Bi ye tewema. I ye tewema. jNFu ye tewema. Wu ye tewema. Ti ye tewema. NgT ye tewema, I was not cutting. Bl ye tewema. 1 ye tewema. Mil ye tewema. Wu ye tewema TT ye tewema. FUTUUK, I. Nga ye tewema, 1 shall bo Nga ye tewoma, T shall not cutting. be cutting. Ba ye tewema. Ba ye tewema. A ye tewoma. A ye tewema. Ma ye tewema. Ma ye tewema. Wa ye tewema. Wa ye tewema. Ta ye tewema. Ta ye tewema. 88 THE MENDE LANaUACE KUTUHE, II. I'ositivo. Negative. Xga tt'weuia, I am about to Nga or ngc tewema, I am not cvit. cutting, or sliall not cut. Ba tewema. Ba or be tewema. A tewema. ? e tewema. Ma te^vema. ? mo. "NVa tewema. 1 we. Ta tewema. % to. (The deficient persons I have not found.) Note. It is a matter of great diificulty to find a verb that can be accurately conjugated throughout. Tewe may of course become den-e, letve, te, de or /e, to suit tlie euphony of the sentence. INFLECTIOX 01^ THE XGO FOini TRESEXT. Nya lahingo le, 1 am warned. Bi lahingo le. Ngi lahingo le. jNfu lahingo le. Wu lahingo le. Ti lahingo le. PAST. Nya lahingo yele. Bi lahingo yele. Ngi lahingo yele. Mu lahingo yele. Wu lahingo yele. Ti laliingo yele. FUTURE. Nya lahingo a yele. ]Ji lahingo a yele. Ngi lahingo a yele. ]Mu lahingo a yele. Wu lahingo a yele. Ti laliingo a yele. The negative of the aljove may be rendered Ti nya lahini, They did not warn me, etc. GRAMIMAR 89 iv. Examples of the Uses of the Various Tenses. AOKIST. Largely vised in narration and for subordinate sentences without a conjunction. Ye, ti li ti ngi yenge wili. Ke ti yama ti yetaliu. Tamoi i ya wo i nyalioi jo. A mu li mu yenge we. Bi ya li le"? GT hugo. He said they should go and work for him. And they return, or returned, to their home town. A man Avent once upon a time to get a wife. Let us go and work. Have you not gone yet ? I do not understand. present. Ye, nga huei ji fe bi ye. A ngi wili ngombui ya. He said, I give you this meat. He throws him on the fire. I'AST, I. Mu Avaa be bengenie. Ke ti ya ke ti hitia mbei ma dole tima. Bi bumbiia botongo. (li menia, hiye. We came here yesterday. And they went, and they reached the rice hungry. You took too much. I heard all right. PAST, II. This is the form mostly used in negative sentences. Ye bi toni ] You sent you % Ngi gbeni. I don't care. Yo njiei leni % Who spoke? J ya lini. He has not gone. PAST, III. This form is often used to express a conditional sentence. Sange mia gi ngi longa. I have just seen him. (\'\ kpoydiiga. 1 am just fuiishing. Ive i ngi mbfii luliiiga. And he called his friend. Bi penga lo, ba ha lo fe. If you do it, you will surely die. 90 THE I\IENJ)E LANOUAGE Xgi wai lo angiii. Gbeva bi wai kaka? PERFECT. I have brought him. Why (lid you not come quickly 1 Gl toi, or gi ngi toi. I have not seen it. I kpande wuai. He has not cleaned the gun. Mu yamai ! (lo is omitted). We are back ! Gbo bi waila? (Note verb form.) What have you brought I Bi hiti lo na so 1 F(lll i gbiai lo ke nwonl.sia ti wa, Ngl numu loi. Ngi mboi lo. I ngi hakei loilohu. (Xote verb form.) Did you go all the way ] Tf the sun came out the birds would come. I saw nobody. T have hit it (o/ shoothnj). He has lost his load. PLUPERFECT. Kina ti ye welani. When they had finished, lye pei lo kina bi ye na ? Had he done it when you ^vere thei-e ? NgO wo, ga bi bawo lo. Ngu yfi na wiri gboma. ])e ngi ma a pele. iSina ma to {Jo omitted). A ti do lo. FUTURE. I said the other day, I will cure you. I shall not do that again. Tell him he must not do it. To-morrow we shall see. lie will send them. FLTUKE rUllFl-X'T. Kiiia l)i ngi doa lo, In ngi When you shall have found wa. (lit. seen) him, bring him. JJoi (the perfect tense) can be used instead of (Toa. Wa li na. A wa niboiiK'. Wa mbe. Ta li. IMPERATIVK. ])o not go there. Bring the hammock. Come to me. They must not go, or shall not CO. GRAMMAK 91 CONTINUOUS MOOD AOKIST. Ngi wilama. Ye, mu lima lo. Ye, nya be, ye, ngi hama. I am finishing. He said we are going. She said, I too, she said, shall die. PRESENT. Ta lo nye gbenia. Ye ke mua wama. Train ta wama. Train lo wama. Train i wa. Mua jiama. Ta wama. He is catching fish. And he said we are coming. The train is coming. Ditto. Ditto. We are moving (i. e. in a boat or train). He is coming. Kina mu ye jiama. I ye kine gulama. PAST. Whilst we were travellinj. It was nearly falling. FUTURE, I. Bi kenye a ye kpokovoi ji 1 Ba hama. Nga, tenia. Ngc dema. Nga wama. E tOtunia. Will your uncle be coming thif afternoon 1 FUTURE, II. You will not die. r I am not passing ( I. e. not want you to [ way for me). I am (just) coming. He is not Koin'r to beLai I do make xao ter:\iinatiox PRESENT. Kurungo le. It is accepted ; all ri Ngi kpakisia tewengo yele Its wings were cut. Ngi gahu hango yele. He was very tired. dit. 92 THE MENDE LANGUACE V. A Special Form of Conjugation is used for / say, etc. Nge, I say, or said. Bo, you say. Ye, he says. Me, we say. We, you say. Te, they say. It is used alone, as Xge, bi wa a londemi imumui. I said, Bring the small nails. If it follows 7ide, say, it is best rendered saijing, as I ndea, ye, ba li na. He said saying. Do not go there. Ye, nge wo ga bi bawo lo. He said, I said before I will cure you. Te,mu inbei yilia gengebra we. They said, We cooked rice for the labourers. vi. Negative Construction. The expression of the negative is one of the greatest dilli- culties in the Mende language. The addition of a single word the equi\alent of ')tot to a positive statement, for the purpose of rendering it negative, does not occur. The following methods are adopted. (i) The one invariable indication of a negative is the engthening of the vowel in the pronoun attached to the verb. Xyl li, I go ; Xly now. Sina. I'o-morrow. Gbenge, gbengeme, or gbi. Yesterday. Sina ndambai, or Sina nda- 'I'he day after to-morrow. mbuai. Gbenge ndamb(n)ai. Tlio day before yesterday. Gbue, or kpindiji. J>ast night. Ge, gege, or howe. Home time ago ; a few days ago; recent! V. 102 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Wo. Wogba, wokpo. Wo polou. Ke yakpe. Pen, or pei. Yese. Pope. Kunafc}. Kimaka. Le. JVo Meade word. Ngnva, gba, etc. (also by subjunctive sentence). Kiua. Kina gba. Formerly. Ditto. Ditto. At once. First. Ditto. Often. In future. Ditto. Yet, still. Soon (for examples see under 4). Before. When (is also a conjunction). Since. (For examples of kina see under conjunctions). (2) The following are nouns which are used as adverbial expressions of time in various combinations Kpele, kjie, gbc (mujbe lo = Time. when). Kpoko volu. Evening. Kpindi. Kight. N^enda. Morning. Ku, fnlo, lo. Day. Fo. Year. Ngalu, ngau. INlonth. There is no word for iceek. It is translated seven days. A wa na. Ye na mu hei na. E.i:am]ilcs. Xd, now. Come now (/y/, lie sa) now down here. we are to sit Bi lima sange 1 Sanjje mia gi n^'i lonfra Sangi mia ti ya. Sang'', just now. Are you going just now ? 1 saw him just now. They have just gone GRAMMAR 103 Tele, early, coupled with ngenda. Sina ngenda tete mu li. We go to-morrow very early. Ha, to-day, sometimes means simply noiv. Mu lovoni ba. We have not been unsuccessful to-day. A wa lo ha 1 Will he come to-day 1 Sina, to-morrow. Sina ndamb(u)ai. The day after to-morrow. Sina mu li dogbo wfii hu. To-morrow we go ' bush,' or up-country. Sina ma to. To-morrow we shall see. Sina ndambuai a wa lo. He will come the day after to-morrow. Ghengeme, ghenge, ghi, yesterday. Bengeme ndamb(u)ai. The day before yesterday. John Bull i li lo gbi ge- Did John Bull go to work yes- ngema ? terday ] I ye gbi be 1 Was he here yesterday 1 Gbai\ last night; also giv'. Ti yi gbue. They slept the night. Mindo bi yi lo gbuiil NMiere did you sleep last night"? Bi ndo gboli lo gbuii ? Did you drink spirits last night! Bi na gboyOa guii ? Did you finish that last night ? Ce, recently, or gege. Bi ya mi ge lo felc go bi lo 1 Wlicre liavo you been recently I Bi ya ge mi lo fele go bi lo 1 Ditto. Bi mi lo ge ? Where have you been lately ] I ye lo be ge. He was liere just now. lloii-e, recently. I ye lo be howe. Ho was here a short time since. 104 tup: mende language Wo, irngha, wnlqw ivn jwron, formerly. Tamo yira mia wo, There was once a man. Ngi higbea wokpn. I have been sick a long time. Ji wo bi wa bi hea bo ] How long have you been sitting hero ? Kea wogba mu wai be. It is a long time since we came here. Bia wo na welema 1 Have you done that before ? Ji wo gi nclea, nge, ba dogboi I told you before not to clear luwi. the bush. Gi hani longa wo poron. I saw the thing long ago. Gi hani longa wo hugu- Ditto, hango. Ke yahpe, at once. Bi ji wiri keyakpe. Do this at once. Pen, i')e\, or lie lii'st. Ji wiri pe. Do this iarst. IMu hei pen f"ili gbia. We sit here until sunrise. Mawulu pen njei i wa. AVait until the rain comes. Yese, first. Ta yese wa. He comes first. Bia yese wa. You come first. Ji yese we. Do this first. Ji yese wili pen. Do this first. Ji yese wani bima. This one came before you. rcpe^ often. Bi wama be pcpT'. Do you often come here? Kuiiafo, kunaka, in future. Kunafu ba ji wiri. Jn future you will do this. Kunaka ba ji wiri. Ditto. Kunafu ba pe he. In future do not do so. Lc, yet. BT ya li le ? Have you not gone yet? GRAMMAR 105 (3) Before, formerly, etc. Before is expressed in a variety of ways, as illustrated below. See also j)en, wo, yese. Did you know that person before 1 I knew him before. I did not know him before. He said good-bye to us before he left. Do this before you go to the office. Do this before I go. Do this before you go to work. Have you come this road before? Have seen that before 1 Bi numui na golo ngOva 1 Gi ngi golo nguva. Gi ngi go ngova gbi. I ngenda ve lo mu we i ya li. Ji wili pen bi ya li offici hu. Bi ji wl gba ngi ya li. Ji lo ba pe bi ya li gengemi. Bi wani pele ji ngova ? Bi na doilo ngova, or ngova- ma? Ji yese wani bima. Bi ya miando bi wa bi ji we. Ma li lo pen ngelei i ya wa. Ji wo ngi ndea, ngc, ba dogboi luwi. Bia wo na welema ? Bi ya na wo ngova % Bi ya na yira ? This one came before you. Before you go there come and do so. V\Q will go before daylight. I told you before not to clear the bush. Have you done that before 1 Have you been there before 1 Have you ever been there ? (4) Miscellaneous expressions relating to time. Be gbele. Ku yeka ma. Lo yekA ma. Ngau lole niia a wa 1 Bi lima yengema n woita va. Fo lole ? Folf) yira. Fn yira. Lo lole 1 Ku fei'e, or Lo fere. Full ji hu. Just now. Another day, another time. Ditto. In how many months will he come 1 You are going to worlv for six months. How many years ? One day, i.e. period of dayliglit. One year. How many days % Two days. To-day (a more crapliatic form than ha). 106 THE INIENDE LANGUAGE Full ji kpen. FqIo ngundiei. Ku gbi ma. Ye, ikpemc i leinga. Ke i huei wa pu a ngeude na. Migbele lo bi wa be 1 Ye, bi ngi maw u hi kru. Ngau naiii i Sandi hu. Ke i ya hu-i-yi fele. Fcl yira soi gl bi loi. Fcl yira i dogboi hu. A kpindi. Kpindi ji. Fo dewengoi. Fo neui ma mbe lo lo. Bi li mi lo lo fele ji hu gi bi loni 1 Ngalui i la hu yia nani. Ma li lo a ngenda vol!. Kga yi pu mahu lolu nya wama. Nga yi woita iwofelema nya (lo) wama. Lo wofera nya wama. Kpindi ji pi ngl ylni. Ti me a kpindi na. Foil gbla ke mu ya. Ngi yeto Ijingi ga li lo dogboi liu. Gl ko ; be (/. e. gbe) ngewo. A wa lo kaka. Tato kaka. Yeka a gbowu nyama ji va. Bi gbalia pei ji va. All this day. Midday. Everyday. He says the time is late. And he killed ten animals that morning. Wheu did you come here 1 ] le says, Wait for him a little. tSlie was four months in the 8andi bush. And he went away for two days. I have not seen you for a whole year. He was one year in the bush. To-night. Last night. Last year. Next year we will cut (the bush) here. Where have you been these last two days 1 The moon is four days old. AVe will go at sunrise. I will come in a fortnight. I will come in a week. Ditto. I did not sleep all night. They ate that night. At sunrise we go. I intended yesterday going to the bush. I don't know ; wait till day- light. He will soon come. Begin soon. 1 shall soon be tired of this. Vou will soon be tired of this. GRAMMAR 107 Bi na Avei lo bi wa sange. Bi luva gbi mi lo 1 I tewea poma kpeii. Kina gba ngi wani ngl bi loi be. Ti yi na sawa. Kia ha wu wani migbe mia i lini ? Kina ha gba wu wani gbe yenge lo wu peni 1 Kpindl wa. Kpindl welea. Ngelewo sina mu li na. Lo woita i bumbu ndome. IVIaliei na fo i lewe naiii i gbate gljon. Nc:au Idle mia mu kei a wa 1 As soon as you have done that come. "Where did you spend the day yesterday 1 He spent all the day cutting. Since I came 1 have not seen you here. They spent three days there. How long is it since he went away 1 tSince you came here what work have you been doing 1 Kight comes. Ditto. "VVe will go there at daybreak to-morrow. After six days he picked hin> self up. That king for over four years increased in wealth. In how many months will master come 1 iii. Adverbs of Affirmation and Negation. 1 or E. Yes. Er er. No. Hao, sago. Ko (emphatic). Hiye. Certainly. Kere 1 Is it not so 1 Ya, la, ma. Not. A question is often answered in a few words similar to those used in askin" the tame. iv. Adverbs of Manner, Intknsitives, etc. Adverbs of manner follow tlie verb they modify. They are numerous, numbering in all some hundied and fifty. A large proportion of them seem to liave a very limited use, and are possibly oiJy employed to modify certain verbs to 108 THE MENDE LANOUACE which they specially belong. In their etymology they seem to have no connection with any other part of speech. In English, adverbs are largely formed from adjectives by the addition of the suffix Jy, other European languages having a corresponding suffix. But INIende, though richer than some other African languages in adjectives, does not adopt any similar formation. An approach to it may, however, be con- sidered as made in the use of the preposition a, with, Avith a noun, as a pime, with running, a lictso, with cunning, a tonya, with truth. Some adjectives also, as ghoto, many, are used as adverbs. I ya a pime. I penga a mamage. Tewe gbotongo. Tewe gboto. I mea gbi. I pei lo a nguwumage. I ndOi le gboto. I ndenga le gboto. Examjyles. lie ran off. He acted foolishly. Cut plenty. Ditto. He ate all. He did it of his own accord. 8he bore plenty of children. Ditto. The following adverbs of manner, etc., are in common use- Gbama. Gboma. Gbon. Kh. Kaki'i. Lele. Ee. Lome-lome. Lenga. Tenga. Ni, or hi. Panda. Te (much drawn out in spejiking). Wa. Yeka, yeke, kine. To no purpose, for nothing, Again. Very much. Very much. Quickly. Slowly. A little. Cautiously. 'I'ogether. Perhaps. So, thus. Profierly. Continuously. Very (is the a'lj. yrecd), Nearly. GEAMMAE 109 Examples. Kpekpengo le gbama. I fei lo nya we gbama. Wa gboma yira. Wa fere gboma. Wa gboma fere. Hokei gboma le ? Bise, ka, ka. Ndakpei ! je ga ngurl-oh. I lembinga ka. I po, ka ka. Wa kd.ka. Pe kaka. Jia lele. Jia lome-Iome. Maw'u (mawulu) le. Tato le, or Tato gboma. Wu fere a li a lenga. Pe iii. Pe panda. Ba dclla sovvi. Bi wolonga te, bo gbo 1 I ye jiama te, ke i nvimvi gbi loui. Ba nyoko we gboma.^ Ba ya na wl gboma. Tenga mu li dogboi liu slna. Kunafo hTi pe la. Kuiiafo ba na nyoko wili.^ Njei yeka i wa. I ye kine gulama. Yeka i ha. It is good for nothing. He gave it to me for nothing. Bring one more. Bring two more. Ditto. Is it another guinea-fowl ? Thank you very much indeed. Friend ! hurry up with the stick. He delayed very much. He cut hard. Come quickly. Do it quickly. Walk slowly. Walk cautiously. Wait a little. Begin again. You two go together. Do it so. Do it properly. Do not stand too near. Y^ou have cried a long time, will you not stop now 1 He was walking continuously, and he saw nobody. Do not do so again. Ditto. Perhaps we shall go into the bush to-morrow. Do not do it so in future. Ditto. The rain will soon be here, (lit : The rain has nearly come.) It was nearly falling. lie is nearly dead. N,ir pu- puloli. cocoanut palm. dolu. Products of Palms. Town. towT. oil palm nut. Tewu. tewT. ditto. Kale. gale. kernel. Kaje. kaje. piassaba fibre of the nduvu. Kenji. kenji. seed of the nduvu. Nini, or nini- ha. Tokpo lo. nini, or nini he. llower of the oil palm. tokpo loi. palm wine. Ngulo gbou. ngulo gboui pahn oil. Konii. konl. branch of the ndava. Druigulo. dfingule. palm kernel oil. Foods. Mana. mane. plantain. 8ele. sele. banana. Saro. saroi. orange. Dinnltele. dumbele. liuu!, or orange. Dumbele iiye- dumbele nyeny( '. lime. nye. Fakali. fakali. pawpaw. ito THE IMENDE LANGUAGE Indefinite. Definite. Nesi. nesi. Belli. belui. Bondo. bonde. Kojo. kojT. Gbola. gbole. Tola. tole. Towa. towe. Puje. puje. Tolo. toll. Ngengele. ngengele. Yawa, yawe. Ngawu. ngawl. Mbole. mbole. Njowi. njowI, Tanga. tange. Nikili. nikili. Tingo. tingi. Nja wulu. nja wull. Hege gulu. hege gull. Yowulu. yowulT. Kata wulu. kata wulT. Nguwo. nguwe. Bo wulu. bo wulT. Hendd. hendoi, or Tijo. tijoi. Mbele. mbele. Sema. seme. Kpato. Mambo. kpatcli. mambui. Timipofo. Gboji. timipofoi gbojT. Boi bnni. Englisli. pineapple. pineapple (not so much used). oki'o. garden egg. garden ag^, different variety, bean, pumpkin, peppei'. kola, crincre. onion, yam. yam. sweet potato, or any potato, cassada. ground nut. Trees. mangrove. soap tree, or sea apple. ditto. ditto. tree used for hedges. Sierra Leone ICnglish, ' pig nuts.' silk cotton tree. baobab, liende. a red hardwood tree. a hardwood tree with fibrous ))ark. a hardwood tree witli but- tresses. a big forest tree. 1 a kind of wild walnut. \ a tree with soft nuts with I velvety shell ; edit)k'. a tree with a yellow plum-like fruit with pleasant taste. a sap tree with large fleshy leaves. The juice is said to cure toothache. VOCABULAEIES 141 Indefinite. Yogbu yambe. Bondo. Guava. Definite. English. yogbu yambe. a tree with red fruit size of an apple, rough skin, red inside. bonde. tree with flowers like apple blossom. The red seeds from pods, which grow in chisters, make an orange dye. guava. guava. Rubbers. Bobo. boboe. funtumia. Kobo. koboe. a rubber tree. Jenje. jenje. a rubber vine. Gomo. gomoe. a rubber tree, also another tree from which gum exudes. Jiawa. jiawai. a rubber tree inferior to boho'e ; 1 the kickxia. Hole. hole. a tree with a juice used for catching birds. Plants, Flowers, etc. Tawa. tawe. tobacco. Tawa vuka. tawa vuke, or tavuke. snuff. Yonde. vonde. a plant used for tobacco ; the juice is drawn up into the nosti-ils for snuff. Manga. mange. a parasitic plant on fan palms ; has sharp cones at base. Dawn. dawni. a vine ; the leaves crushed put into a pool kill the fish. Kama. kame. a plant with coarse leaves which are used for sand- paper. Fale. fale. mushroom, or fungus. Poni. puul. a plant for making baskets ; the red pod at the root is eaten. U2 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Indcfui ite. Definite. English. Kpiila. kpule. a large gourd. Fore. fore. canna lily. Nengbe. nengbe. a water lily with long leaves. Pupende pupeude. a water lily with round leaves. Nyomba 0) nyombe. a shrub with small red seeds having black heads. Kjnwe. njclwT. a large poisonous bean. Fantle w ulu. fande wull. the cotton plant. j\Ibalu. nibalui. a creeper used to make a loop to climb palm trees. XII. Animals. Hua. huei. animal. Ndopa. ndope. antelope, or deer. Nika. Dike. cow (generally). Kika lia. nika hei. cow. Nika liine. nika hinei. bull. Mbala. mbale. sheep. Nje. njei. goat. Ndonde. ndonde. pig- Koli. koli. leopard. Kowi. kowl. ? jackal. NguahT. nguahi. a small animal that eats roots ; Pekuld. Kewuld. pekuli. kewuli. Kowulo. kowuli. Subu. suliui. Kjala. Kaikulu. njale. kaikuli. Ndandakuln. ndandakuli Pewi. Nyamgbe. pewT. uyamgbe. Gone. gone. same size gumea-pig. small animal with a sharp nose and mouth set under- neath. different dialectic names for same kind of animal, a big spotted bush cat, hair rather than fur, loose ridge of skin down its back. hyaena. lion. a ground scjuirrel. ? mongoose. l)ush cat, long tail ; paradoxus. bush cat, soft fur, spotted. cat. VOCABULARIES 143 Indefinite. Definite. English. Lolo. loll. cat. Kanye. kanye. ant-eater. Towa wulo. towa wuli. bush goat ; ? gazelle, very small horns. Ngoto. Dgotl. water-buck. Heke. heke. bush cow. Tewu. tewl. bush cow, a bufi'alo. Nguli. nguli. 1 hartebeest. Hagbewulo. hagbewuli. small brown animal. Hagbe. hagbei. ditto ; 1 weasel. Ngila. ngile. dog. Nyine. nyine. rat. Kiwulo. kiwuli. ground pig. Kuwulo. kuwuli. ditto. Fologbete. fologbete. striped rat. Lende. lende. mouse. Piwi. piwi. porcupine. Sewulo. sewuli. guinea-pig. Sese. sesei. a squirrel. Bovi. bovl. something like a sese, but larger. Seje. sejei. small animal with quills on its tail like a porcupine. Dava, dave. bat, small. Taja. taje. bat, medium. Toka. toke. bat, large. Bamo. bamoi'. baboon. Gbulf). gbiili. a tree bear ; calls at night as it climl)S a tree. Kwa. kwai. monkey. Towa. to we. big black monkey, long tail. Dogbo yusu. dogbo yusui. chimpanzee ; regarded as a half-man. Kuiijo. konjf). gorilla. Hele. hele. elejihant. Njahele. njahele. hippopotamus. XI] 1. Birds. Kowo. kowe. a lai'ge black and white eagle. Kokogbia. kokogbie. a brown eagle. 144 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Iiulefinitc. Definite. Bom bo. bomboV. Gere. geri. _ ) Kuanja. kuanje. / He we. liewe. Dogbo gere. dogbo geri. Sekpende. sekpende. Sekulo. sekuli. Ylba. yibe. Jlba. jibe. Goma. gome. Powcl. powl or powe. Bomokuli}. bomoknle. Povovd. povovui. Hoke. hclkci. Kokoye. kokoye. Sasalo. sasriloi. Fr)k(u)lo. fijk(u)lr)i. Kokolowe; ?also kokolowe. kowedowe. Gowa. gowai. Piangbia. piangbii'. Gula. Ndulu. mle. nduli English. same as hokoyhie. Different dialect. brown fish liawk. Different names. same as (jeri. busli geri. Larger than geri. Similar appearance. Lives in the bush. grey liawk. small speckled hawk. Chases small birds. Sits on a tree very upright. vulture. same as yihe. Different dia- lect. black and white crow. big brown dove. General name given to any dove or pigeon. small brown ground dove. green pigeon. guinea-fowl. bush-fowl. red-legged partridge. small brown partridge the size of a quail. like the sdsCdoL Calls at night. clock-bird. Green. Crested. hornbill. Black mostly. All feathers. 1 toucan. A reputed two- headed bird from a growth on top of its head. Size of a crow. Black, with long tail. l)iown bird with white breast and mournful cry. Said to kill snakes. Size of a grey parrot. VOCABULARIES 145 Pangbambalu. pangbambalui. ludetiiiite. Definite. Englisli. Bovonwoni. bovonwoni. small yellow bird. Goronwoni. goronwoni. blackbird larger than a sparrow. Live in parties. Mbakii. mbakui, weaver-bird. Black with red. Size of a sparrow. Sele. selei. weaver-bird. Blueand green. Size of a sparrow. Dea. deal. weaver-bird. JAke 7nbakii in appearance. Ndabo. ndaboi. a small bird that weaves a nest in tlie grass. Sokulimanja. sokulimanje. black and white bird. Male has a tail nearly a foot long. Smaller than a sparrow, black bird with yellow slash. Size of a sparrow. swallow. greenish bird with long curved beak. Smjiller than a sparrovv'. brown bird with red breast and neck. Smaller than a sparrow. woodpecker. Ciinary. tiny bird. Many live together. ] night-jar. Mottled brown bird. Size of a pigeon. Plies at dusk. Different dialects. parrot. ditto. grey parrot, 'i'he combina- tion seems dialectic, kakibili'. greenish bird. Size of a sparrow, sange. kinglisher. Many coloured. Kpa-ndeve, or badeve. Jeme. Membr K popoman j;i L)ogbobaku. Sokele. Yeerlje. Jowi, or Yowi. Gbegbe. Fahu. Fawugbekpe. Kakibo. Sani'a. kpa-ndeve, or badeve. jeme. membui. kpopomanje. dogbobakui. sokele. yegbe. jowl, or yowl. J gijegljT. fabul. fawugbekpei. 14C THE MENDE LANGUAGE Iiulefmi to. Delinite. Kakibo. kakiboT. Te tei. Te hina. te liine. To ha. te liei. Te lo. te l(li. Dowi. dowT. Tolotolo. tolotolOi. Tolungenge. tolilngenge, Mbh. mbfli. Yovo. yovui. Kegewe. kegewe. lack and some all colours Tutu. Kingi. (loho Kekele. Jakoku. Nyagbesuli. SolOwa. Yunembe. tutui. kingi. liolioi kekele. jakokui. nyagbesul solOwai. yoncmbe. English. kingfisher. Some white ; rainbow. fowl. cock. hen. chicken. duck. turkey. water-wagtail. owl. pepper-bird. A bird some- thing like a sparrow, but larger. Eats pejipers. witch-bird. As big as a parrot. Calls at evening. Children are said to be changed into it. small wading bird. Body bi"own ; tliroat white ; beak 4 in. and bluish ; blue patch on top of head ; legs grey wading bird. Same size as tutui. Beak yellow with black on top. ? cormorant. Body like a duck's. Breast white with thick plumage; back green- isli ; throat brown ; feet webbed and black ; beak short, hooked, yellow, with black end. Size big pigeon. Also the black cormorant. snippet. grey water-bird. Larger tliau a 2)igeon. small greyish-green heron. Ditto. Dilt'erent dialect. egret. JJody white, beak yellow. VOCABULARIES 147 Indefinite. Banl. Tevenwoni. Nye. Kali. Ndili. Tupu. Ndovopole. Keuji g<7)rr), Definite. ban!. tevenwoni. XIV. Reptiles, nye. kali. ndili. tupui. ndovopule. kenji gori. English. white wading bird. Smaller than yonembe. big black wading bird. Four feet wing to wing. Long beak black with red; white neck ; black legs. Fish, etc. fish. snake. python. puff-adder ; '? cerastes. small fat snake, a foot long. Poisonous, but not deadly, tree-snake; thin; 3 to 4ft. Brown stripe along it. j^dawundo kali ndawundo kali. green snake. Nguru. ngurui. black snake. Ndamba. ndambe. crocodile. Pama. pame. igviana. KulO. koll. red-headed lizard. Kpeni. kpeni. speckled lizard. Kogo-nje. kogo-njei. slow-worm. Said to have a Lead at each end, owing to its tail being the same shape as its head. Ndukuli}. ndykule. chameleon. Ngaku. ngakuT. crab. Ndovo. ndovoi. toad. Jibele. jibele. bull-frog. Kpwegbi. kpwegbi. croaking frog. Gbasonde. gbasonde. green tree frog. l^anasowe. banasowe. flesh-coloured climbing frog. Kondo. kondui. small fish found in man- grove swamps. Jumps, and climbs trees. Swims with its head out of water. JTaku. hakwe. turtle. Kwoniga. nwonigei. oyster, or rather oyster-sliell. Bonge. bonge. a fisli ; 1 herring. Poll. pull. same as hoiKjp. 148 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Indefinite. Definite. Englisli. Kenje kenje fresh water tlying-fisb. Tuinu. tumui. shark. XV. Insects. Fuliani. Fuhani. insect generally. Fo. Foi. big biting fly. Puudi. Fundi. mosquito. Fufu. fufuT,o?'fufuihu. moth. Komi. koml. bee. Higl.0. higboT. a wasp of sorts. Makes a Avhite hanging comb. Dombe. dombe. wasp that digs a hole in the ground. Bewe. bewe. a bright-coloured beetle that digs a hole in the ground. Silo. siloi. spider. Kogonde. kogonde. butterfly. Papapoli. papapoli. grasshopper. Kiiubo. kimbyi. a big cricket. Roasted and eaten. Kondo. kondui. locust destructive kind. Petu. petui. grassho})per ; ? cricket. Kongowetu. kongowetui. grey striped locu^^t^not hurtful. Kpekpe. kpokpei. cockroach. Kpekpeli. kpekpeli. caterpillar. Nya. nyfii. tick. Jike. jike. jiggei". Kpindiyia. kpindiyiei. cicada. Fuvulu. fnvuluT. wood-borer. Ndoiido. ndondui. millipede. Kalondo. kalondoi. centipede. Kekeine. kekeme. scorpion. Kolo. koll. snail. Kowi}, kowonga. kowTsia. driving ants. Aitfs usually in plural. Cili. gili- ^ white ant. PU])U pupui,pupuisia. small ant a general term. Fair.. fale, falesia. red ant ; makes its nest in leaves. A^ery painful sting. VOCABULAllIES 149 Indefinite. Definite. English. Ivpaina. kpaine. stink ant. Leleme. leleme. green mantis. Divovo. divovoi. fly that bores a hole in trees and bites. Jokondi. jokondi. tarantula. Bulo. bull. any worm. Danii'iye. daninye. a crawling insect that bores a horizontal hole below the surface and bites. Gondcl fofo. gond(l fofoe. horned beetle in the pambe Mbawe. mbawe. Kdi {usucdhj pi. ndingesia. ndlnga). Bowl vofo. bowl vofoi. palm. big white grub in oil palms, flies. beetle that rolls a ball of XVI. Stars, etc. Fohl. f^ll. sun. Ngalu. ngalui. moon. Dumbeka. dumbeke. star. Konungui. Orion. Ndelni. Southern Cross. f^okoleguli. Pleiades. Tonyahei Venus, (lit. Jealous woman.) XVII. Spiritual Terms. Ngewo. llaniwa, or Ibiwa. Xgafa Xgelegoliu. Ngeleniahu Ndo. ngewoi. haniwai, or hawai, or haiwai. ngaf,' (yaf6). God. a devil, sprite. spirit, wliether alistract or materialized, heaven. land of the living, lower world. Ndunio (pi. ndo- ndoinoi (// ndn- inhabitants of the lower bela). beh'isia). world. 150 TJIK MENDE LANGUAGE XVIH. Natural Features. Iiulefuiite. Defuiite. English. Batihu hatihu. swamp. Kpetihu. Bulihri. kpetihu. bulihu. swamp with running water, ground raised above the water. Bulomi. bulomi. flat ground. Fopa. Popawa. Kpoli. Kpoli la. pope, popavvai. kpoli. kpilli lei. pond, large lake, river. river mouth, entrance in the mangroves. Fofo. fofoi. clearing. Fofowaliu. fofowahu. l)ig clearing in the bush. Ngiye. Ngiye gombu. Ko. ngiye. ngiye gombui. hill. valley. east. Kpundohu. west. (No words for north and south.) IVIahu. up-country = nortli. mbui. down-country = south. Njego. njego. up-stream. nje mbui. down-stream. Kpoye. kpoye. sea,. Njei i venda. Kjei lo vendama. Njei i bell. Njei lo bellma. Njei i belTa kpolihu. it is high tide, the tide is rising, the tide is low. the tide is ebbing. the water has drained out of tlie la<''oon. Abo. Abu. Agidi. A ma. XIX. Names. Awukpe. J)ab;ii. l>agoe. JJaio. Piandeba. Bassi. Bawuud)a. Benda. VOCABULARIES 151 Bendu. Holima. Lagga. Benga. Hunyo. Lahai. Benya. Lamboi. Bete. Jaiya. Lamina. Beya. Jaka. Lasana. Biadi. Jiba. Lasani, Bobo. Jibao. Lavari. Boma. Jina. Lebi. Bongn. Jobai. Lemu. Boni. Jongopi. Bori. Joon. Masenja, Bovoa. Jusvi. Makaia. Bowl. Mboma. Bnya. Kabanga, Moivumba. Bundo. Kaifuma. Mose. Kaikura. Motwa. Dai ma. Kaila. Muuda. Dapi. Kaili. Dimo. Dingi. Dongboi. Kailundu. NavQ. Kaitibbi. Kaiyenge. Ndovi. Ngeba. Feundrvi. Kamanda. Ngili. Fidi. Kamoe. Numai. Filika. Kanboi. Nyagoa. Fina. Kangwai, Nyakoi. Foli. Kapindi. Nyangbawi Fomodia. Kapu. Fongujia. Kapiije. Kaveota. Pessima. Gaiuio. Kawundi. Pilima. Gando. Kiowa. Ponga. Gapu. Koji. Povandi. Gava. Kokii. Puja. Gbando. Kole. Gegbwa. Komahii. Samo. Gevo. Komawa. Sandi. Goba. Koruo. SangaAvuru, Gyalonga. Konga. Sana. Kowai. Sao. 1 Leg we. Kpana. Sei. Ilindolo. Kwe.sia, Selu. 152 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Si. Siki. Simo. Slna. Sita. Songo. Sukri. Tiama. Tong. Vanboi. Vandi. Yakwai. Yambasu. Yendewa. Yewa. Yopoi. Yunga. Yungawo. Xames used hij Jlendes, but bnrroived fro^n Siisn, Timrnani, Vai, b'herbro, etc. Aniara, S. Baggi, Sher. l^ai, T. Bana, Sher. I'nngali, S. Bili, V. Biya, Sher. Bongawutu, S. Leone. Malaki, T. Moiwa, Y. Moilai, S. Bundukar, Y. Fama, Slier. Fani, V. Foday, T. Santigi, T. Jo, Slier. ^i^if'-^' ^^ Sori, T. Kabona, S. Leone. Soriba, T. Kaiida, Sher. Kelfala, S. Yamba, T. Ali. Bakari. Boima. Fatoma. Mori ^ Xames, Isa. Momo. Musa. Jibira. Osene (AVn.^eni). iVIahniadu Osumana (Mana) ^loriba. Saidu. EiKjlisJi iHtmes are hir(jehj takei), such as Africa. Fineboy. Johnny. Toiiiiny. Black ie. Joe. John J]ull, VOCABULARIES 153 Womeit's names. Baiye. Kefui. Mavangiri, Bamania. Kema. ]Mawokuli. Band!. Koiuya. Memeniya. Bepui. Kona. Bendu. Ivwala. Nyava. Betl. Kwandi. Njembe. Binda. Nyange. Boi. Lebu. Bondo. Lombe. Sabama. Sao. Foma. Mafande. Sita. Mahenda. Sombo. Gwanyia. Mamagula. Sowulu. Mamui. Suku. Jiissa. Mandoro. Jato. Maiigaiye. Talc. Jeromo. Mangundia. Tiama. Jiabo. Mangwe. Tuma. Jiuamba. Manje. Joli. Marabwinde. Yenge. Ju. Masiye. Jlori name. Hawa. 154 THE MENDE LANGUAGE XX. Mexde-English. Note. Words marked "* do not change tlieir initial letter. In looking out a noun tlie beginner is warned to select the definite form unless there be any good reason to the contrary. Vowels have in some words been specially marked in this vocabulary as an aid to jironunciation, though it has not been considered necessary to so mark them in other parts of the book. AVords not found under the liardened initial consonant may be found under the softened and vice versa. *A, ])rep. *A, adv. iiderroy. with, where 1 *A, j^'O'ii. ; a he ; he not. *A, pron. *Abie, pron. you. you. *Amue, pron. we. *Ange, p/)'on. *Angil;, pjron. *Ati(', ]y)'0ii. I. he. they. k *Awue, pron. you. *Ba, pron. *Ba, p/ron. you. you not. *Ba, n., Bai. price. *BrigV>ango. dear. Ba = mba, n., mbei rice. Bala = mbala, n ., mbale. sheep. Bale, or Bwale = kprdo, ir. & pain. intr. V. *BalT, tr. k intr. v. vomit. Bande = kpande, Bandi = kpandi, a'{ kpande ;. et V. gun. Jiot, Bao - bawo, ir. V. cure. Bate = gbate. make. *Bato, adv. ( = Ba to, yoa see ) perliap?;. *Briya, n. & tr. v., b.'l lye. deceit, deceive. *Be, adc. also, indeed. *J^C, V. *Be, pr. you say, or saying, you not. YOOABULARIES 155 *Be, prep. Be = mbe, tr. & intr. v. Bei = def. form o/mba. *Beka = be yaka. ^Be-ndo, adv. Bfike = mbekc, ?<., bekei. *Bela, pi. of suffix mo. Bela = mbSla, tr. v. *Bell, tr. & intr. v. *BelT, adj., belingo. Bembe, tr. v., or bimbe, mbi- inbe. *Bere, n., berc. *Bi, jyron. *Bl, pron. *^Bia, pron. Bla = kpTa, ir. & intr. v. *Bie, prron. *Bic = bi ye. BTje = mbTje = bTye, ?i., bljei. *Bima, p/r. *Biuda, pr. *Bise, n. *Bn, ., boi. Bo = mbo, ir. v. Bo = mbo. ^Boa, salutation. Bola == mbola, n., mbole. Bille = gbole, v. l^oma mboma, n., mbome. Jjilnda = mbrinda, ?<., mbondc. *Boi'a, 'ti., bore. J3o\va = mbowa, 7c., mbowe. Jioya = mboya , v. tt ii. , mbnyc. Bu = mbu, adv. &- pire]). \iu, n., bui. *Bua = boa. *Bubu, iidr. v. .!5ukpia = pugbia, ir. v. *]iula, l)ulo, 11., bull, iisiailhj bvililiu. *J3uIe, intr. v. hei-e. dry. rice. this side. here. branch. people. split, tear. drain, ebb. skilful. surround, encii'cle trousers. you {sing.). you not. you. pull out, come out. you. to you. name. to you. yours. thanks. thing. dig. pierce, shoot. how do you do 1 neck. drink. hammock, net. kindred. liat, cap. knife. present, gift. under. lower part. how do you do ? fly- uproot. plain, open swamp. burst. 156 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Buiiibu = mbumbu = wumbu, take, lift up, tcake away. tr. V. De = te = le, iiUr. v. ; tr. v. De = dewe = tewe, tr. v. Do = dewe = ndewe, tr. v. Deli = ndeli, adj., delingo. Deli = teli, adj., delingo. Deiuu = temu = Iemu, tr. v. Do = to = lo, tr. V. Do = to = lo, tr. & intr. v. Do = to, tr. V. Dogbc = togbe, rtc/y. Dogbo = ndogbo, n., dogboi. *DomC', n., dome! (domniay). *Dome gbla. Dome = ndome, n., dome (dorme). Dome = ndome = lome, n., dome (doome). Dumbeka = lumbeke, n., dumbckc. Dnmbele= lumbele, ., dum- bele. Duli = doli == loli, 11., dull. *E, adv. climb ; lift. cut, pass. beat. wet. black. beg pardon, acquit. see. stand, build. send. young. bush. story. tell a story. ground. shirt. star. lime, lemon. dance. yes. he not. F changes into V. Fa, 2'- ^ ''(^'".i-i u-'iaalbj va. of, for, an account of Eakali, n., fakali. Fakalewe, adj., FakalcmoV. Frda = vaJa, intr. v. *Fa]e, co/ij. Fale = vale, hdr. v. Fande, n., fande. Fawehu, it. Faya = vaya, tr. iK: ijitr. v. Fe = ve. (ulv. Fe = ve, n., fej. pawpaw tree and fruit. Iaz3', slack ; a lazy man. to be ready (to start). therefore. grow (of plants). cotton. liat ledge of rocks. scatter, spill, waste. completely. pot. VOCABULARIES 157 Fe = ve, tr. v. give. Object, precedes ; person follows with preposition 'to. Fe, v., trans. fill. intrans. swell (of the body). Fefe, n., fefei. wind. *Fele, adj., Fere. two. Fefele. two by two. Fy, tr. V. reach, arrive at, pass through. Fo = Mo, n. day. Fo, foo, n., foi year. Fo, w., foi. big biting fly. Fofo, ?;., fofoi. open place. Fofohu. publicly. Fogba, tr. v. whip. Folo, 11., foil. day, sun. Foma, n., forne. whip. Fymbo, tr. v. extend, unroll. Foni, n., foni. grass. Fonya, tr. v. squeeze. Fuliaiii, 11., fiihani insect. Fuka, tr. V. grind, pound. Fuko, il., fukyi. ring, circular pad for the head when carrying a load. Coast English, kata. Fula, tr. V. hasten. Fiila, n., fule. village. Filly, tr. V. loosen. Fulu (= fu = vu), adj., fu lu- living. wiio, vuiijro. Gh chf mges into Kp. Ga, tr. V. = gai-a, kara. teach, learn. Galiu = kaliu, n. body. Gaka = kaka, tr, V. coil up, encircle. Gama, (idv. -j/re}). towards, to. Gba = kj);!, wlj. different. *Gbri, adv. first. *Gba, ir. v. stop. Gbaha, Intr. v. 1)6 tired. Gbale, v. pain. *Gbrima, adv. to no purpose. 158 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Gbao = kpao, iiiti'. v. Gbate = kpate, tr. v. Gbate, hitr. v. Gbtiya, adj. & n. *Gbe, pi'on. Gbe, tr. v., gbele. *Gbe, intr. v. Gbe, tr. V. Gbema ! Gbe, n. & v. Gbe, inti'. v. Gbegbe, 7i., gbegbe. Gbela, gbeanga, jyi'ep. Gbele. Gbele = gbe, tr. v. Gbenda, tr. v. Gbenge, gbengeme, adv. *Gbeva, adv. *GbI, n., gbl. Gbia, kpia, tr. & intr. v. Gbiahu, adj. Gbiaj'e, ?i., gbiayei. Gbo, tr. V. *Gbo, 2)r. Gbd, iiitr. V. *Gboma, adv. Gbclto, (ufj., gbotongo. Gbowu, intr. v. Gbowungo. GbOwu, i/itr. V. Gbowu, tr. V. Gbuye, ., gboye. GboyiJ, tr. V. Gbu and gbue, adv. *Ge, adv. Ge = ke, tr. v. Ge ange, angiii. Gele, n. iK: tr. v. *Getete, adv. Gill = kill, intr. v. Gili a na. cry out, scream. make, construct, repair. be, or become rich. strong, force. what. drive away, dismiss. let, allow. cease. stop that ! wait ! business, be busy. look. parrot. near. what is the matter 1 leave, dismiss, look at, etc. pluck fruit, snatch. yesterday. why 1 rudder, pull out, come out. tall. likeness. help. what 1 relieve one's self, go w.c. again. many, much. be tii'ed. tired. ripen, bury, sea. finish, last night. some time ago, the other day. show, show me, him, end. tightly. think, brood over, remember. think of that. VOCABULARIES 159 Go = ko, koi. war. Go = ko, 11., g(3i. belly. Go = ko, tr. V. fight. *Go, tr. V. give. Bi ngi go a mehe. give him food. *Gogoli, adj. white. *Gola, v., used icith nde, as tell a lie. ndegola. Gola = kola, tr. v. surprise. Gole = kole, tr. v. divide. *Goli, tr. v., go'i. pluck (fruit). Goli, tr. V. buy a wife. GOme = kome, tr. v. collect, assemble. GOna = kona, tr. v. introduce. *Goi'0, ?z., gore. Avail round a town, etc. Gorola, gorolei. gateway in same. GoW(l, iiitr. V. fly. Gu = ko, hitr. v. can, able, enough, reach. Gu = ku, ?^., kui. smell. Guha kuha, rtrf/.,guhango. far. Gula = kvila, tr. & intr. v. drop, fall. Gula = kula, 'u., kure. cloth. *Gulo, adv. in front. Gulo = kulo, adj., kulongo. small. Guru = kuru, tv. v. accept. Gutu = kutu, adj., kutungo. short. *Ha, n., liei. female. *Ha, adv. to-day. *iia, n., hei. death. *Ha = hani, n. thing. *Ha,, v., hango. die, dead. *Haga, hawa, adj.. hawango. lazy. *Haga, hawa, tr. v. clear, carve. *Hrika, 11., hakei. loud, utensil, thing *lla,ka, adj., hakango. empty. *llala, halage, adj. Ihst. *Hale, n., hale. mc(licine. * J lama, ii., hamei. wet season ; waist. *Hango, adj. dead. *Haui, //., liani. tliini;-. 160 THI<: MENDE LANGUA(!E *Hripo, 71., hapo. *Ha\va, adj., luiwango. *Hege, n., Hege = hewe. *I:Iei, tr. iV' intr. v. *Heiwulu, 1)., lieiwulT. ^Hele, tr. v. *Hemu, ?^, hemui. *Henga, n., lienge. Ilengu wile. *He\vu, (i(/j., hewungo. *Hr, tr. V. *Jligbe, i)itr. v., higbengo. *Jlija, tr. V. *Hije, liiye, hitr. v. *Hiua, 71., hinc. *Hinda, hiiigda, n., hindei. * Hindu, 11., liinddi. ^Hindulu, /I., liiudnlui. *lliiii, ?(., liini. *Hite, tr. v. iiitr. V. *Hiye, adv. *Hi)e, iittr. v. = liije. *Ho, tr. V. *Ho, tr. V. *Ho, adv. *Hoo, interj. *Hokpa, n., liokpe. *Hoiia, tr. V. * Hondo, (//. *Hota, 71., lidte. *Hon, tr. v. Houiua ! *Hu, /I ., liui. jyrep. *IIii, prefix. *Hua, II., hiiei. *Hrigbe, //. V. *Iliige, //. r. ""Hugo, //. V. root. lazy. soap. sit, set, plant. stool. hang. light, candle, etc. dream. to dream. equal. plant. sick. beat, stamp. get up. male. thing, affair, place. man. son. husband. let down. reach, consult. indeed, yes. arise. sew. knock, strike against. then, used at end of interro- gative sentences. shall we ? nose. practise witchcraft against. hundred. guest, stranger. catch. catch hold ! inside. in. an intonsitive prefix to verbs. animal, meat. look into. explain, relate. understand, attempt. VOCABULARIES 161 *Huguhango (pronounced distant. almost ngwango). *Huma, tr. v. steal. *Huma, tr. v. measure, compare. *Hupu, tr. V. mix. *Huyela, tr. v. sweep, wipe. *I, pr. he. *I, p'. he not. *1, adv. yes. *Ina, conj. if, suppose. *Ita, adj. one (used in counting). *Ja, tr. V. touch. Ja a ngie. touch it. Jama = sama, n., jamei. distinguished person. Jango = sawango, adj. three (special use). Wu jango. you three. Jcga = jia ka. walk quickly. *Ji, dem. pr. this. *Ji, conj. when, if. Ji = je = nje, n. mother. *Jia, intr. v. {also ji). walk, travel. n., jiei. journey. Jia = njia, n., njiei. word, palaver. *Jialo, n., jialoi. child that can just walk. *Jiwi, n., jiwi. key._ Jo = so, (dso jolo, tr. v. obtain, get, marry a wife, Jola = sola, n., sole. noise. Jondu = sondu, tr. v. & n. swear, curse. Jongo = songo, n. equivalent. Ngi jongoi. its equivalent, its cost. Gbe jongo? how much % Joso = so.so, tr. V. load a gun, pack a hole. K changes into G. Ka, ., kai. dirt. *Ka,, adv. very, very much. Ka = kara, ;'/. v. teach. Ka, n., kei. husk, empty shell, etc. 162 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Kafa, tr. v. cheat. Kab;T, n., kahei. basket. Kuliu, n., kaluii. body. Kaye, ii., k;iyc. rust. *Kak;i, adv. quickly. *Krikri, adv. very. Kaka =- gaka, yaka, n., kakei. side. Kake, n., kakei. wall. Kala, ?i., kalei. circle. Kale, 71., kale. seed, bone, cartridge. Kali, n., kali. hoe. Kali, n., kali. snake. Kalo, n., kaloi. basin. Kama hani, n. wonderful thing. Kamba, n., kambe. grave. Kaiia, n., kaiia. box. Kani, n., kani. Kani gboli. gold. Kani gogole. silver. *Karo, n., Karumo. Vai, a neighbouring people to the Mendes. Kaso, adj. cunning. Kata, n., katei. hedge. Katehu. garden, enclosure. Kaye, n., kaye. fault. Ke = ge, V. show. *Ke, conj. and. *Ke, n., kei. father, master. *Kea = kia and kina, conj., &e. Avhen. Kea ji na. like this. Kele, fr. v. end. *Kelei, kere ] is it not so 1 Kelema, w., kelemei I. end. *Kene, n., kene. old man, a title of respect. Kenye, /(., kenyei. country. *Kia, conj. whilst, when, etc. *Kinii, conj. ditto Ko = go, n., goi. belly. Ko, n., koi, also v. war. Ko, knlo, tr. v. know, try. Kohvi, n., koihu or kohui. belly. VOCABULARIES 163 Kohune, n., kohune. joy- Koko, 71., kokoi. ant-hill. Koko, tt: V. find. Kokoli, tr. V. ditto Kolaina, tr. v. surprise. Koli, n., kolT. scissors. Kole, tr. V. wash, clean. Kole, adj., kolengo. clean. Kole, tr. V. divide. Kole, adj., kolengo. cold. Koli, n., koli. leopard. Koli, tr. pluck fruit. KqIo, 71., kole. paper, book, skin. KqIq, n., kolT, tire-place, barrel. KqIo, tr. V. try, feel. *Kq1u, 71., koll. iron. Koma, n., kome. assembly. Kome, tr. v. & 7ioun. collect, meet. Komi, 71., komi. bee, honey. Konda, 7L, konde. mortar for pounding grain. Konu, 71., kgnl. axe. Koto, adj.; kotongo, v. bent ; roll up. Kotu, 71., kotl. rock, stone. Kowe, n., kovve. log, fallen tree. Kowo, adj. left (hand). Kqwo, intr. v. fly- Kowu, 71., kowl. wood. *Ku, 71., kui. day. Ku, 71., kui. smell. Kuhama, adj. far. Kuimeni, tr. v. smell. Kui neingo. it smells sweet. Kui nyamungo. it smells bad. Ku = gu, V. can, able. Kula = gula, tr. & iiitr. v. drop, fall. Kula, 71., kulc, kure. cloth. Kula, gutu, 71., kula gutl. lit. small cloth, rag piece. or any Kulo, adj., kulongo, kulT, small. gulongoi, wull, wulongoi. Kulu = kuru, tr. & tir. v. agree, accept. 164 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Kundehu, n. Kungoi liu, n. Kuril = kulu, tr. & i7iir. v. Kutu, adj., kutungo. corner, or recess for a bed. annex to a house, room, agree, accept, short. Kp changes into Gh. Kpa, n., kpae. debt. Kpa, adj. different. Kpa = kpala = kpae. farm. Kpa, adv. fast. Kpa, tr. V. count. Kpaki, n., kpaki. arm, shoulder, wing, Kpakpa, tr. v. fasten, nail. Kpakpau, adj., kpakpaungo. difficult. Kpala, ?z., kpale. farm. Kpale, v., kpale. pain. Kpambi, ??., kpambl. line, mark. Kpande, tr. & intr. v. shout out. Kpande, n., kpande. gun. Kpandi, tr. v. ; adj., kpandi- heat, hasten ; hot. ngo. Kpangba, n., kpangbe broom. Kpaf), n. Sz V. cry, call. Kpate, tr. v. make, repair. Kpate, adj., kpatengo- rich. Kpawu, n., kpawuT. bridge. Kpe, n. business. K pen go, adj. busy. Kpc, tr. V. stop. Kpe, adv. still, quiet. Kpe, tr. V. drive, dismiss. Kpe = kpele, tr. v. look at. Kpekpe, v. X' adj. good. = yekpe, yekpengo. Kpele = kpere, adj. all. Kpele, 71., kpele. beard. Kpele, ,., kpelei and \ kpoi. time. Kpema = kpelema, n.. , kpem6. time. Kpla = gbia, v. pull out, come out. Kpindi, n., kpindi. night. VOCABULARIES 165 Kpini, tr. v. twist Kpiti, n., kpitl. grass. Kpohu, n. tiour. Kpoko, n., kpokoi. evening. Kpoku, intr. v. sprout. Kpolc, adj. kpolengo. unripe. Kpoli, tr. V. drink. KpOli, ??., kpilli. river. Kpolcl, n. kpHli. salt. Kpowa, adj., kpclwango. foolish. Kpoye, n., kpoye. sea. Kpoyd tr. V. finish. Kpueila, ., kpueile. hut. Kpiiko, 71., kpukoi. bed. Kpuli, tr. V. shave the head. Kpulo, n., kpuli. knot. La = nda, n., lai. leaf. La = nda, 11., lei. mouth, opening as a gate, etc, La = uda, tr. V. pull. La = nda, tr. & iiitr. v. lay, lie, place. *La, adv. not. *La, 71., lei. name. Labu = ndabu, adv. in front. Lagbou = ndagbou, tr. v. shut. Lahi = ndaln, tr. v. warn. Lakpa = ndakpa, v. grow up. Lala = ndala, 7i., lalei. oar. Lama = ndama, 71., lamei. lying down place, bed. Lapi = ndapi, v. cK: 71. fight (not war), wrestle, swim, Lato = ndato, tr. v. praise. Lave = ndave, tr. v. fill. Lavengo. full. Lawil = ndawij, tr. v. open. Layia = ndayia, 7i., layiei. word, order. LC' = ndc, tr. v. bear, beget. Le = de " te, ir. v.; intr. v. lift up ; climb. *Le, adv. still. *Le, adv. a little. Lg = ndc, i'lifr. v. speak, tell. Le = de, tr. v. condemn. 166 THE MENDE LANGUAGE ^Le, V. to be. Le = nde, n., ndei. a lie. Le = lewe = tewe. cut, pass. Lekpe = ndekpe, tr. v. *Lele, adv. arrange in order, slowly. *Lele, adj. wrong. Leli = ndeli, tr. v. Lema = ndema, tr. v. appease, forget. Lembi = ndembi, tr. & intr. v. delay. Lemu = temu, tr. v. acquit. Lenga = ndenga, j^l. n. Lenga tenga, adv. children, together. l^ewe = tewe, tr. v. cut, pass. = ndewe, tr. v. beat. Li = ndl, n., li. heart. *Li, intr. v. go. past tense, ya, Lia = ndia, ?.., ndiei. middle. Lila = di la, tr. v. take away. Lima = ndima, ?t., Iimei. choice. Liwi tlwl, tr. V. *Lo, V. close (the eyes), to be. Lo = to, tr. V. see. L(l = ndo, n., loi. child. Lo = do = to, tr. & intr. v. stand, stop, build, follow. Lo r= ndo, n., loi. rum, wine. *Lo, 71., loi. day. Lo = do = to, tr. V. send. *Lo, tr. V. like, want. L<1 = ndo, tr. v. leave. Lohu = ndohu, tr. & intr. v. lose, be lost. Lukij = tyko, n., lokili. hand, arm. Lole = ndole, n., hjle. hunger. *Lr)le, adv. how many. 1aA\ = doli, '11. & V. play, dance. Lolo = ndolo, n., lole. ground, country. *Lolu, adj. live. *Lnme-lome, adv. noiselessly. LOndo = ndondo, v. be silent, cease. Lowu =^ ndowii, tr. v. hide. Lua = ndua, n. Sc v. fear. ]^ugo = tugo, adc. in front. VOCABULARIES 167 Lula = ndula, intr. v. Luma = duma, intr. v. Luva = nduva, intr. v. "*Ma, ^^re/tx. *Ma, p?". *Ma, p*. *Ma, 2^^'ej)- *Ma, tr. V. k, n. *Mabali, tr. v. *Made tr. v. *Madewe, tr. v. *Magbia, tr. v. *Maggmbo, tr. v. *Maha, n. mahei. *Mah(Ju, tr. v. & adj. *3Iahou, tr. v. *Mahu, prep. *Mahugbele (-gbe), tr. v. *Majia, tr. v. *Make, tr. r. *Male, tr. v. *iVIale, tr. v. *Male\ve, madewe, tr. v. *Maluve, tr. & intr. v. *Mama, n., mame. *Mamage, ., inainagei. ^Mamamau, n., niamamaui. *Mamo, n., mamui. *Mania. adj. *Mana, n., mane. *Man(ia, adv. *Mane, adj. re^?. of, on account of, for. Va, tr. V. salute, say good-bye. Vala, tr. v. get ready. Vale, iJitr. v. grow of plants. Vaya, tr. v. scatter. Ve = fe, tr. v. give. Ve, adv. completely. Veli, tr. V. say good-bye. Veli, ir. v. ask for. Yu, i?itr. V. & adj. live. Nu vu. a living person. *Wa, j^r. you. *Wri, f/r. you not. ^Wa, int7'. V. come. Waa. come Avith = bring. Wala, intr. v. bring. *Wri, adj., wai. great. Wa = pa, tr. v. kill. We = ye, prep. to, for. We = wele, n. house. We = pe, ir. v. do. *We, jyr. we not. VOCABULARIES 177 Wehinda = pehinda, n., we- conduct. hindei. Weka = peka, adj. other. Wela = pela, tr. v. finish. Wela = pela, intr. v. run away. Wele = pele = pe = we. do. Will = plli, tr. V. throw, shoot. Wime = pime, intr. v. run. *Wo, pr. own. Wtl = ngo, 71., woi. voice. Wo = ngo, tr. V. break. *Wo, adv. formerly. *Wofela, adj. seven. *Woita, adj. six. Wola = ngola, v. n. weeping. *Wolo = wo, intr. v. listen. Wolongo = ngolongo, adj. great. Woma = poma, n., wOmei. back. ]y)'ep. behind. *Wonga, n. ])l., wongeisia. relations. Wongo = ngongo, adj. big. Wopo = popo, tr. V. carry on the back, Wote = pote, tr. v. turn, answer. Wova ngova, fcr^/.jWovango. old. *Wu,/r. you. *Wu, pr. you not. Wu = ngu, tr. V. awake. Wu = ngu, n., wui. head. *Wua, p\ you. Wua = ngua, intr. v. bear fruit. Wua = ngua, tr. v., or wa. wash. *Wuc;, pr. you. Wul(} = kul(l, adj., wulongo. small. Wulo = ngulo, n., ngulo fat, oil. Wulo, adj., gulongo fat. Wulu = ngulu, n., wiill. tree. Wumbu = mbumbu, tr. v. take up, carry. Yfi, n. edge, surface. Yfi, adv. k, jyrep. on top. *Ya, liitr. V. go- 12 178 THE MENDE LANGUAGE *Ya, V. to be not. Ya, adv. not. Yaka = kaka, n., yakei. side, direction. *Yakpe, adj. Yale = ngale, tr. v. same. break. Yama = ngama, n., } 'ame. eye, face. *Yama, inir. v. return. Yate = ngate, tr. v. kindle. *Ye, V. be. *Ye, V. Ye = we, jyi'ep. *Ye, p?'. he says. to. who 1 how ? Ye = nje, intr. v. descend. *Ye, 71. , yei. Yeja = ngeja, adj. Yeka = ngeka, adv. country. right (not left). almost. Yekpe = kpekpe, adj. , yekpe- good. ngo. Yela = yira = ngera, adj. one. Yela = ngela, tr. v. *Yele, V. wipe, be. Yele = ngele, intr. v. laugh. Yele = Dgele, intr. v. scream. Yenge = ngenge, irdi '. V. work. Yepe = ngepe, iyitr. v.; n., talk. yepei. *Yese, adj. first. *yetahu, n. own town, home. Yeya = ngeya, n. Talo ngi yeya. hand. it is (in) his hand = he has it. Yeya = ngeya, tr. v. buy. Yeya = ngeya, ., ye} Yi nji, intr. v. Yi = nji, n. ^ei. rope, sleep, sleep, mother *Yia, intr. v. speak. n., yiei. Ylli = ngili, tr. v. talk, language, cook. Ylli = ngili, tr. V. tie. Yira = ylla, adj. one. * Yo, jn-. who. VOCABULARIES 179 XXI. English-Mende. (The definite form is put in brackets.) Able, he is = he can. igu. About. see under Prepositions. Above. ma, mahiz. Accept, agree, kuru. Accuse. mayia ge. Acquit, temu. Across. woma. Action. pehihda (pchihdei). Add. mato. Affair. hihda, njia (hindei, njiei), Afraid, he is. i lua. After. woma. Afternoon. kpokovgli. Afterwards. na woma. Again. gboma. Against. ma. Ago. wo. Agree, accept, kuru. Aim at, aim at it. to ; to ngi ma. Alive. vulungo. All. gbi, kpele. Alone. yakpe. And. ke, ta. Animal. hfia (Imei). Another. peka. Answer, v. duma. Ant. see under Insects. Any. ^'bi. Appease. 11 leli. Arm. toko (lokoi). Arrange. magbate. Ask. moli, veli. Assemble. kome. At. gania. At once. keyakpc. Awake. wu. Axe. konu (konl). 180 THE MENDE LANGUAGE ]^>aby. ndola (ndole). Back, pyma (pQmei), womaor woraa to cai'ry on the pOpy, wOpo. Backbite. mayafa. Backbiter. ngafamo (ngafamoi). Bad. nyamu. Bag. baggi, sondubolo (sondubole). Bag (haversack). gbafa (gbafc). Bamboo, ordinary. keni, semi. palm from which nduvu (nduvui). pias.sava is made. Banana. sell, sele. Bank (of a river, etc.). ngiye (ngiyei). Barrel. kolQ (koloi). Basket. tekpe. Bathe. mua. Be, V. lo, le, mia, ya, ye, yele. Bear (children). le, ndo le. Beard. gbele. Beat. ndewe. Become. welc, we. Bed. gbuko (gbukwc), ndama (la- mei). Bee. komi. Before. place gulo, tugo, labu. time pen, ngova, ge, gba. Begin. tato, toto. Beginning. tatoma (tatomei). Behaviour. wehihda (wehihdei). Behind. woma. Believe. hou a tonya. Belly. kohii (koihu or kohui). Belonging to me. nya wo le = it is my own. Below. mbu. Bend. koto. Besides. gboma, ji womn. Bet, V. mawali hou. Better, it is. fisa. Between. lia. Beyond. woma. Big. wa, ngongo. VOCABULAEIES 181 Bird. nwoni. Birth. le. Bite. nyi. Bitter. hona. Black. teli, telingo. Blame. kaye (kayei). Blind. mbole, mbolengo (mbolengoi) Blood. hama (hamei). Blunt. ngahango. Board. gbembele (gbembere). Boat. ndende. Book. knlo (gole). Both. venjo. Bottle. sani. Bottom, the. imbui. Bow (foi shooting). ndikpa (ndikpe). Box. kaiia (kana). Boy. ndopo (ndopoi). Branch. mbcke (mbeke). Break, a house. wo. a stick. yale. a needle. yale. Bridge. kpawu (kpawl). Bring, i. e. come with. wa a . ., wala. Broom. kpangba (kpangbe). Brother. ndewe, nde. Brush, V mayela. Bud. kpoku. Build. do. Burn. mo. Burst. buli. Bury. kpnwu. Bush (the fore.st). dogbo (dogboi). Busy, I 1 am. gbe lo nya ma. But (rather and). ke. Buy. ngeya, yeya. By. a. Calf (animal). iiika In (nika loi). Call. toll, luli, I'uri. Can, V. ffu. 182 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Carefully. Carrier, ?'. e. labourer. Carry (take up or away) on the back. Cartridge. Cask. Catch. Cease. Change. Cheap, {. e. not denr. Chief. Child, able to walk. Children. Choose. Circle. Clay. Clean, v. & adj. Clear the ground. Clever, he is. Climb. Cloth. Cloud. Cold. Collect. Comb, It. Comb your hair, v. Come. Companion. Complain. Condemn. Cook. Cork (of a bottle). Corner, recess for a bed. Cough. Count. Country. panda. ngengemoi. bumbu. wopo, pgpo. kale. kolo (koli). hou. ndondo, londo, gele (end). poto (turn). nialuwe (transform). ba 1 gbani. nyandengo (fine). maha (mahei). ndo, lo, (loi). jia loi. lengesia. mahou, bumbu (take). kala (kalei), ka (kai). poi'o (pore), pena (pene). knle, kolengo, nduwe. ngi nemahu lengo. de. kula (kule). ngele (iigele). kolengo. kome, yaiido. kpegbe bi wui hugbia. wa. mba (mbrd). mayia ge. le. yilT. sani lagbolui. kundo (kunde). kundehu. tohe. kpa. ye (yei). yetahu (home town). YOCABULARIES 183 Cover. mawele. Crooked. sokungo. Cross, V. tewe. Cross-roads. pele la bame, ganania. Cry. Cunning. ngo, wo. kaso. Cup. Cure, mbola (mbole), bawo. Cut. tewe. Cut your hair. bi wui malete (or) bi wui woli. Cutlass. mbogbwa (mbogbwe), kpat( (kpatui). Daily. Damp, Dance. foil gbi, kugbima. ndelingo. doli. Dancer. Dark. " Dash," i. e. a present. Dawn, at. dolemo (dolemoi). kpindi. mboya (niboye), ngelewo. Day. Dead. lo (loi), ku, folo (foil), ban go. Death, ha (hei). Debt, Decide, kpa (kpoi). tewe. Deep. Deer, i. e. antelope. Delay. ])escend. susu, susungo. ndopa (ndope), lembi. bite, ye. Dew. Die. lugbu (lugbui). ha. Different. gba. Difficult. kpakpaungo. Dislike. nibo. (lojo. Dismiss. gbn. Divide. kolo. Do. pnln, pTlT, pe ; wT'lG, wTrl, wr. Doorway. Door itself. pele la (polo lei), nete. 184 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Down, i. e. on the ground. dome (;);. dormc). Drag, draw. uda. Dream. henga. Dress. magbate. Drink. gbole. Drop. gula. Drum. sangba (sangbai). Drunk (wine holds him). ndo i ngi houa. Dry, V. beli. adj. beli, belingo. Dry season. ngOvo (ngovoi). Dung. kpo (kpoi). Dwarf. tumbu (tumbui). Each. gbi. Each other. nyo nyo (nyn nyj')' Ear. woli. Early, morning. ngenda tete. Earth, i. e. all countries. ndolo (ndole or ndoei). soil. poro (pore). East. ko. Eat, tr. me. intr. mehe me. Ebb, of the sea. bell. Edge of a knife. ^^- . Egg- ngalu (yalui), te-yalui, te-yaui. Empty. haka, hakango. End, V. gele. n. ikelemei. Enough, it is. i gua. it is not. 1 guni. Equal, mahewu. Evening (afternoon). kpokovoi. Every. gbi. Examine (look into). hugbe. Explain. huge. Expose, gbia fofoihu. Eye. yania (yamei). Face. yama (yamei). Fall gula. VOCABULARIES 185 Fame. towo (towe). Family. Far. mbgnda (mbonde). kuhango, huguhango {pr. ngwango), mahuguhango {j)r. ma'ngwango), kuhama. Farewell, to bid. See under Salutations. Farm. Fasten. Fat, adj. Father. kpille, kpa (kpaei). kpakpa. gulongo. ke (kei). Fault. Fear. kaye (kayo), lua. Feast. Feather. goma (gome), njombo (njomboi). Fence. Few. kata (katc). wulo. Field. Fight (wrestle). (war). Fill. kpale (kpale), kpa (kpae). In pi. ko (koT). fe, fenda, ndave, lave, lavenda. Find, something new. koko, kokoli. something looked for. Finish. Fire, to (lit. see). gboyd. gombu (gombui). a gun. First, the. pili (lit. throw). i halagei. adv. Fish. Fisherman. yese, pen, gba. nye (nye)._ nyegbemoi. Fishing-net. Fish-hook. nye boma (borne). ndoli. Flower. jiowa (powc). Fly (insect). See under Insects. V. gowo, buwu. Follow. to witJi, wonia. Food. mehe (meliei). Foolish. mamungo. Foot. gowo (go we). For. va. Forgot. leiiia. Forgive, matiu. 186 THE MENDE LANGUAGE From. no word see under Preposi- tions. Fruit. wua (wuei). Full. lavengo. Gamble with cowries. kpoyo-go (goi). with cards. kolo-go (goi). Garden. kpille (lit. farm), katehfi (lit. compound). Gate. ngorela (ngorelei). Gather. ngando, yando. Get, obtain. k, so. Girl. nyapo (nyapoi). Give. fe, go (for uses see Part I). Go. li, ya. Gold. kani gbule. Good. yekpengo, nyandengo. Grind. fuka. Ground, n. ndome (ndoniei). Grow, lakpa. of plants only. vale. Hammock. mbdma (mbume). Hand. loko (lokoi). Hang. hele. Happen. welc, male. Hard. kpakpaungo. Hasten, tr. v. mavula. intr. pe kaka. Hat. bole. Have, rendered by to bo in the I have it, Ta lo nya yeya. hand. I have iiotiiing, Hani gbl nya yeya. Ho. ta, a, i. Head. ngu, wu (wui). Heal. bawo. Hear. moni, mo. Heart. IT. Heat, V. gbandT. Heavy. minirigo. Help. gbo ; gbo nya ma, help me. VOCABULARIES 187 Here. be. Hide. lowu. High. kuhango. Hill. ngiye (ngiyei). Hit against. ho. Hold. hou. Hole. ndowa (ndowe). Home. ye (yei). Honey. komi (bee), komi yei (bees' water). Hook. ndoli. Hoop for climbing trees. mbalu (mbali). Horn. ndowcl (lowoi). Hot. gbandi, gbandingo. House. pe, pele, wele. How. ye (comes second in sentence). See under Adverbs. Hunger. ndole (ndole). Hunt. kpe. Hurry, tr. mavula. intr. pe kaka. Husband. hini. Hut. kpueila (kpueile). If. ina. Immediately keyakpe. In. hu. Insect. fuhani, usually plural fu- hanisia. Inside. hu, gohu. Instead. jongo. Intended, I. ngi yeto. Into. hu. Iron. kolu (koli). Jealous. tolo. Join. ndalo. Journey. jia (jiei). Joy. kohune. Judge, n. seli. V. tewe. 188 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Jump. Keep, Kernel. Key. Kill. Kindred. Knife. Knock against. Knot. Know. Labourer. Lame. Language. Large. Last, the. Late, come. Lately. Laugh. Lay. Lazy. Leaf. Leak, v. Lean, v. Learn. Leave, behind. Left hand, the. Leg. Let down, tr. v. Lie, tell a. down. Lift. Light, 71. not heavy, Like like this. tr. V. Likeness. winde, pmde. hou. kale (kale). jiwi. pa, wa. wonga (wonge). mbowa (mbowe). ho. kpulo (kpuli). ko, go. ngengemo (ngengemoi). kporongo. yla (yiei). wa, ngolongo, ngongo. ikelemage. lembi. sange, ge. yele. nda, la. hawango. nda (ndai). mbo. digbl. ga. kpele, kpe. 1(1. kowo lrk(li. gowo (gowe). hitc. nde gora. la. de. liemu (hemui). 1 minini. kea . . . na. kea ji na. longo, followed Ijy "a" and the object, kpiaye (kpiayei). VOCABULARIES 189 Line marked out. kpambi. Listen to. meni. Little. kulo, wulongo, inumu. Living. vulungo. Living person. nu vu. Load, n. haka (hakei). a gun. joso. Lock. kpolu (kpoli). Log. kowe (kowe). Long. kuha, kuhango. Look. kpele, ghe. for, i. e. search. kokoli. liooking-glass. meme. Loose, V. fulo. Lose. ndohu. Lower, tr. v. hite, maye. ' part. imbui. Mad. gbuwa. Make a thing. gbate. i. e. do. we. jNIan. hihdo (hiiidoi). Many. gboto, gbotongo. Mark, v. nyegi. _ Marry. nyaha jo (or jolo). ]\Iaster. ke (kei). Mat. yala (yale). Measure, v. huma. Meat, hua (huei). inchiding fish. ndahani (ndahani). Meet. male. Mend. gbate. ]\Iende. blende. Mendeman. Mendemo (Mendemoi). language. IVIende yia (yiei). Message. ngV (ngoi). IVIiddle. lia (Hei). Mix. liupu. Money. iiavtl (navoi). Month. ngalu, ngau (ngalui, ya lui). Moon. 190 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Morning. ngenda. Mortar for pounding. konda (konde). Mother. nJC' (yi)- INIouth. la (lei). Much. gboto, gbotongo. Mud. pawa (pawe). Music. inbaka (mbako). Must. = shall (future tense). Nail, n. londema (londeme). V. kpfikpa. of the finger or toe. yengalu (yengalui). Name. bije (bijei), la (lei). Near. gbela. Nearly. yeka. Necessary, to be. mani. Needle. miji. Nest. nwoni-ta (nwoni-tei). Net. mboma (mbome). New. n!na, nlnango. Nice. nyande, nyandengo. Night. kpindi. No. erer, saO (emphatic). Noise. sore (sore). None. gbl. Not. See chapter on Negative. Nothing. hani gbl. Now. sange. Oar. lala (lalei). Obey. w(l meni. Obtain. jo- Of. va. Often. pepe. Oil. ngulo (nguli). Old. ngova, wovango. On. ma, mahu. On account of. va. Only. yakpe, leke, yeke. Open. ndawo, lawo. Order, a direction. layia (layiei). Otlier. peka (pekei), weka (wekei) VOCABULARIES 191 Out. Out-house (room). Outside, i. e. in the open. Over, i. e. upon. i. e. beyond. Overtake. Own. my own. Pad for the head when carry- ing a load. Paddle, /i. V. Pain, a. & v. Palm, Palm oil. Palm wine. Paper. Pardon, ask. Part. Pass. Path. Pay, n. & v. People. Perhaps. Person. Pick-up. Pinch. Pity. Place. Plant, V. Play, 11. & V. Please, to. Pluck, a bird. a flower, fruit. Point to. Point to it. Poison. Pond, pool. Possess, V. lie possesses it, i. e. it is in liis hand. No word. See Prepositions. kongu (kongui). ngitiya. ma. woma. male. wo, nda. nya wo, nya nda. fuko (fukOi). guli. nje guli. gbale. See under Plants. ngulo gbou (ngulo gboui). tokpo lo (tokpo loi). kolo (kole). demu. kaka. tewe. pele (peli). pawa. nunga. tenga. numu (numui). bumbu. fonl. manvi. hiuda (hii'ide). hi. luli. kone. magbia. gole, go'e, gbenda. to. to ngi ma. pa-hale (pa-hale). pupa (pope). yeya, n.^ ta lo ngi yeya. 192 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Pot. fe (fei). Pound, V. kpakpa. Pour. pu, wu. Powder. dehe. Powerful. gbayango. Pray. he. Praise. lato. Prepare. hugbate. Present, n. mboya (mboye). adv. i. e. here. be. Price. jongo (jongoi). Properly. panda. Very coinmon wor Public, in. fof(} hu. Pull, nda, la. out. kpia. Purpose on. a kege. Pursue. kpe. Push. tukpe. Put. pu, wu. Quick. kaka. Quietly. lome-lome. Rag. kula gutu (kula gutl). Rain, nja, njei. Rainy season. hama (hamc). Raise. te. Raw. ngundu, wundungo. Reach. hite. Ready. vala. Remain, i. e. sit down. hei. Remainder. lunnu (moni). Remember. gili. Repair. gbate. Reply. pyte, wnte. Rest, V. ndevu, levu. Return, v. yfima. Rice. mba (lubei). Rich. gV)atengo. Right hand. yeja lokni Right, adj. leniuiigo. VOCABULAEIES 193 Ripe. bengo. Rise. hije, hiye. River. kpoli. Road. pele (pell). Rob. yahuma. Rock, ?i. kotu (koti). Roll, V. (of a ship). lekpe. Roll up. koto. Room, n. pele, wele, kongo, kongoihu, inner recess (corner). kundehu. Root. hape (hape). Rope. ngeya (ngeyei). Rot, V. ndulu. Round, adj. kikili, kekele, kere. V. to put round, en- mbimbi, gala. cir cle, pass round. Round about ikakamage. Row, a boat. guli. Rub. sia. Rudder. gbi. Rum. ndo (ndoi), lo (loi). Run. pime, wime. Runner of a plant. ngeyako (ngeyakoi). Rust. kaiye. Sacrifice, 71. sa hani. V. sa gbia. Sake of. va. Salt. kpglo (kpoloi). Same. yakpe, se. Sand. nganga (ngang6), iigain (ngany6). Saw, 71. sowi. Say. nde, le. Scatter. fay a. _ Scent (perfume). ku yei. Scrape. gbenye. Sea. kpoye (kpoye). Search. kokoli. Seat. he wuru (he wuri). See. to, do, lo. 13 194 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Seed. Seek. Sell. Send. Sense. Separate. Servant. Set, V. Settle a dispute. Sew. Shake. Shallow. Sharp. Shell, of an oyster, hu-^k, empty snake skin, etc. Shirt. Shoot. and hit, i. <;. pierce. Short. Shout, n. V. Show. Show him. Shut, V. adj. Sick, to be. adj. Side. Sing. Sit. Skin. Sky. Sleep. Slowly. Small. Smell. sweet. bad. V. Smoke. Sneeze. kale (kale). kokoli. majia. dewe, lo. nemAhu. gole. boilopo (boilopoi). hei. tewe. ho. jesia, jeji. tetele. yandingo. g'""^ (gei)- ndoma (lome). pili. mbo. kutu, kutungo. sole, sore. sore we. ke. ke a ngic. lagbou. lagboungo. higbe. higbengo. kaka (kfikci), yuka, gakii ngule, wulG. hei. kolo (kolc). ngele (ngele). yi- Iclc. kulo, kulongo. ku (kui). ku ne. ku nyamu. kui meni. nduli, lull, diso. VOCABULARIES 195 So, thus. hi, hi. Soap. mbawa (mbawe), hega (heg6), Some. lenga. Song. ngule, wule. Soon, i. e. quickly. kcikd. Sow. hi. Speak. nde, yia le. Spend, money. majia. the day. luva. Spill. pu, faya. Spirit. ngafa (ngafe), yafa. Split, V. mbela. adj. mbelango. Spread. fOmbo. Sprout, V. kpoku. Squeeze. fonya. Stand. to. Star. dumbeka (dumbeke). Start. hije. Steal. huma. from. yahuma. Steer. gbi hou. Stick, n. nguru (nguri). walking-. tikpo (tikpoi). Still, adv. kpe. Sting. mbo. Stone. kotu (koti). Stop. kpele, kpe. end. gele. Story. dome (dome). Straight. pona, ponango. Straigliten. pona. Stranger. '"'^^ hota (hotc). Strength. kpaya (kpayc). Stretch. fombo. String. iigeya (yeyci). Strip, undress. inagbia. leaves. maponje, magombo. Strong. gbayango. Stupid. mamu, mamungo. Sugar. sugar. 196 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Summit. Sun. Surface. Surpass. Surround. ngumba. folO, (folT). nga, ya. tewe. bimbi. Swallow, V. gbolc. Sweep. Sweet. Swell, V. ngela, mayela. ne, neingo. fe. Swim. Swing round. lapi. bimbi. Take. bumbu. Talk. Tall. njepe, yepe, yia lo. gbiahungo. Taste. ko, go. Teach. kii, ga. Tear, v. mbela. Tell. nde. Thank, v. Thank vou. segbia. bise. That. na. There. na, mia, miando. Thick. Thin. kpotu, kpotungo. teve, tevengo. Thing. Think. Thirsty, my throat is dry. This. hani, bo (boi). gili, toye. nya bololmi bengo. ji- Thorn. ngari. Throw. pIlT, will. Thrust in. ngua, wua, joso. Tlius. hi. Tickle. tone, dote. Tightly. Time. Tire. panda (properly), getete, kpele (kpele), kpc. glDOWU. Tired. Are you tired ? gbaha, gahii hango. hi gbaha 1 To. To-day. See Prepositions, ha. VOCABULARIES 197 To-morrow. sina. Too. tunu. Top, the. imahui, ngumba. Touch. ja. Toward. gama, tenga. Town. ta (tei). Trap. mani. Travel. jia. Tree. ngulu (nguli), nguru (nguri). Trousers. here (bere). Truth. tonya. IVy. ko, kolo. Turn. pote, wote. Twins. felanga. Twist. kpini. Umbrella. Tebele, nja-gbuwa (nja- gbuwc). Under. mbu. Understand. meni, hugo. Undress. magbia. Unexpectedly, to moot. kolama. Unfold. fombO. Unlike. gba. Unlucky, to be. ndovo. Unripe. kpole, kpolengo. Untie. fulo. Up. ma. Upon. ma, mahu. Uproot. pugbia. Useless. gbamafu. Valley. ngiye gombu (ngiye gombui), Valuable. 1)0, gbango. Very. kri. Villa. fula (fule). Visit, V. va. Voice. ngo (ngdi), wd (wdi). Vo mit. bali. Wait. mawuiu. 198 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Wake. Walk. Wall. Want, r. War. Warm, v. adj. Warn. Wash, clothep, plates. i. e. bathe. Watch, V. Water. Way. Wear clothes. Weed, v., i. e. pull up weeds. Weep. Welcome, v. Well, water-hole. Well, adv. West. Wet. What 1 When ? Where 1 Which 1 Whip. White. White man. man's language. Who ] Whole, all. Why ] Wicked. Wife. Win, in a game, i. e. kill. take the money. Wind. Window. Wine. Wing. Wipe (plates). wu. jia. kaka or kake (kakel). longo a. ko (koi). kpandi. kpandingo. lahl. wua, wa. mua. mane, mahugbe. nja (njei). pele (pell). yiii. kpiti gbia. wolo. va. nja Iowa (nja lowe). panda. kpundohu. deli, delingo. gbe? See Adverbs. mi 1 mindo 1 igbe 1 foma (fome). kolc, kolengo, gogole. pumo (pumoi). pu yia (pu yiei). ye? yo? gbi, kpere. gbeva 1 nyamu. nyaha (nyahei). pfi. hou. fefe (fefe). ndaome. ndn, lo (loi). kpaki. liuyela. VOCABULARIES 199 Wise, he is. ngi nemdhu lengo. Witch. hona (hone). With. a. Within. hii, goha, bu. Without. See Prepositions. Woman, wife. nyaha (nyahei). xinmai'ried girl. nyapQ (nyapoi). Wood. kowu (kowi). Word, speech. njia (njiei), yia (yiei). direction, order. layia (layiei). voice. ngo (ngoi). Work, n. ngenge (ngenge), yenge. V. ngenge and ngenge wili Workman. ngengemo (ngengemoi). j)l. (indef.). gengebra. A7orld. ngelebu, ndole gbi. Worm. bull. Wrap up. bimbi. Wrestle. lapi. Write. nyegi. Wrong, to be. lele. Yard, enclosure. kat^hfi. Year. fo (foi). Yes. I, e. Yesterday. gbenge, bengeme, gbi. Yonder. miando, mia. Young man. ndakpalv (ndakpaloi). Young of an animal. . . . Ir.i. PART IV STORIES R HADING ]\IaTERIALS I. The Spider and his Hungry Children. Kasiloi i ndenga le. Ndole gbo. I hiye lime go'ime dogboi hu. I li, i male. Sele gboiingo. Fomamoi i liei lo sele gama. Kasiloi i jfi sele. Fome i gbia, I ngi vogba, Kena i ngi vogba Kasiloi gbwenda. I yala a pime ngi lenga we. Ti me a kpindi na. Ngewonga i ngi nyaliei gbe. Xgi nyahei i ya nye gbome njei hu. Ye, kea bi nya gbe gO bi go. Ye, nga nye me lo. Ye, nya be ge bi go. Ke i ya. I ngi mayia ge a ngi kei Ye, nga nyahei gbia lo yeya. bi The spider bore children. They were very hungry. He arose to go and gather food in the bush. He goes, he meets it. It was a ripe banana. A man with a whip sat at the banana. The spider touched the banana. The whip came out. It beat him. When it beat him The spider snatched (the fruit). He ran off with it to liis chikben. (lit. He took it with running). They ate that night. At daylight he drove away his wife. His wife went to catch fish in the water. She said, If you drive me away I will not give you (some). He said, I will eat tish. She said, I certaiuly will not give you (any). And she went. Slie complained to her father. He said, I will take away your wife. Incomplete. 200 II. lite Fate of the Man who abandoned his Wife and Child. Tamoi i ya wo. I nyahei jo. I koi bumbu. I ngi nyahei gbe. I li clogboi hu. I nyahei lo. I ndoi de dogboi hu. Ti fere gbi Ta ngi loi i jia. Mehei gbi na ta me. Ngi njei a li, A mboH gbia dogboi hu. r hli na bawoni. Ngi loi a lakpa. Ngewo i "\va. 1 gimtenga dogboi hu. I ti male dogboi hu. XgewG ye, \\"a yo Avu nibe 1 Ye, ma nya njei. jSTgewo i ho navoi ma. \ fe tiye. X^ewo i li dogboi hu. Nyahei ngi loi i gbate dogboi hu. T gbia dogboi hu ; A hite pG wai ma. 1\(; ta ngi kei ti gome. \'e, kia wShe said, Nobody shall marry my daughter except ho can build a house on a rock.^ He said, I accept the condition (lit. saying). Ho said also, GiAo me the woman. Ilie old woman also said, 1 agree ; And she gave the woman to him. At daybreak he took a cutlass. He goes into the busli. ]re cuts sticks, He brings the sticks, IFo lays thom down. lie did not build the housi'. Ho found his mother-in-law cooking I'ice. Ho said. Put yoiu' hand into the })ot (and) bring out the deli- cacies (from the l)ottom), (live them to me to eat. The woman said, No. The young man said, You must do that! She said, I cannot. Ho said, ])o that, or 1 will make a complaint against you. inipo.ssiljility, as holes cannot he duf; in '218 STORIES 219 Ye nya loi va ngi nya loko wu mba gbwandi hu, Ye, nga pili. iS^dakpo'i ye ba pilo. Ke i ya i ngi mayia ge. Ti tewe. Ti ndakpaloi lemu. Nyapoi i jelisia molia, ye, gbe va ngi nde j oni 1 Mahanga kpele ti li ti wu tema. Te, hani fa mu na weni, tc mu ya gama loi wo, Ngiye bi yakpei bi ji wilia. Te nvimu gbi bi ndo le numu hani gbi fa be, Ke ta pe lo kotu ma. Te ji na dakpaloi kabande i gula bi ya. Ke bi loi fe ngi ye i lila. Ke i ndoi fenga. Ta yakpei i longa lieini. Nilakpaloi be T 'pe loi kotui ma. - Nyapoi be i ngi loko wuai mbei l)u, A k})ia a fe ngi mbelc wo. 1 li i hoi na gbwama fu ikelemei. She said, For the .sake of my child to put my hand in the hot rice, She said, I will not do so. The young man said, You shall do so. And he went to make his accusa- tion. They decide. They give the case in favour of the yoving man. The woman asked the judges, saying, Wherein was I wrong 1 (lit. Why did I get the lie ?) All the chiefs they go, they dt'bate. They said, We did that, because, they said, we have never seen such a case before, Until you did this. They said, Xobody who has ever borne a child has made such a condition that no man shall get her. Except he build a house on a rock. They said. See how the young man has put you into the wrong. So give him your daughter and let him take her away. And she gave her daughter. She remained sitting there alone. And the young man did not Ijuild the house on the rock. The woman also did not put her hand in under the rice, 'I'o take something out and give it to her son-in-law. She goes, she sits down there, liavnig gained nothiii The end. IX. The Spider and the Mag(jof. Kasiloi ke hawe. Kasiloi i kpale la, Ke bawe be i gbale la. Kasiloi i nunga Idnga, Ye, ti li ti iigi yenge Avili. Ke bawe i gbia, Ke i lumga l^nga, Ye, a mu li inu nya yenge will. J^awe ye siloi lenga ma, ye, AYfi yenge siloi we. Kasiloi na yc gboli lo koliu. Ye, bia bi lini silo i yen- geme, Ye, bo mehc nene me. Y"e, a mu li mu yenge we. Ga wu go lo a mehe neni. Ke ngelewonga, Ke ti ya bawe yengeme. Ke bawe ngi nyfinga Ke ti mbei yilia gongebra we. Ndahani gbl ta pu bei ma. Tlie spider and the maggot. The spider laid out a farm. And the maggot too laid out a farm. The spider sent men, Saying, they were to go and do his work. And the maggot went out. And he sent peo})le, Saying, Let us go and do my work. The maggot said to the spider's labouiers (lit. children), Do not work for the spider. That spider has only dirt in his l)elly. He said. If you go and work for the spider, lie .said, you will not eat nice food. He said, Let us go and work. I will give you nice food. And when daylight came, (And) they went to work for the maggot. And the maggot's wives Cooked rice for the labourers. There was no meat to put on the rice. 220 STOEIES 221 Ke bawe nyahangesia ti ngi lolinga, Te, mu mbei yilinga nge- ngebela we, Ke hani gbi ma. Ye a fe hei ngombui ya. Ke fe i gbwande kaka igbowu.^ Bawe ye ngi nyanga ma a nya wl fei hu. Ke ti ngi wilia fe gbande hu. Ta ngi wote, Ngi wului i gbia gboto. I fe wai na lave kpa ke ladi na. Ti ncrenfrebela Idli, ti wa. Ke bawe vulunga ti pu mbei ma. Ngengebla ti me. Bawe 1 hani. Ngengebra ke ti ngi lato. Ke siloi be ke i ndea ge- ngeb'ra ma, ye, A mu li nya kpSe, Ma yenge pi lo ; kea kpwa- we i peni, Ye, ga pe lo. Ke ngengebra ti ya ngiyc kpama. Kasiloi ngi nyauga Ke ti mbei yilia ; Ndahani gbl ma. Ke ti siloi lolea, Te, wa mbei gama. Ke ngengebra ti me. Ke hani gin ma. Ye, a fe he nga. And the maggot's wives called him. Saying, We have cooked rice for the labourers, And there is nothing on it. He said, Put the pot on the fire. And the pot got very hot (until) it boiled over. The maggot said to his wives, Throw me into the pot. And they threw him into the hot pot. They turn him, (So that) his fat came out plenty. He filled that big pot completely with his fat (Iddi lard an adopted word). They call the labourers, they come. And the maggot was alive, and they put him back on the rice. The labourers ate. The maggot did not die. And the labourers praised him. And the spider also said to the labourers, saying, Let us go to my farm, We will work ; as the maggot did, He said, so will I do. And the labourers went to him to the farm. The spider's wives Cooked rice ; There was no meat on it. And they called the spider, Saying, Come to the rice. And tlie labourers ate. And there was nothing on it. He said. Put the pot on. Slime an lipcniii^ of fruit. THE MENDE LANCUAGE Ke ti fei henga. Ke fei gbwandinga. Ye ngi nyfinga ma, Nya fei gbwaiidi hu. Ko ngi nyanga ti ngi wilia fe gbwandi hu. Ke ngi yongolui gewia ^ (gewo). Ke i gbua fei hu. Ke i yili gulanga. Ke i ngengebra lolinga. Hani gbi mbei ma ta me. Ke ti ngi yelea, te, Be ge, hinde bawe a pi ba pi lo. Te, bi bele nyania. Ke bawe ta ngi wili fe gbwandi hu, Ngi wuli i gbia lo, I fei ve kpji. Ke ngengebra ti mo ; Ti goi vo, Ke ti ya tei hu. Ke kasiloi ut this snail it walked down the back of the tree, And the tree was restored, It stood ; It did not fall. That young man cut at the tree for ten years ; The tree did not fall. And he hid himself, xVnd went to his (lit. their) countiy ; lie was tired of the tree. And another person came. He said, I will cut this tree and fell it. Plenty of people cut at this tree (until) tlicy were tired. But there was one young man in this town who was a tale- bearer. And he said to the young man, saying, This is not the only woman. He said, Leave this woman's affairs alone. He said, I will give you a wife. IJut the young man said, No. He said, This woman and this okro tree it is that I am after. He said, How can I manage to marry this woman ] And he went to the woman Whose was the child. STORIES 229 Ye, ngi wa ngi bi loi jolo. Ye, kulongo le. Ye ke, nyaloi ji nii gbi a bi soi'o. Ye be nya go a navo fa, Bi nya bondo wiili wo. Ye ngi kurua. Ngelewo ti kuni ve ngi ye. Ti kpe mbogbwe ma. I li nguli wnme. 1 luva poma kpeng. I ye kine gukima. Ke kulT ji i jia gull ma, Ke ngulT i yama, Ilo. Ndakpoi be T yiani. Mbogwe ke koni ke i ndow.i bondo wuli bn. Ke i ya, I nde ngi yemoi ma, Ye, ngi ngnli wonga, Ke kulT ji i jia nguli ran, Xguli gulani. Ke ti ya kpokoi, Ke ti la ta ngi nyahei. Ke i ngi nyahei molin, Ye, bi longo ange ] Nyahei ye, I. Ye, nya hmgo abio. Yo ke pTlT ngi bondo wuli Yo nShe said, The reason I do this for you Is that I like you. She said, It is my mother's okro tree you are looking at. She said, If you are going to cut it down, She said, you will not cut it with an axe. She said, Take a needle to cut it. You hold it in your hand so. She said, You hammer on it once. She said. You say, saying. Snail and okro ! you ! She said, (Then) come and lie down. She said, You will go and lie down to sleep, and the tree falls. And day dawned. The young man took the needle. Ho held it in his hand, He went. He said to the tree, Saying, Okro ! snail ! you ! He stuck the needle into the tree. He arose thence, He went, He lay down, lie slept. He left it, Ife lay down to sloop. And the tree fell. And now he finished his own part. At daybreak the young man said to the woman, STORIES 231 Ye nya nyahei ve. Ngelewo nyapoi i ngi nyahei ve. Kb nyapoi ke i yinga a ^"jei. Xdakpaloi na i nyahei na bunibua, I lila ti ye. I gbate, Ngi lowe i gu ndohfi gbi. Domei gboyoa. Give me my wife. At daybreak the woman gave him his wife. And the woman went down to the river (i.e. to drown herself). The (lit. that) young man took the woman, He took her away to his (lit. their) country. He grew rich, His fame reached every country. The story is finished. XII. TJifi lUice hetv:een the Deer and the Snail. Dope niia wo. Ta kolT ti luawrili liniii. KolT ye, Nga Avime gi lc> ndopema. Dope ye, Nga wiiue ,iii le kolTraa. Ke ti mawrdi liouga. Dope nginda bondesia ke ti navoi yaiidoa. Ke koli be, Ke nginda wongesia Ke ti navoi yandoa. Ti navoi yando kuliama polon. Ji pele hu woita na niia. Ti li ti navoi gaud('i na. ]Maliaiiga kpele ti li, Ti lioi na. Ke koli i jia ngi wonga kpole nialiu. Ye, nia ndopa luu mawalc honga. Yc, na mawui' mn gl)i lo nde ma, Ke a nya Ijn, Mu li nin navoi ji mo. Kc koli wonga kpole ko ti luma. Te, ke ji na ))i wa mu gama, There was once a deer. He and the snail made a bet. The snail said, I can run faster than the deer. The deer said, I can run faster tlian the snail. And they made a bet. The deer's own peo})le collected the money. And the snail too, His own relations Collected the money. They collected the money in a far place. It was six days' journey. They go, they bring the money there. All the chiefs go, They sit there. And the snail travels to all his relations one after the other. He said, J and a deer have made a bet. lie said, Now I and you we arc all brothers, And you must help me, So that WG go and win this money. And all tlie snail's relations agreed. Tliey said. You come to us now, '232 STORIES 233 Ma yepe, Ke ji dope ta a wime I le muma. Wa ta wii mawali hounga. Ye, na wu toma Ye, ma ndopa mu mawali honga ; Ye, kia muu gu a wimela a mu yala hu-gbate. Tamia ma gu ndope ma, Tamia mu mawali a gula dope ma. Te ke, IVIa ye pe na mawali ji i gula ? Ye, na wu toma Ye, ma ta mu mu mawali lioni. Ye, nya gi kongo Kia nga yalc ji gula gi gu ndope ma. Te ke mu kulua. Ye, ngewa sina, Y^e, wu gbi a wa nya gama. Ke ngelewa kolisia gbi ti ndoliu Ke ti wa ti mbai gama. I ngi mbaisia lowu j)eleliri. I li, a ti lekpe pelehu Ji woita wele nahu : I li, a ti lekpe na I fo fa navoi gama. I yela lowu kawoli liu te gbelanga. Ke ngelewonga. Dope ta kpowango ; Xemahu gblna. Ke i wa koll gama, Ye, mabia ma mawali ho- nga. And what are we to do. For when the deer runs He passes us. You and he have made the bet. He said. You see now He said, I and the deer have made the bet ; He said, As we cannot run we must devise a trick. So we shall overreach the deer. And the deer will lose the bet. And they said, How now can we manage to win the bet? He said, you see now He said, I and he made the bet. He said, / know How to do this trick on the deer. And they said we agree. He said. At daybreak to-morrow, He said, you all come to me. And at daybreak all the snails in the country Came to their companion. He hid his friends in the i-oad. He goes, he puts them one by one in the road For six days in that road : He goes, he arranges them there Until he reaches the money. He hides one in the rubbisli hole close to the town. And daylight came. The deer was a fool ; He had no sense. And he came to the snail, lie said, T and you liave made a bet. 234 TTTE MENDE LANCIUAGE INIigbe nfi mu li na ^Ui navoi gama i KolT ye ndopc, ye. Ba me nyama. J^opa wa ye kolT, ye, 1>T guma a ji ila. Be, lima biaiuu inawaliliou. Ye, nya mawali a gula lo bima. Ye, migbe na luu li 1 Ye, lo woita, Y^e ke mu li navoi gama. Y^e koli, ye, Bia yese bi liitia navoi ^ gama, _ Y"e ke bi wongil gbele ti batea. Bi navoi bumbu bi la, Kebi mawali i gula nyama. Ke koli be ke i ndea ndopi' ma, Ye, bia yese bi jiugba li navoi gama, Ke bi niawnli i gula iiyania : Bi navoi bumbu, Wa bi wonga kpolo, Ke ^vu gbatea. I')i navoi wumbu l)i me. Ke ngelewa. Ke ndope i wa koli gama, Y'e koli, yc, ^lu li na-oli. KolT ye dopema, yo, Bia ye-;o lo kulo bia li. Dope ye koli ma, Ye, sao. Ye, ]m me nyama. AVlieu do we go now For our money 1 The snail said to the deer, saying. You will not l)eat me. The deer himself said to the snail, ^ saying, Y"ou cannot walk. You said, however, You would make a bet with me. ]Ie said. You will lose the bet. Ie said, \Vhen now do we gol (The snail) He said, In six days, J le said also, we shall go for the money. (The deer) said to the snail, saying. If you reach tlie money first, lie said, All your relations are made rich, '.r'ake the money you put down, And you will win the bet. And the snail too said to the deer. Saying, You go iirst to the money. And you will win the bet ; Take your money. Bring all your relations. And you will (all) be ricli. Take up the money and sptMid it. And day dawned. And the deer came to the snail, Ie said to the snail, saying. Let us go. The snail said to the deer, s.aying. Stand in front of me and go ih-st. Tlie deer said to the snail, Saying, Xo. lie said, Do not follow me. STORIES 235 Be gu a jiala. Koli ye, gi kulua. Ke ti jiei lotoa. Ke ndope i longa kulo. I wime ka. I gbia ke Kumasi nvoko. Ke i koli molia, ye, Bia ha Gi bi longa nya. woma, Tamia bi bia mbe nya gulo. Ye, nge ya be liugba li. Ke kolT be ke i jia, I ya, Ke i lowua. Dope na ke i wa, Ke i lia koli ye na ma. I li a pime poloii gbdma. Kia wo i lini a wime kaka. Koli ye na ngi mbai T ngi lowui kawaleliu, Ke i gbia, Ke i ya navoi gama. Dope i lo poma, Ke koli yese i t'oa navoi ma, Ke mawali i gula (lopo ma. Ke krlT i navo wai na kpele bumbiia. Ke ndope fulenga, Te ndope, U', KolT mawali i gula bima. Te, bi navoi ji jijlo. Te, bia ba wime, Koli ta T gu a jiala. Yovi cannot walk. The snail said, I agree. And they started their journey. And the deer stood in front. He ran hard. He came out as it were as far as Kumasi. And he met the snail ahead of him. xVnd he asked the snail, saying, Just now It was you I saw behind me, ^N^evertheless here you are in front of me. He said, I am not hurrying. And the snail too he walked off, He went, And he hid. And the deer came, And he went on to the other snail. lie ran on far again. As before he ran hard. The other snail, whom his Friend liid in the rubbish hole. Came out, And went to tlie money. The deer was (lit. stood) behind. And the sn.iil reached the money lirst, And tlie (leer lost the bet. And the snail took all tliat large sum of money. And the deer reached there, I'hey said to the deer, saying, The snail has won the bet. They said, You should have got tills money. 'I'hey said. You can run, ( I)ut) the snail Iiimscilf cannot run. 236 THE MEN HE LANGUAGE Via ta wu jia inawali hou- You and ho bet on your walking ; nga ;_ INIawali i gula hima ; You lost ; Tc, be ya naA'oi ji jo. They said, You did not got this money. Ti ndewc, They beat him, Te, bi liawa wilenga. They said. You were lazy (lit. made lazy). ]J>nmi vuli i gboyoa. The stoiy is quite finished, ^umu a ye na ke a ngonda The person who is here says bia. good-night to you. XIII. TliG llornhlll and the Dog. Njeli. Piangbe mia wo ta nc;ila Story. There was once a hornbill and a dog. Koi i gula. War fell. Ke ti welanga. And they ran away. Ke ti ya dogboi hu. And they went into the bush. Ke ti tei lunga na. And they built a house there. Xgelewo piangbe yo ngih; At dawn the hornbill said to the ma, ye, dog, saying, Mu mu mehe goc. Let us go and find food. Ke ti ya mehe goeme. And they went to find food. Ke ti tu gbole malea And they came across ripe palm- (tu short for towe). nuts. Piangbe ye ngilcma, The hoi"nbill said to the dog, Ye, mu towui le. Saying, Let us cut the nuts. Ke ti towui lenga. And they cut off the palm-nuts. Ke nuniu C ngi mba layia Now nobody must disobey his gbia hu. senior's order. Piangbe ye ngih'ima, ye, The hornbill said to the dog, saying, AVe have cut down the bunch of palm-nuts, He said, Xobody shall slice oil" the nuts. He said, Tjeavc the remains for us to oat. Tho dog said to tlie hornbill, K(>jiua, nya laguli guhango Now, my mouth is not long. T Jo. IjO, muii towui jeso. You say. Wo must not cut off' the nuts. 237 Tu mvi tenga, Ye, numu sese. Yc, longoihu lo mu me. Ngila ye piangbe ma, ye, 238 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Ye ke, kiilungo lo. Ye, mil towui me. Piaiigbe iigi laguli gulia wai iia. A kpakpale towui na ma. Piangbe i towui na me fo. 1 ngila goe. Ivpo gbi a na wile ke a ngila. Ngila be ye, kuluugo le. Ye, ke ji na, koi gula ma bie. Ye, nya lei I guhani. ]\Iu towui lenga be, llongoihu mu me. Yo, kulungo le. I\e ngila be ke i ya fJijiamc dogboi liu. Ke i komi longa. Kominga ti wulongo wu. Te le, ke ngila wa, Ke i ndea piangbia ma, Ye, ngi ya lia dogboi liu. Ye, ngi kominga longa na. Piangba ye, Ngelewo sina mu li na, Mu komisia gbia. Ke ngelewa Ke ti ya na. Ti komi gbia kaliu ^\aya- kpa. Xgila yo })iangba ma. Ye, komi ji. Ye, ma fon}'a fawc ma. Piangbe ye sao. Ye, mu kale kfi fefele (ka = kahu). And he said. All right. He said, Let us eat the nuts. The hornbill's beak was very long. He hammers on the nuts. The hornbill eats all that bunch of nuts. He did not give any to the dog. Every time he does so with the dog. But the dog said, All right. He said. Now, there is Avar with you. He said. My mouth is not long. We have cut the palm-nuts oft". And it is the remains that we (i. e. I) must eat. He said, All right. And so the dog went To walk about in the bush. And he saw honey. The bees were \ery fat. So it was, and the dog came. And he said to the hornbill, I went to-day into the bush, He said, I saw bees there. The hornbill said, Let us go there to-morrow at daylight. And get the bees out. And at daylight They went there. They took out eight Iniskets of honey. 'J'lie dog said to the hornbill. He said, This lioney, He said, we will squeeze it on a ledge of rocks. Tlio hornl)ill said, No. 1 le said, Let us divide the baskets between us. STORIES 239 Ngila be ye sao. Ye, nga lo be wo mu ya dogboi hu, Mua ngi mba layia gbia hu. Piangbe ye, i ; Ye, mu komi fonya. Ke ti komivonya fawe hu. Fawe hu a li polon. Ke ti tOtoa na a komi mela. Xgila i li a komi. Piangbe ngi lei i hite komi ma. Ngi laguli na a jia le fawe- ma gbama. Ke i gbalenga piangbe ma. Ye, ngila, llindei ye na bi peni ange 1 Ye, mabia mul; ya he hiuda yira. Ngila be ye kulungo le. Ngila i kouii na me fu. Ye, ji ge mu gbonga towui ma, j>c, mul; sese. Be ge, bi yakpei lo bi nenu'ihu lengo. Ye na, ba li lo, kere. Ke piangbe ta ngila Ke ti ya kolonga nichei hinde ma. Ke ngila i piangbia lr>i menga. Piangbe i wa I ngila jogba._ Ke ngile i ngi nyia. Ke i gowOa, But the dog said. No. He said, I was here first in the bush, We mvist observe precedence. The hornbill said, Yes ; He said. Let us squeeze the honey. And they squeezed the honey on the rock. The rock went far. And they began there to eat the honey. The dog licks up the honey. The hornbill's mouth did not reach the honey. His beak walks over the rock in vain. And it hurt the hornbill. He said, Dog, What have you done to me? He said, You and I will not sit down in one place. And the dog said. All right. The dog iite all that honey. He said, When a short time ago we joined together for palm- nuts. You .said. Let us not slice them. You said, a few days ago, that you alone had any sense. He said. Now you can go if you like. And tlie hornbill and the dog Tiiey went away on account of the food in the place. And the dog ate the liornbill's child. The liornbill comes To choke the dog. .\nd the dog bit hiiu. And he flew, 240 THE MENDE LANGUAGE I lia ngo ma. He went up to the sky. Ta rnia avo na a kpaui na So it was that ho made that cry will a ngila, ngiki, ngila, of dog, dog, dog. ngiki. (Xgila being an imitation of the bird's cry. ) Igboyoa. It is finished. XIV. The Egg-plant and the Woman who talked. Nyapoi mia wo. I gbema. I ndo leni. Ta ngi banga ti gboni hini yira ma. Kpele gbi a lewe clogboi hu, A wolo, Ye, A ! Ngewo wa ! Ye, ngi gbo wileni abie, Nya nge ndo leni '? Kpele gbi a lewe A ngole na wile. Tamo i kpixe la tei gbela. Ti kojT hi. KojT ke i wa. Te le, nyapoi ! mbawnbela Ke ti wa ngi liini ye Kpahu bawume. Te ngi ma, Te, bl ndo leni. Fale, bia ba li, Bi koji ji goo, Bi wa, Bi ngili ngengebra avo. Xyapoi ke i sambo bu- mbila, Ke i ya. I lb 1 fo kojema. i6 There was once a young woman. She was barren. She bore no child. She and her companions shared a husband. She was always wandering in the bush, Weeping, (she weeps) Saying, Oh ! Great God ! Saying, What have I done to you. That I have borne no child 1 She was always wandering about And making that weeping. A man laid out a farm near the town. They planted an egg-plant. And the egg-plant came up. So it was, that the rice planters Came to the woman's husband To plant rice in his farm. They say to her, Saying, You have borne no child. Therefore, go you, (And) pluck this egg-plant, Bring it, (And) cook it for the labourers. And the young woman took a basket. And she went. She goes, She reaches the egg-plant. 241 242 THE INIENDE LANHUACK I yo koji goeuKi, Slui was picking the eggs, A ngole "wile, And weeping, Ye, ma nya banga gbele Saying, 1 and all my compauioJis Mu gboa hini ma, We share a husband, Ti gbi ti ndo lenga. They have all borne children, Nya ngl ndo leni. (But) I have borne no child. Kunayefo ndopo ycngc gbi They are always sending me to t;x nya loma. do all the inferioi' work. Ye ke, ngewo le. And said, It is God('s doing). Te le, ke koji iyila. So it was, that it M'as the very egg-plant. Ke i yia. And it spoke. Ye nyapoi, ye, It said to the young woman, saying, Ke ye wu layia i gboto If you talk less Ke ngi bi bawoa. I may help you. Nyapoi i wote, ye, The young woman turned, saying, Yo jiei leni 1 AVho spoke 1 Koji ye, The egg-plant said, Ngo nya ge abii;. I cannot show myself to you. Y^e, ba yepe. It said, Do not talk. Y''e, nge yepe. She said, I will not talk. Y"e ke, jondu le. It said also, Swear first. Ke i jondua. Ami she took an oath. Koji ye nyapoi ma, ye. The egg-plant said to the young woman, saying, Nga pe lo bi ndo le. I will make you bear a child. Y"e kulungo le. She said, All I'ight. Yo ke, l)a ye pc na nga And she said, I low now will you ndole ] make me bear a child? Ye, bi yamali ( = li\vi). Jt said, Shut your eyes. Ke nyapoi i ngi yama linga. And the young woman shut her eyes. Ke koji na ke i maluvea a And the egg-plant turned into a nyaha.^ lady. Nyaha lo nyande. She was a beautiful lady. Ye, nyapoi ma. She said to the woman, ' A'ljdJia, UH:iiM'u\<^ wnriiaii or wife, is aliovc n;/((j/o, giil or woman. Sen \'ocahuIary (iT Itrlatiuiisliips, etc. In tlio Alciide text the distinction i.s clear, but in the Knglisli it i.s necessary to use anotlier word, f. y. lady, to dit>tin^uis]i the speakers. STORIES 243 Ye, bi yaina volo. Ive i ngi yairia vongo. A ye wgte, Ke i nyahaloi loa loni. Ngi nyini ji ngi yaka vengo. Ye nyapoi, ye, Be yepe. Ye, eh. Ye, mu ya tei hu. Ye, nde be, ye ndoi ji '] Nya ndewe lui lo, I ndoi ji yoyoi mbo. Ye, ba liuge. Ba, nde ba yema ( = yiama), Koji lo makiveni a numui Ye, bi na lea, Ye, nga yama lo gbon, Ngi maluvi a koji gboma. Nyapoi ye, Bi hai gbe ngeleya Bi to doma. Ye, Ngewo yana Hi a bi go. Ye, ngc na wile. Ye ke, mu li tei liu. Ke ti y;'i tei iiu. Numui gbi ke ti nyapni molia. To, ji bi ndf) I(!iii. Bi ndoi ji joi nii lo i Ye, nya ndowo mi.i, 1 nd<7i ji yoyiii inl)o. Saying, Open your eyes. And she opened her eyes. She turned round, And she saw a young girl standing there. Her breasts were full. She said to the woman, saying, You must not talk. She said, Yes. She said. Let us go into the town. She said, Say, (if any one says) whose child is this 1 It is my sister's child, She sent this child to me. She said do not explain. Do not talk, saying. The egg-plant was changed into a person. She said. If you talk so. She said, I will surely go back again, I will turn into the egg-plant again. The woman said. You look for something in the air And you find (lit. see) it on the gi-ound. She said. It is God who gives you this. She said, I will not do it. And slie said. Let us go into the town. And they went into tlie town. And everybody asked the woman, saying. Seeing that you have not borne a child, Where did you get tliis child? Slie said. It is my sister, Wiio (lit. she) scut this child t(; me. 244 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Ti ndopoi na lagoi. Ti ngi kave. Ti pa ti me. Kene na ngi wo a nyapoi na I loi wo angie. Kpele gbi a nyapoi humoli, Ye, bi ndoi ji joi mi lo? Ye, nya ndewe lo 1 ndoi ji yoyui mbe. Kpele gbi a ngi moli. Nyanga va ti nemaliui I guba. Ke i bugenga a ngi bini. Ye, kpele na ge Ti ndeni, te, Ngi li koji goeme, Ngi li ge. Ngi wolo koji wullma. Ta ge i maluveui a numui Ke nya liini mia abie ge, Nya gobu Iowa bi ma. Ke ngi bugenga abie. Ba ya buge a numu gbi. Bl bugenga a numu, Koji bumenia, A yama gboma J wote a koji. Fale ba buge. Te le, kene ye, i. Ye, nge ya buge. Te le, ngi lima-nyabei Ke i ngi leolia na, Tbey gave the young girl food. They made a feast for her. Tbey kill, tbey eat. Tbe man whose own that woman was Had not cared for her before. Eveiy moment he asks the woman. Saying, Where did you get this child 1 iShe said. It is my sister ^Vbo sent me this child. Every moment be asks her. As for women their sense is not great. And she told everything to her husband. 8he said, That rime a little while ago That they said, saying. That I Avas to go and pick the egg-plant, I went then, I wept at the egg-plant tree. It then tuined into this person. And you have always Vjecn my husband, I am entiiely yours. And I have explained it to you. Do not talk about it to anybody. (If) you talk about it to anybody, (And) tbe egg-plant bears, She will retui'n And become an egg-plant again. Therefore do not talk about it. So the man said, Yes. He said, I will not talk about it. Now his favourite wife She also asked him. STORIES 245 Ye, mbai ji i ndoi ji joi milo? Kpele gbi i kene molia na. Nyapoi be to-uyaha mia. Xgi longo i ngi mbai ji loi ji liinda hugo. Ke kene i hugenga a ngi li- ma-nyahei. Ye, ndoi ji ge nyapoi i wela. Ye, ba ngi goliu lo yana. Ye, i ye pileni i ndoi ma Ye, ji go gengebla ti wai nya gam a, Gbe na gi li kojo go'emi, llu mia ge koji na I maluveni a niimiii na. Kia gi Jiugenga abie, JJa huge a numu gbi. Bi liugenga, Bi mbai loi i y;i, Ga pe bi ma a njia lo r.au fere na i gboyo. Nyapoi, ngi wo a ndoi, Ke i ya nye gbeme. A liiye njei na liu. Ke nyapoi na ke i ndopoi lulinga a kojo. I\e i ya. Ye, gbe i lii, I ngi njei mawulo. Ve, ji wo ngi ndca ngi ma, XgC', ft nya la ge, Saying, This other wife where did she get this child 1 She was constantly asking the man that. This woman was a jealous woman. She wanted to know all about her companion's child. And the man told his favourite wife all about it. He said. This child the woman produced a few days ago. He said, It is not the child of her belly. He said. What she did to get the child (is this). She anid, when the laljourers came to me, At the time tliat I went to pick the egg-plant, It was then that the egg-plant Changed into that person. Seeing that I have told }'ou, Do not tell anybody else. If you tell. Your companion's child is gone, (And) I will make trouble with you (Until) two months arc ended. The woman, whose the child was, Went to catch fish. She comes up out of the water. ^Uid the woman called the girl J'jgg-plant. And she went. She said, Let her sit down, And await her mother. (The egg-plant) said, I told her before, Saying, she was not to show my name. 246 THK MKNDP] LANGUAGE Tamia a nya liinda huge a ngi wongeisia, Ye, gbe i wa. Ve sao, T na. Nya wama wilema. Ke nyapoi i liiya iiyo gboine. Kia wo i wani, Ke i ngi molia, ye, Ji wo bi lieni, Ye, bcmango, ndo I bOya. Ye, nya kojo, Ba ndo wole wili dogboihu, Ye,_ nya kojq, Ngi nianu bi ma. Ngi wotea wo a numu, Ngi yenge bie, Tamia i wile bi limahii c gili a iiinda gbl. Tamia ba nde, be, Kojo lo nngo. Ye, ngi yama mbe-oli. Ke i yama, 1 li hindei Wo nyapoi na i li na kojo goeine. Ke ngi loi i yama na, J wote a koji. Nyapoi na i hoi wo ndogbi ^ ya ngeya._ Ngi liiyia luia wo I ngi bani a ndoi. 1 koji na hinda huge wo, J gbate wo na Koji na hinda hu ; ive i n<'i wo ntrni lema. Further, she was not to talk my affairs with her relaLions, Slio said. Wait till she comes. 8he said, No, she is not tliere. The woman is coming in the road. And the woman came up from catching fish. When she came, (The egg-plant) asked her, saying, When you were sitting hei'e before, ft said, You were barren, you had no child. It .said, I was the egg-plant. You cried in the bush for a child, it said, I was the egg-plant, ] pitied you. 1. turned into a person, I worked for you. And aLso it came al)out that your mind was not to rememl>er any- thing. Therefoi'e you were not to say that (lit. saying) I was the eggplant. It said, I go back as I was before. And it returned, It went to the place Where the woman had gone before to pluck the egg-plant. And her child returned there, it turned into the egg-plant. The woman used to sit there before without any child. It had been her comi)laint before 'i'hat she was without a, child. She talked about tlie egg-plant's affairs, She had been well off' when The egg-plant was in the affair ; But she bi-oke her word. XV. 'The McKjic SJiJrt. Keiie luia wo, I gbate, I lewe dole gbele ma. Numui kpele ti lolo angie Nu gbate va. Ke ti koi hubatua ngi va. Te, numu yakpei ji i lewo muma dole ji hu. Te, ma kulu ngi ye. Te, a mu kui we ngi ma, ]Mu ngi vaya. Ke ti koi wea ngi ma, Ke ti ngi batehd va}'a. Ke i lowunga. Ke i ya dogboi ]iu. Koi 1 ngi loni. Ke koi i ngi nunga vuluisia kpele hou. Fo yira i iidogboi liu. I gbia. Ke koi i gboyoa. 1 yama. I ngi lei In i\G\ fui' lei). Ke nunga ti wa ngi lei hu. Ti bo ngima. Ti ngi lei lo. Dakpaf) yii'a i bumbui gbate, Ke i yala njei hu. There was once a man, Tie was rich, He surpassed all the country. Everybody hated him Ijecause he Avas rich. And they prepared war for him. They said, This one man surpasses us in this country. They said. We do not agree to have him. They said. Let us make war on him, (And) let us spoil him. And they made war on him. And they spoiled his wealth. And he hid. And he went into the bush. Tiie war did not see him. 13ut the war caught all his people themselves. One year he was in the bush. He came out. And the war was lluished. 1 Fe returned. I le (ro)built his town. And peojjlc came into his town. Tluiy helped him. They built his town. A certain young man made a lish traj), And he took it to tlie water, 217 248 THE MENJ)E LANGUAGE Ke i kale gonua. Ke i Inuubui welenga nga. Ngelewo i wa kaleya. J male ti kale yahuma. I lo na, I moli, ye, Yo iiya gale yabiimamai 1 Ye, nga mane lo. iM enia ! dogboyusui mia ] kale yahumama. Ye, kale ji nga mane lo. Ye, numui ji i nya gale ji yahumama. Ye, nga liou lo. Ke i ya tei lifi. Ngi mbai ji ta ta ti longo- ma. Ke i ya, 1 nde ngi ma, ye, Ngi kale konua, Ke ti ya ngnlmmama. Y^e, mu li mu nga ne. Mu ya, Bi le nduvui hu, Y"e, nya ngi lowu belc kn hu. Ke i ya, Ke i lowii na bole kui hu. Ke ngi mbai be, Ke i lowua nduvui Jul nge- leya. Ngenda tete Ke dogVjoyusui ' i wa Kale yahumama. Ke i wa, ^ Dogboyusui is tlie cliim])aiizt'e, lialf liumaii, and to be a duvil with And he made a weir. And he set the trap on it. At daybreak he came to the weir. He found some one (lit. they) had stolen from the weir. He stood there, He asked, saying, AYho has stolen from my weir 1 He said, 1 will watch. See ! it was the wild man Who stole from the weir. He said, I will watch this weir. He said, This person is stealing from my weir. He said, 1 will catch him. And he went into the town. He and his friend were much attached to each other. And he went, He said to him, saying, I have made a weir, And some one has gone and stolen from it. He said, Let us go and watch. Let us go. You climb into a (lit. the) bamboo palm. He said, I myself will hide in the buttresses of a big tree. And he went. And he hid between tlie buttresses of the big tree. And his friend too, He hid aloft in the 1)amboo palm. Jn the early morning The wild man came To steal from the weii'. And he came, ;v]iicli, like tlie gorilla, is held to be magic powers. STORIES 249 Ke i ndomei gbia ngima, And he took oft" his shirt, Ke i gbole gbia wumba, And he took off his hat, Ke i bele gbia ngima, And he took off his trousers, Ke i vowe gbia ngi loko liu, And he took off his charms from his arm, Ke i bumbua. And he took them, Ke i ndovvua gbele kui hu, And he hid them between the buttresses of the big tree, Ke i ya njei hu kale ya. And he went into the water on the weir. Ke i mbombui gbia kale ya. And he took the fish trap off the weir, Ke i da vulonga, And he loosed its mouth, Ke nyenga ti wua dome. And the fish poured out on the ground. Ke i toa nyema, And he pointed to a fish, Ke na ha. And it died. Ke i gbaoa, ye. And he (the man) called out, saying, Ko ! Ko ! Ye, bia ge ba nya gale ya- He said, It is you who have l^een liumama. stealing from my weir. Ye, Ko ! He said, Ko ! Ye, ndakpc-oh. He said, My friend. Y^e, dogboyusui gbe, He said, Look at the wild man, I kale yahumaiua. He is stealing from the weir. Ye, a ye pe a kale yahuma] He said, How is he going about stealing from the weir'? Y^e, i nye wua ndome. He said. He poui-ed tlie fish out on the ground, Ke i loko loa ngi lome ma, Ami he pointed his liand to his sliirt, Ke i toa nye ma, And he pointed to a fish^ Ke na lia. And it died. Ke i ngi lokoi loa ngi ml)ai And he pointed his haml to liis ma, friend, Ke ngi mbai i ha ngeloya. And liis friend died aloft (in the tree). Dogboyusui ke i lua, And the wild man feared, Ke i lia a pinie, And he went running. 250 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Ke i iigi lomcsia gbele loa na. Ke i ya. Ke dakpaoi na ke i ngi mbai lolinga, Ke ye, iidakpe ! Ye, wa a inu li-oli ! Ke i ya. A ye na i wote na ; Xgi nibai liango. Ke ndogboyusui loiuei na Ke i nibumbua, Ke i ya a pi me. Ke i ya a ndome, I fe mallei we. Ye, keke, Ye, bunde gula ngeya. Ye, gbe bunde le ? Ye, ngi ya gi kale gunuma, Dogboyusui mia i ngaliu- luama nyeya. Ngi liugo. Xgi ndea nya mbai ma, Nge, mu li nya gale mane we. ]\ru ya na. Dogboyusui i wa kale ya- humama. I ngi lome gbia ngima. I ngi pua ngulu kui hu. Nya niba i lowua nduvuihu. Nya be ngi lowua ngulu kui hu. Dogboyusui i wa kale ya- humama. I nye gbia njei hfi, r pua ngiye ma, I Inkoi lonjra nyi Irmiema, And he left all his clothes (lit. shirts) there. And lie went. And that young man called his friend, And he said, Young man ! He said. Come, let us go ! And he Avent. It was then that he turned ; His friend was dead. And the wild man's shirt He took, And he I'an away. And he took the shirt, He gave it to the king. He said, My father. He said, trouble falls on me. He said. What trouble 1 He said, I went to construct a fishing weir, (And) the wild man stole from me. 1 did not understand. I said to my friend, 1 said, Let us go and watch my weir. We went there. The \\ild man came to steal at the weir. He took oft' his shirt. He put it between a tree's buttresses. My friend hid in a palm. Myself, 1 hid between the but- tresses of the tree. The wild man came to steal at the weir. He took the fish out of the water. He put them on the bank. He pointed (his) hand to his shirt, STORIES 251 1 toa nyema, Ke nyenga ti ha. Ngi bandea dogboyusui ma, Xge, Ko ! J)ia ge ba nya galcji ya- humama. Nge, ndakpe-oh ! Dogboyusui gbe, I kaiiia hinda wilema. A ye pe, bi toa, A nye wu ngiye nia, I loko lo ngi lonie ma, I lo nye ma, Ke nye i ha. Ye, na gi peni. Ngi nya loko lo dome ma, Gi to nya mba lenga, Ke i ha dowume nduvui hu. (;i ko. Ke dogboyusui i yaapimo. Ta mia ta mahei ye, ISTa bi wileni. Ye, nga pe lo. Ye, ngi njiei na ba wumba. Ye, ke, Ye, a li wu "wa dakpaoi na 1 wileni beya ( ^ bi yeya) dogboi hu, Wu wala gi to. Ke ti ya ti wala. Ye, dakpoi ji i hei ji wileni beya dogl^oi hu, Ye, nga na go pe. Jialni i lOma ngitiya. He pointed to a fish, And the fish died. 1 holla'd to the wild man, 1 said, Hi ! It is you who have been stealing at my weir. I said, Friend ! See the wild man, He is doing something wonderful. What he does i.s, you see, He puts the fish on the bank. He points the hand to his shirt, He points to a fish, And the fish dies. He said, I did that. I pointed my hand to the shirt, I looked towards ray friend. And he died in his hiding-place in the palm. I do not know. And the wild man ran away. Then the king said. You did that. He said, I will ari'ange, He said, to stop that affair on your head, ^. e. that is- hanging over you. He said also, Saying, Go and fetch that young man Tluit died by your hand in the bush (?'//''=: do, a euphemism for alaver buml)a. on your head, /. e. will acquit you. Dakpoi na ye, That young man said, Ngi kui'ua. I accept. I segbia mahei nja. lie thanked the king. Ti jia loi gbowu. 'Ihey buried the child. Ti ndakpoi be Ijo. 'Ihey buried the yovmg man also. Mahei na i navo gbolo That king spent much money majia Kolongo dakpoi na va a On account of that young man hindei na liu ; and the whole affair ; Kolongo dogl)0\usui ma On account of the wild man and gule na ma. that shirt. Ke njiei i gboyoa. And the matter ended. Ke mahei na fo i lewe nani And that king for over four years 1 gl)ate gboi'i, Increased in wealth, I lewe ngovei ma. ^[oi-e than before. Ke i yiuiga lenga a nasia And he boasted over all those gheh^ Wo Avho before Ti kTi] goni angie. Had made war on him. Ve. iiasia kpele ti koi goni lie said, All those who made war aiige, on me, Ye, ti wa, He said, let them come. Ye, nui go a foi ji. He said, we will figlit this year. STORIES 253 Ke i ti gonga a loe wa- yakjm. Ke ti gbi, tia be, te, Mu kulua, Te, koi wo ba ma wile, Te, mu goa nfi bi ma Mua bi wa lo. Ye, ngi kurua. Ke koi wa. Ye, numu gbi mawueni mu tei ji hu. Ye, numu gbi a kpande wili koi ji ma. Ye, mu gbi, ye, a liei. Ye, nya koi lo, Nga koi ji go. Ngi nunga gbi ke ti kurua. Ke ti lia ti hei. Ke ta ngi mahei ke i wa pebu, Ke i dogboyvisui bele ^yinga ( = yilinga), Ke i (logboyusui lome wunga, Ke i dogboyusui gbolo welenga, Ke i dogboyusui vowi wua ngi baki liu, Ke i gbia ngitiya. Ke koi i wa tei bu. Ti luuiga gbi liou tei hu. Ke tl numu wani. Ti ngili lo ti kpolcina. Ti wa, Ti mahfi moli, to, Iji yema (yiama) go Mu wa And he gave them eight days. And they all said, We agree, They said, You have desired war, They said, (If) we fight now with you We shall kill you. He said, I accept. And the war came. He said, Everybody, I and. you, we are in this town. He said. Nobody shall fire a gun in this war. He said, All of us, he said, you must sit down. He said. It is my war, I will fight this war. And all his people agreed. And they went, they sat down. And the king of the town came into the house, And he pulled on the wild man's trousers, And he put on the wild man's shirt, And he put on the wild man's hat, And he put the wild man's charms on his upper arm, And he went outside. And the fighting came into the town. They (the enemy) caught all the people in the town. But they killed nobody. They tied them all up. 'J'hey come, They ask the king, saying, You were saying the other day T'liat we miirht come 254 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Mu kdi go. Mallei be yc, Kya ge iigi iidoui, Nge, wu wa, Mu kr>i go. Yo, Ida he ( = gbelc, time) na. Ye, nya nnmn gbi koi ji gokxma. Ye, vm kia yira. Y^e, wu yaiiia wu yei. Nya kni a lioula. Ke mahei ke i ngi Igkr) loa Dogboyusui Igmo ji ma I ngi ma, Ke i toa koi nia, Ke ti gbi ti ha. I ngi Igkgi to dogboyusui lomema ngi ma, Ke i lu kdisia ma, Ke koisia gbi ti ha. Tl pande wili gOi ma. Kdsia ti gboyoa hala. Ta mahei i kni gbi vaya a dogboyusui Igmenaa ngi ma. I ndgme gbia ngi ma. I pu kaha, I ndagbou. Ku gbi 1 ya gui ngi lei ma. Nunga gbi ti nde, to, Kunafo wu go a maliei ji. Kamahinda i muma lia. Mu wa ko ma, Gbando T wilini, Tl nuinu wfuii. (And) make war. The king too said, I myself said the other day, I said, Come, Let us fight. He said. It is now tlie time. lie .said, 1 will take nobody by surprise in this war. He said. You are all as one. He said, You will not return to your country. My war will catch you. And the king pointed his hand To the wild man's shirt That he was weai'ing, And he pointed to the enemy, And they all died. He pointed his hand to the wild man's shirt on himself. And he pointed at the enemy, And the enemy all died. They did not fire a gun in the war. The enemy all died (lit. finished ^ dying). The king of the town destroyed all the enemy A\ith that wild man's shirt that he wore. He took off the shirt. He put it in a box. He shut it. Xo war could reach his town. Everyljody said, saying. You must never make war with this king. We have magic in our midst. AVe came to wai', No gun was Ih'cd, Tliey did not kill a single person, STORIES 255 Numu ji kpele i ha. Tl ya we gboma, Ke nuDga ti ya, INIahei na i loa. I gbate na liu. (But) this people all died. They did not do it again. And people went away, That king was left (alone). He jjrew rich there. Ishovoa. It is linished. XVI. The Women lohose CJiild refnnied to Life, and her Enemj/. Nyapoi mia avo. Ta ngi bfinga ti gbo hini ma. Ti hini kpatengo. T gbC'ma, I ndo leni. Ngi mbanga ti ndonga lo gboto. I wa Mori ma. Ye, pe ngi ndo lo. Ivc ]\Iori pea. Ke i ndo lea ; Xyaha lo. Ngi loi nyandongo ; 1 Is ngi mbanga ti nda lenge nasia ma. Ke ngi mba-nyaliei i lolo ;i Ke ngi loi na ke i gbelii. Ko ti wa Sandi liu. Dupoi la Al;ing-woni. Kti ti ti gbia ,S;tndi lifi. Maiiwoni nyandongo wa, I lewe ngi niba Sandi yoi nasia ma. Ke nyapoi ngi mba nyahoi Ke i liiiiia lenf'a Tliere was once a woman. 8he and her companions shared a husband. Their husband was rich. She was barx'en, She bore no child. Her companions bore many chil- dren. She came to a Mori man. She said, Make me l)ear a child. And the Mori man did so. And she bore a child ; It was a girl. Her child was a fine one ; It was Ihier (lit. it passed) than lier companions' cliildren. And her fellow-wife hated her. And her child reached puberty. And they came into the " Saudi " bush. The girl's name was Mang-woni. And they came out of thi' Sandi bush. .Mahwoni was very beautiful, She passed her companions in the Sandi busli. And the woman's fellow-wife Made wiiclicraft STORIES 257 ISTgi mbai nyahei loi ma, Ke i bona lenga IMai'iwoni ma. Ke i ha. ISTyapoi i wolo ; I welnga ngau nani ; Ngi loi yakpoi i wunga ngau nani. Ke ndobela ke ti nori ma- mam an gol Xdopoi hani. I li ndo. Ke pumo gowoli ke i lo angie. Ke ta ta ti so wea. Ropoi ke pumoi i ngi go a navij gboto. Nyapiji i wolo ngi loi va ngau nani na. Ke pumoi na ta be ngi yafe na. Ke i nyapoi mamamau loa. Ye, nyapoi ji ge ngi ngi mamamau loma. Kgi ngi loi yama ngelema- hu. Kpindi na ke nyapGi i la. Ke i henga, a pumoi na, Ta ngi loi ti beni kotu wele hu, ISTavo gboto. Dopoi ye pumoi ma, Ye, ngi nji lo. Ke punioi ndea nyapoi ma. Ye, ngi bi mamamuu golo. Ye, ngole ji gbi ba pile ngelemahu. 17 Against her companion's daugh- ter, She made witchcraft against Maiiwoni. And she died. The woman wept ; She wept for four montlis ; She wept for her only child four months. And the dwellers in the lower world felt sorry for her. The girl died. She went to the lower world. And a white man loved her. And he and she married. And the white man gave the girl much money. The woman wept for her child those foui' months. And that white man he too was a spirit there. And he saw the woman's sorrow. He said, I have seen this wo- man's sori'ow for a long time. I will return her child to the land of the living. That night the woman lay down. And she dreamt of that white nian , (That) he and her child lived in a stone house, (AYith) plenty of money. The girl said to the white man, Saying (that) it is her mother. And the white man said to the woman, He said, I feel sorry for you, He said, Making all tliis wccp- ini,' in the land of tlio living. 258 THE :\IEX1)K LAN(4UAGI-: Ye, ny;i meiua ndo Kolongo bi lui ji liindahu. Ye, ngelewa sina, Ye, bi li bi loi gambe ma. Ye, bi segbule biimbu, Bi gbe ngale ma, Ke konde bumbu ; Li bi lr> kambc ma. Ye, bi loi, ye, nga velioma .sina ; I wa bi gama. Ye, kulongo le. Ngelewo i konde bumbu, Ke .segbule, Ke ngale ; Hi. I ngale fombo kambe ma, I konde lo kambe ma, I .segbule ho niba. Ke pumoi nde ngi ma a kpindi, Ye, V)i lui i gbia sina ka- mbe liu. Ye, ba humbu a gbunde ma. Ye, gbema ! A tei gala .sawa. I wa l)i gama ; Bi hr.. Ke ngelewa nyapoi i hi kambe ma. I ngule yla. Ye Mahwoni ! Ya ha Bondo. He said, I am healing down below All about your child'.s affair. He .said. At daybreak to-morrow, He said, go to your child's grave. He said, Take your rattle, Add the mat to it. And take the mortar (foi' pound- ing grain) ; Cto and put them on the grave. He .said. Your child, he said, I will present her (to you) to- morrow ; She will come to you. She said, All right. At daybreak she took the mortar, And the rattle, And the mat ; She went. She spread the mat on the grave, She stood the mortar on the grave, Slie held up her rattle. And the white man told her in the night. He said, Your child will come out to-morrow from the grave. He said, Do not be in a hurry to embrace her. He said, Stop ! She will go round the town three times. Slie will come to you ; Catch her. And at dayl)i'eak the woman sat at the grave. She .sang. She said, Manwoni ! Go to-day to the Bondo bush (same as Sandi bush). STORIES 259 Manwoni wa ! Nyapoi i ngule na yla. Hawa pu gbe ma Ke ndopoi ke i gbia kambe hu. " iSTgi wui na kani gboli na pun hondro nugboyongo. Ngi lokoi ji gbi kani pumoi feni. I gbia, I li a pime, I tei gala sawa, I wa ngi njei gama. Ke ngi njei bundea ma. Ke navoi na kpi, Ke kambe na, Ke i wotea kotu wele ; Tawai i le na. Nyapoi na i ndoi leni, Ke i gbate a ngelemahu. Ke ngi mba nyahei ke i na loa, Ke i gbalea ngima. Ke ngi nda Igi na ke i yiama, Ye, gbe ? Gba ti nda lenga ta ha, Ta ti gbate ; Bia be ha. Ye, ha-oh ! Gi gbate. Ke i bona lea be ngi loi ma. Ke ngi loi ha. Ke ti kpowua Ngi mba nyahei nda loi gambc belanga. Ke nyahei na ke ta be i yia pumdi gama ; 1 wolo lo fere. ^ Manwoni, come ! The woman sang that song. In ten hours' time The girl came out of the grave. Her head was of gold, twenty hundred pounds' worth. Her arm was all gold that the white man gave her. She came out, She went running, She went round the town three times, She came to her mother. And her mother embraced her. And all that money, And the grave, It turned into a stone house ; It was finer than any in the town. That woman she bore the child, And she was rich in the world. And her fellow-wife saw that, And it hurt her. And she used to scold her own child. Saying, Why is it 1 Other people's own children die, They grow i-ich ; (But) you will not die. She said, Die ! (So that) I get rich. And she made witchcraft also against her child. And her child died. And they buried it Near the grave of her fellow- wife's own child. And that woman she too howled at the white man ; She wept two days. 260 THE MENDE LANGUAGE Piuiioi be, udopoi nji i yia nya gama lo fere ; Ye, ngi nje golo ji wi Icma. Ye, nga ngama lo sina. Ke nyapoi be i henga a pumui, Ye, Ava sina bi ngule yia bi loi gambe ma. Ye, ngi gbema i wa bi gama. Ke nyapoi i henga. Ngelewo T yie (yiai) numu woma. Ke i yn, Ke ta be ke i ngale wu- mbiia, Ke i segbula wumbiia, Ke i konde bumbvia, Ke i ya kambe ma. I konde loa kambe ma, Ke i ngale vomljoa kambe ma, Ke i segbule liua mba, Ke i ngule yia. Ye, Miiinvoni ! Ye, ya ha Bon do ! Man- woni wa ! Ke ngi loi i gbia kambe hu, I fi} be ngi bwambu. I ll loni. Ngi loi a gbia kambe hu. A boyo, Ke i gbundea ma. Ke ngi Ini i lea ndia, Ke i kuti (kutu = short) na i lo n2felova. The white man too (said), This girl's mother has been howling at me foi' two days ; He said, her mother is making this weeping. He said, I will send her back to- morrow. And the woman dreamt of the white man, (That) he said, Come to-morrow and sing at your child's grave. He said, I will let her come to you. And the woman dreamt. At daybreak she spoke to no- body. And she went, And she too took a mat. And she took a rattle. And she took the moi'tar, And she went to the grave. She stood the mortar on the grave, And she spread the mat on the grave, And she held up the rattle, And she sang. She said, Manwoni ! She said, Go to-day to the Bondo bush ! Manwoni, come ! And her child came out of the grave, as far as its arm-pits. She did not restrain hvv heart. Her child comes out of the grave. It is not finished, J5ut she embraced her. And her child was cut in half, And part lemained above ground. STORIES . 261 Ke navoi i gbia, And the money came out, Ke i maluvea a konde guti And it changed into half of the na kambe ma, mortar on the grave. Nyapoi na ge na mia wo That was the fate of that woman. Tolo I nyandeni. Jealousy is not good. XYJI. Tlip Dream that vauislied thromjli Disobedience. 'i amo mia wo. There was once a man. Ta Dgi mbanga ti li njei hu. He and his friends went to the water. Ti kpele kaha ti yeya. All of them had baskets. A mba-le kpt7'i. J t was cutting time. Ti hijia. They got vip. Ti li, They go. Ti fo njei ma. They reach the water. Dole gbongo ngi la. His mouth was very hunger. I kpohui gbia ngi gabei He took the flour from the top of mahu, his basket, I me, He ate. Ngi goi ve. His belly was tilled. Hi, He went, Ke i ligbi ngi gaheima. And he leaned against his basket. Kc i y;i, And he went. Ke i yinga. And lie slept. A yini ke i lieiiga. As he slept he dreamt. Ke i gbia tawailiu. And he went out of the town. Kf i ya ta maliei gama. And he went to the king of the town. Ke ta luai i Innga angie. And the king of the town liked him. Ke i ngi gonga a nyaha. And he gave him a wife. Ye, mu hei na mbe. He said, You stay here with us. Ye, ba ya li wu yei. He said, Uo not go l)ack to your country. Fa, nya loi ji j.j. So marry my daughter. 1 )<.>p(.ii belango. The girl is full giown. Ta mni ye, ngi kurua. The man said, J accept. 262 STORIES 263 Ke ta be mani yatemo ISTow he was a trap setter. angle. I li dogboi hu. I mani yate hu guhango. Jiei ji nynko na a li Takwa. Ke i ya, Ive i kotu wai malea. Koti belengo Kea nu vu na. Ke man! i yatoa, Ke i gboyoa. Kgelewo i li na. Ke i huei wa pu a ngende na. Ke i lewea la. Ke i gbianga koti mahu. KotI ye, Kpana ! I wote. I moli, ye, Yo njiei leni ? Ye, nya le. Ye, bia bi ye 1 Ye, nya na koti". Yo, gbele? Ye, ba, li a luiei na. Ye, gbe? nya kei. Ye, fe be gi me. Hingdei na dogboi na hu i gua na fo yira ; Kumu gbi ta ngu ta gba- hama. Ye, huei ve ngi me. Ga bi V)ate lo. Ye, nya kei ! He went into the busli. He made a tiup far away. The journey was as far as Tarkwa (i. e. from Sekondi ^, Gold Coast). And he went, And he met a large rock. The rock was beai'ded Like a living person. And he constructed the trap, And it was finished. At daybreak he went there. And he killed ten beasts on that morning. And he passed on. And he came out on the rock. The rock said, Kpana I He turns. He asks, saying. Who spoke? It said, It is I. He said, Who are you ? It said, I am the rock. He said. What is the matter ] It said. Do not take away that meat. He said, What is it, my father ? It said. Give it here for me to eat. It said, I will make you rich. (That affair in the bush had lasted now one year ; Everybody got tired of trying to wake him.) It said, Give me the meat to eat I will make you rich. He .said, My father ! The storv wiis told nu- at Sclcdiidi 2CA TllK MEXDE LANGUAGE Ye, nga huei ji fe biyc Ye, ngi wa lo jiei hu. Ta mahei i ngi loi vea iiil)e. Ye, ngi jolo. Ke nya va navo gbi nl yeya ( = nya yeya). 3l;ini yatemo bama ange. iiuei ji mia ga pa, Ga fe mahei we. Tamia nga pile nya hingdei a ne ngi iThfi, A gbwe ngi Icli ji liinda ma mbe. Ye, bfi gili a n;i. Ke ndakpaloi ke i huei vea k(jti ye, hiia pu. Kpele gbi kotl a na wile a dakpaloi na. Ke ti ndakpaloi nyaliei wua Sandihu. Gau nani i 8andi hu, Hani gbi dakpaloi i fe nya- ha gami. Dakpaloi i wa dogboi hu kotl gaina. Ye, kekc, Ye, bC' wo l)a nya baolo. Ye, tia nya nyahei gbiama Sandi hu. Ye, ba gili a, na. Y'e, ndole ji gbele, ye, toko nya yeya. Kotl i nde ndakpaloi ma, Ye, bi ya hu-i-yi fele, Bi wa nya gama. Ke i ya liu-i-yi fele. 1 1 e said, I give you this meat. He said, I killed it on my journey, 'i'he king of the town gave me his daughter, He said I should marry her. -Vud as for me I have no money. 1 am a poor trap setter. It is this meat I kill, So that T may give it to the king. Therefore I (try to) make my work (lit. affair) please his heart, (Because) he has left alone (said nothing about) his daughter's affair. It said, Do not trouble aljout that. And the young man gave the meat to the rock, ten beasts. Every time the rock did so with that young man. And they put the young man's wife into the 8andi bush. Slie was four months in the Haudi bush, 'i'he young man gave nothing for the woman. 'I'lie young man came into tlie bush to the I'ock. lie .said. My father, You said before you would set me up (lit. cure). He said, They are bringing my wife out of the Sandi bush. It said, Do not troubleal)out that. It said, All this country, he said, their liand belongs to me. The rock said to the young man, He said. Go away for two days, (And) come to me. And he went away for t\\o