^mi 
 
OUTLI 
 
 GRAMMAR OF THE VEI LANGUAGE, 
 
 TOGETHER WJTH A 
 
 YEI-EXGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 AND AN 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY AND NATURE OF THE VEI 
 
 MODE OF SYLLABIC WRITING. 
 
 BY S. W. KOELLE, 
 
 CHURCH MISSIONARY. 
 
 LONDON 
 
 CHURCH MISSIONARY HOUSE, 
 
 SALISBURY SQUARE. 
 
 1854. 
 
'* 
 
 eiToltjae re i^ evog aijuUTog 
 
 irav edvo^ avdpwirwp 
 KUTOiKeiv eTTt Trav to "Trpcacoirov Ttjg 7^?. 
 
 St. Paul, Acts xvii. 26. 
 
 
 W. M, W'atU, Crown Court, Temple Bar. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 7Lsi<y\ 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Preface i — vi 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 §. 1. Ethnological Relationship of the Vex Language, 1 
 I. Affinity with Indo-European, Semitic, and Afri- 
 can Roots 1 
 
 II. Languages belonging to the Manderrga Stock . . 10 
 
 III. Illustration of peculiarities of the Vei Language. . 11 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 §. 2. Sounds and Orthography 14 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Etymology of the Parts of Speech. 
 
 ^. 3. General 19 
 
 ^. 4. Etymology of Substantives 19 
 
 §. 5. Etymology of Pronouns 23 
 
 I. Personal and Possessive Pronouns 23 
 
 II. Reflective Pronoun 24 
 
 III. Demonstrative Pronouns 24 
 
 IV. Interrogative Pronouns 26 
 
 V. Reciprocal Pronoun 26 
 
 §. 6. Etymology of Adjectives 26 
 
 ^. 7. Etymology of Numerals 27 
 
 iviS5907 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 §. 8. Etymology of Verbs 32 
 
 §. 9. Etymology of Adverbs 35 
 
 §. 10. Etymology of Postpositions 38 
 
 §. 11, Etymology of Conjunctions 39 
 
 §. 12. Etymology of Interjections 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 §. 13. Convertibility of Words 40 
 
 CHAPTER V. . 
 
 §. 14. On the Accent 43 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Law of Euphony. 
 
 §. 15. Physical Law of Euphony 45 
 
 §. 16. Psychical Law of Euphony 56 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 On Composition and Decomposition. 
 
 §. 17. Composition 58 
 
 §. 18. Decomposition 59 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Figures of Speech and Figurative Language. 
 
 §. 19. Figures of Speech 62 
 
 §. 20. Figurative Language 64 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 §. 21. On Propositions 73 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 §. 22. Peculiar Suffixes 78 
 
 I. m 78 
 
 II. Wi 81 
 
 III. TVe 82 
 
 lY. Ke 83 
 
 V. Wa 85 
 
 VI. 0,u, ou 85 
 
 VII. I. 86 
 
 VIII. AflSinity between some of them 87 
 
 IX. iRo 88 
 
 X. Re 90 
 
 XI. A, ra, da 91 
 
 XII. Na 93 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Syntax of the Parts of Speech. 
 
 ^. 23. Syntax of Substantives 94 
 
 §. 24. Syntax of Pronouns 97 
 
 I. Personal and Possessive Pronouns 97 
 
 II. Reflective Pronouns 105 
 
 III. Demonstrative Pronouns 106 
 
 IV. Inten'ogative Pronouns 109 
 
 V. Reciprocal Pronoun 110 
 
 ^. 25. Syntax of Adjectives Ill 
 
 ^. 26. Syntax of Numerals 112 
 
 §■ 27. Syntax of Verbs 116 
 
 §. 28. Syntax of Adverbs 128 
 
 §. 29. Syntax of Postpositions 131 
 
 §. 30. Syntax of Conjunctions 133 
 
 5). 31. Syntax of Interjections 140 
 
 Vei-English Vocabulary 143 
 
COREIGENDA. 
 
 PAGE. LINE. 
 
 11 5 read 
 
 11 23 dele 
 
 13 5 & 13 read 
 
 17 17 
 
 21 16 
 
 21 32 
 
 22 4 & 5 
 22 23 & 24 
 32 last 
 37 4 
 
 37 22 
 
 38 24 
 47 14 
 
 50 7 
 
 51 1 
 51 6 
 51 25 
 60 4 
 85 20 
 
 103 9 
 
 105 16 
 
 106 bottom 
 118 33 
 
 149 24—26 
 
 157 26 
 
 156 1 & 2 
 
 165 1 & 2 
 
 166 10 
 
 175 30 
 
 176 28 
 179 bottom 
 
 Mande /or Mani. 
 the 
 
 for . 
 and ofor and o. 
 
 donna and don for donna and d9n-. 
 ha for be. 
 kori for kori. 
 ko /or ko. 
 mboro/or mboro. 
 ke for ek. 
 kbmu/or komu. 
 ko for ko. 
 
 food /or foot, and dom-fen /or dom-fcn. 
 kurira /or korira, ard kuri /or kori. 
 thee;" keima /or keima. 
 aroitonge /or arbiton* ge. 
 akene /or akena. 
 ko for ko. 
 come /or gone, 
 here /or bere. 
 denu /or dinu. 
 ke/or ke. 
 the verb substantive for the verb, the 
 
 substantive. 
 ho for bo. 
 don/or don. 
 lawful /or natural, 
 proper /or natural, 
 anliegen for verliegen. 
 to be white /or to white, 
 gbere/or gbare. 
 civet-cat for cive-tcat. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The following Outlines and Vocabulary are the result of a five 
 months' residence (from November 1850 to March 1851) in the 
 Yei country, both at Wakoro (Cape Mount) and Dshaiaro (the 
 Gallinas). But with the best will, one cannot do in Western 
 Africa what he might do elsewhere. The intense and perse- 
 vering exertion reqmred for the cultivation of an unwritten lan- 
 guage, cannot but bring on fever in this land of fevers. My 
 work was twice interrupted by fever during the five months, and 
 I here gratefully acknowledge the goodness of God that it has 
 been only twice. Besides tliis, a civil war was raging in the 
 country, which, during the first half of my residence, proved a 
 hindrance to my object. For a fortnight I was left alone with my 
 servant in a hut, all the natives of the place havuig fled, from 
 fear of a daily-expected attack of the enemy. In addition to 
 this comes the great unfitness of unlettered natives for literary 
 pm'suits, and the difficulty to keep them employed in such a work 
 for any length of time. As one of them said to me, '* A black 
 man is not able to sit down a whole day in one place, and to do 
 notlung but book-palaver." This statement will, I feel assured, 
 bespeak the indulgence of the Reader to the degree of imperfection 
 in which the Vei Grammar appears. Yet the study of a language 
 in the very country where it is spoken, has always its decided advan- 
 tages ; and the above statement can therefore be considered, at the 
 same time, as an invitation to expect from the following pages at 
 least a little more light on the still dark field of African languages. 
 The plan which I consider safest and speediest in reducing 
 
11 PREFACE. 
 
 languages is this: — first, to write from the moutli of natives a 
 certain amount of stories, songs, descriptions, &c. ; then to 
 translate them with the aid of one who understands some En- 
 glish; and next to deduce the grammar from it. This is the 
 plan I pursued in Vei. I wrote and translated 170 pages, 
 30 of which were dictated by a young man who understands 
 English pretty well; 30 by Momoru Doaru Wonye, or Johii 
 Sandfish, the same who had been employed by Captain Forbes, 
 and who also speaks English a little; 70 by Kari Bara Ndore 
 Wano, the author of one of the manuscripts referred to in 
 the narrative of my Vei journey of 1849, who speaks only a 
 few words of English; and the remauiing 40 by three elderly 
 men, who do not miderstand a word of English. When I thus 
 wrote, I did not understand what I was writing, but merely 
 entrusted to the paper, in simple and consistent orthography, the 
 sounds which I was hearing. Hence it often happened, that, in 
 writing, I had separated into two words what was only one, or 
 united into one what really were two. But this mode of proceed- 
 ing enabled me, easily to discover phonetic changes, with wliich 
 I should, perhaps, not have been struck, had there been in my 
 memory a distinct image of the individual word before I heard it 
 used in the context. 
 
 I have made these remarks respecting the source from which 
 I drew my grammar, in order to account for the examples on 
 which the rules are based, and the contents of wliich may some- 
 times create a little surprise, and, more especially, to place the 
 force of these examples in the proper light. They are not 
 phrases which have first been formed in English for the purpose 
 that an interpreter might give the corresponding phrase in Vei, 
 and that thus a certain rule might be estabUshed ; but they are 
 talcen, with very few exceptions, from the context of native 
 speeches, made without reference to any particular rules. Rules 
 have not produced them, but they have produced the rules. 
 
PREFACE. Ill 
 
 The signification of the words in the Vocabulary was obtained 
 in the same way ; and every one must see how much safer that 
 is, than the easier and more convenient method of merely asking 
 an interpreter what a given word means in his own language. 
 From pursuing the latter plan, mistakes have been committed 
 like the following: "Give me a little" has been represented as 
 " some ;" " these people" as " they ;" " a black man" as " body ;" 
 " I want some " as " more," &c. 
 
 The territory over which the Vei language is spoken is small, its 
 most northern part being what has been called the Gallinas, and its 
 southern boundary. Half Cape Mount, being about a day's walk to 
 the south of Grand Cape Mount, and stretching not farther inland 
 than two days' journey, or about forty or fifty miles. At the 
 Gallinas, according to information received there, the Vei terri- 
 tory did not extend farther mland than fifteen or twenty miles, till 
 about twenty years ago, when the chiefs were instigated by Spa- 
 nish slave-traders to give it its present extent. To the north the 
 Vei language is bordered on by the Kirim language, from which 
 it is entirely different ; and to the south by the relics of the 
 Dewoi" language, with which also it has no particular affinity, and 
 by the English of the Republic of Liberia. 
 
 This shews that the Veiese must have come originally from the 
 
 interior, and taken possession of the above-described line of coast. 
 
 Similar inroads appear to have been made on other parts of the 
 
 coast ; for the interior tribes are always jealous of the advantages 
 
 of those close to the sea, from whom they have to obtaui by barter, 
 
 sea-salt, European commodities, &c. But in addition to these 
 
 general reasons, there is still a direct tradition among the Vei people 
 
 themselves, to the effect that they emigrated from a district of the 
 
 Miini comitry, under the command of the two brothers, Fabule 
 
 and Kiatamba, conquered part of the coast, and settled where 
 
 they now are. 
 
 The question therefore arises, Whence did they get the name 
 
 b 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 of Vei ? With regard to this point I did iiot get any satisfactory- 
 answer from themselves : they appeared to have no opinion what- 
 ever on the subject. One of two things, therefore, is hkely to 
 have happened : either they retained the name, not, indeed, of the 
 country, but of the district from which they emigrated, or they 
 assumed the national name of those wliom they conquered. The 
 former does not appear to have been the case ; for the name of that 
 part of Mani where they came from was mentioned to me, but I re- 
 gret to say, nothing more rem.ains in my memory regarding it, than 
 the mere impression that it is very different from the word " Vei." 
 I therefore suppose the conquering IManis appropriated to tliem- 
 selves, not onl}^ the country, but also the name of the people 
 whom they had conquered. This would be the more natural if 
 their emigration had been caused by intei'nal dissension at home, 
 a thing which often takes place among African tribes ; for thus 
 they would have more fully established their distmction from, and 
 independence of, their mother-country. 
 
 As to the time, also, when this conquest may have taken place, 
 I could gain no accurate information. A very old chief, probably 
 ninety or more years of age, was pointed out to me as the son of 
 one of the great conquerors ; but the w'ord "son" being used for 
 grandson and descendant also, this is not decisive. If we compare 
 the dialects spoken by the Manis and Veis, we discover a ditlc- 
 rence which can scarcely have arisen in less than a couple of cen- 
 turies. So far back we shall therefore be compelled to date that 
 conquest, on the assumption that the language of the emigrating 
 and remaining Manis has been quite identical. But as it is possible 
 that slight dialectic differences may have existed before the emiifra- 
 tion, the present difference of language caimot be looked upon as a 
 positive proof that such a conquest did not take place later. But, 
 at any rate, it cannot have happened later than a century ago, for 
 circumstances connected with it have already assumed the full cha- 
 racter of fables. Near tlie town of DiitTa, e.g., at the foot of tliQ 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 Kong behind Cape Mount, there is a piece of water which they call 
 " Zontori," and the reason why it bears that name is as follows : — 
 At the time of the conquest, when Zong, the king of the place, had 
 lost his warriors in the battle, he fled mto the forest with Tori, his 
 queen : there they met a benigii being of the other world, who 
 showed them a way doAvn into the regions vmder the T\'ater, the 
 happy abode of the departed. Thither all the wai-riors followed them, 
 and the rest of their subjects. There they now enjoy an existence 
 fi'ee from care and full of pleasm'e, and the sound of their songs, 
 or the noise of their feasts and frolics, are sometimes heard by the 
 living during the silence of the night. But when this happens, 
 they consider it an evil omen, generally prognosticating the death 
 of some person : if the noise is very great, the death of a chief; 
 or, in case the songs somid like sdnde songs, the death of a 
 woman. It therefore always spreads alarm when the Zontori 
 people make themselves heard in their wide dominions mider 
 the water. 
 
 It is right here to state, that I had a forerunner in writing 
 on the grammar of the Vei language. I allude to the gramma- 
 tical remarks of E. Norris, Esq., in a pamphlet entitled, " Des- 
 patch communicating the discovery of a native-written character, 
 &c., by Lieut. F. E. Forbes, R. N." And I gladly embrace this 
 opportunity to express my high esteem of that gentleman's phi- 
 lological skill, of the perseverance he displayed in the very dif- 
 ficult way in which he had to gain his acquaintance with the 
 Vei language ; and, considering the poor and insufficient means at 
 his command, of the success, also, Avhich accompanied his praise- 
 worthy endeavom-s. He has the honour to have discovered 
 before me the absence of declension in the noun, the use of some 
 particles, e.g. ni, after the verb, and some peculiarity in the use of 
 pronouns, &c. But, of com'se, it was altogether impossible, with his 
 imperfect means, to obtaui a clear view of many things which the 
 following pages will explain. 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 Neither can I let this opportunity pass, without bearing testi- 
 mony to the credit due to Lieut. F. E. Forbes for his discovery of 
 the fact, that the natives at Cape Mount possessed a mode of writ- 
 ing of their own. I have mj'self seen the few indistinct characters, 
 Avritten with charcoal on the walls of a house, which had first 
 attracted his notice : at present, I regret to add, they ai'e no longer 
 visible, the house havmg been whitewashed. It required an ob- 
 serving eye, of no common order, to be struck with these new and 
 indistmct chai'acters. Many Englishmen had passed that house, 
 but it appears none stopped to examine these strange signs, except 
 Lieut. Forbes. 
 
 And now, may the following pages, the result of many an 
 hour's lonely labour in tropical Africa, be not found altogether 
 useless, but may they contribute a mite to the furjherance of 
 the cause of Him who has declared himself to be the King of 
 Truth! 
 
 S. W. KOELLE. 
 
 FouiiAH Bay, Siekra Lkone, 
 
 Jtdij26, 1851. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE VEX LANGUAGE 
 
 The Bible teaches us that once "the whole earth was o/"one language 
 and o/'oNE speech;" and likewise, that in a miraculous wag "the 
 Lord did confound the language of all the earth" This accounts 
 both for the features o/" affinity and the deep-going difference 
 between the languages of mankind. 
 
 I. In illustrating the affinity of Jei roots with roots of other 
 languages, it must of course be presupposed as generally 
 acknowledged, that one and the same root may appear in dif- 
 ferent languages as a different part of speech ; it may, e. g., be 
 a noun in one language, a verb in another, a preposition in a 
 third : that the consonants are the more important and stable 
 element of language, whereas the vowels are subordinate and 
 easily changeable : that, frequently, the first consonant of a root 
 is the first in rank, and the others become of less importance, in 
 the same proportion as they are distant from the first : and, 
 lastly, that certain consonants are so closely allied, that they 
 may be substituted, one for the other, without affecting the 
 meaning. Besides these general principles, some peculiarities 
 of the Vei language must be taken into consideration. Its 
 extreme tendency to simplicity and shortness, by means of 
 which most of its words are either monosyllables or dissyllables, 
 must greatly enhance the value of the single consonant which 
 Vei monosyllables may have preserved from polysyllabic roots. 
 The law regulating the distribution of consonants and vowels, 
 according to which each radical consonant is uniformly fol- 
 lowed by a vowel, must affect certain roots, either by the 
 ejection of consonants, or the insertion of vowels, in order to 
 
4 ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE 
 
 avoid the direct meeting of two or more consonants. The 
 aversion of the language to begin words with r or I produces a 
 regular change of these letters into d ; and its aversion to begin 
 words with vowels causes the general loss of initial vowels. 
 
 Now an attention to the principles here laid down will doubt- • 
 less enable the reader to see, what has often struck me during 
 the study of iMe -language, viz. that a number of Vei roots are 
 ijdoitieal 'or cognate with the Indo-European and Semitic roots. 
 I am not aware whether attempts have ever been made to iden- 
 tify the roots of Negro languages with those of other lingual 
 stocks. However that maybe, I hope that the subjoined catalogue 
 of compared roots will make the impression, that the sameness or 
 affinity of sounds therein exhibited cannot be accidental, but 
 must have a broader and surer basis. What else can that basis 
 be, but the common humanity which the Negro shares with 
 the Caucasian. The lingual world is just beginning to point 
 out that the Grammar of the Negro languages betrays the same 
 rational principles, the same general laws, the same regularity 
 and organism of structure, as the Grammar of other languages. 
 Can we be surprised, if we find a corresponding comprehensive- 
 ness in the vocabulary, and even some affinity in the roots ? 
 Professor Pott, an eminent German scholar, somewhere says : 
 '• Linguists, without being able to come up to the warmth and 
 vivacity of Mrs Beecher Stowe's writings, will yet obtain 
 the merit, by elucidating the reasonableness and general 
 human feelings in the idioms of torrid Africa, of contributing 
 greatly towards dispersing those prejudices, which consider the 
 mental qualification of the Negroes as much below the usual 
 standard of mankind, and their destination to approach closely 
 that of beasts of burden, so that it appears no great injustice 
 for the white man to force their arms and limbs into uncon- 
 ditional servitude, and to dispose of them in an arbitrary 
 manner." We trust that the following Grammar will not be 
 Avithout some contribution of tliis kind, although the Vei lan- 
 guage is by no means one of the most developed, but decidedly 
 one of the least developed of Negro languages. And even the 
 
VEI LANGUAGE. 5 
 
 Comparison of Roots we subjoin, in the hope that it will eon- 
 tribute a little towards exposing the entire groundlessness of 
 that anti- biblical assertion, that our black brethren in Africa 
 have an unadamitic origin. 
 
 Vei Hoots compared with Indo-European and Semitic Roots. 
 
 The Interjections are the same in the Vei as we find in most 
 other languages, as — a, e, o, ho, eio, hoio. 
 
 The Vei contains four Demonstrative Roots, all of which can 
 be easily recognised in both the Semitic and Indo-European 
 languages. But we must bear in mind that one and the same 
 demonstrative root frequently fixed itself in language, either as 
 a real demonstrative pronoun, or as an interrogative and re- 
 lative pronoun, or as an adverb, or even as a conjunction. 
 (Comp. §§. 102 — 105 of Ewald's " Ausfiihrliches Lehrgebiiude 
 der Hebraisehen Sprache.") 
 
 First Demonstrative Root. 
 Vei: me, tliis; mil, this, it; we'jia, which? mbe, which? what? 
 me, adv. here, there; mhe, why? mina, where? 
 
 Semitic: ^1^, who? TlT^, what? ^, quis? U, quid? 
 
 ns, here; HD^b^, where? 
 Indo-European : tto/o? ? iroTepov ? ttcoj ? Germ, wer ? wo ? Engl, 
 who ? where ? 
 
 Second Demonstrative Root. 
 Vei : nie, adv. here ; mi, yonder. 
 
 Semitic : nT\ (for ri;i-:iri), «r, ^). 
 
 Indo-European : Sansk. «T, stirps demonstrativa ; Gr. vvv-vv ; 
 Lat. en. 
 
 Third Demonstrative Root. 
 Vei : he, this, that ; dso, who ? kama, what ? how much ? 
 he, adv. there, then, thus ; kdma, how? 
 ke, conj. then, that, whether. 
 
 Semitic : Hj?, this ; 1 J, is ; HID, thus ; "^3, conJ. that. 
 Indo-European: Sanks. fcRir, quid (r. c|r); Hindust. ^ ( = dso) 
 
6 ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE 
 
 who ? 1^^, who ? which ? Gr. kwj ? Ko-repov ? Lat. 
 quis ? quid ? 
 
 Fourth Demonstrative Root. 
 Vei he, heye, here, there ; hi, if, and. 
 
 Semitic : ^11, H^H, "II ? fc^^tl ; lJ^ , y^, from ft- + j. 
 Indo-European : W., hie ; f^, particula interrogativa ; G, 6, of ;• 
 L. hie ; G. hier, hin, her ; E. he, here. 
 The Personal Pronouns do not exhibit so striking a similarity 
 yet some may be discovered, and we feel inclined to compare 
 
 n, na, (I, my) with H. "i^t^ ; A. 131 
 
 /,, ya, (thou, thy,) with the suffix i, which, in Sindi, is the 
 possessive pronoun of the second person singular. 
 
 a, a, wa (he, his) with H. T (suff.), t^^H ; A. y&, which 
 Fiirst supposes to be a compound of two separate de- 
 monstrative roots, ha and wa. 
 
 mu (we, our) with S. ^tjpt, nos; G. rjixeT^; L. nos ; G. mir ; 
 E. we. Compare also the singular G. mich ; E. me. 
 
 wu (ye, your) with S. ^^, vos ; Gr. i^/^e^f ; L. vos ; Fr. 
 vous. 
 
 Of the Numerals, only two admit of a comparison with Indo- 
 European roots, viz. — 
 
 fera, two, with S. vx, alius; Sindi "3, duo; L. par, bis, 
 bini ; G. paar ; E pair. Compare also the Vei pere 
 also, too. 
 
 tan-, ten; with S. ^^^, decern: Gr. §e/ca; L. decern; Goth, 
 tailmn ; G. zehn ; E. ten. 
 
 The remaining words which we should like to compare, may 
 here follow in alphabetical order. 
 
 be, to live, to exist, be ; here, to be not; we, to be (as copula); 
 were, to be not, cannot, may not. 
 S. w, esse; Gr. ^tJco ; L. fu-i, fu-turus, fo-re ; G. bi-n ; 
 
 E. be. 
 In Hebrew we might compare 11^)1 and H^rr for 
 rfjn and rrin, of which the first and last aspi- 
 rates may be easily lost, so that only iv or b remains ; 
 and tlie negative bere, were, may remind us of 71 ''71. 
 
VEI LANGUAGE." 7 
 
 6era, to fall; S. xyf , cadere, iB^ findi, dirumpi ; Hindust. 
 U«>, cadere ; Gr. o-c^ctAAco ; L. fallo ; G. fallen ; E. fall ; 
 
 H. n^s, ^li^ ; A. Jj^. 
 here, to pass ; S. tr and XHT , trajicere ; Gr. Trepdoi, iropo^ ; 
 L. per ; G. fahren, Fahrmann ; E. ferry, fare ; H. 12V ; 
 
 A.j^. Compare also Vei fere, to barter. 
 
 bq, to come out of ; H. i^iS ; A. ^b ; S. ttt, '' ire ; Gr. (Brj, 
 
 ^i^rjjxi, (Baivco. 
 bun; to bend, bow ; S. vtit , flectere, curvare ; Gr. (pevyu ; 
 
 L. fugio (a vertendo dicta) ; G. biegen, beugen, Bogen ; 
 
 E. bow, bend. 
 di, light, flame ; S- f^, splendere ; f^^, ccelum ; Gr. A/-of 
 
 (Zevg) ; L. dies, sub divo. Compare also H. 'I'ib^ and 
 
 T T 
 
 dia, quick ; S. wn, celer ; ^, ire, to which Bopp remarks 
 Goth, aims mihi ortum esse videtur ex primitiva hujus 
 radicis forma ^T: ; Hib. ria = he will arrive, ria = run- 
 ning, speed. 
 
 dse, to see ; dsa, eye ; S. 'ST"^, oculus ; ^^, videre ; foF, scire ; 
 Hib. ci, to see ; Gr. oarao, okko ; L. oculus ; G. Auge, 
 E. eye. 
 
 dsi ( = gi), water ; S. 5Tq5, aqua ; Hib. grj^^aqua ; L. gelu ; 
 Goth, kalds = f rigidus ; Lith. szala = gelascit. 
 
 duma, earth, soil ; H. n?2"Tt^ ; A. \x>d. 
 
 ' T T - : ♦• 
 
 /a, father ; pa, Mr., Sir ; S. ftJTT, iTrT, pater, which Bopp 
 derives from tn, servare, nutrire, and sufF. it; Gr. Tiarrjp ; 
 
 L. pater ; G. Vater ; E. father ; H. 2i;«i ; A. l_->^. 
 fa, to die, kill, death ; S. '^, occidere, perdere ; Gr. (ftoveoi, 
 
 (povo^ ; L. fendere, funus ; E. funeral. 
 fa, full, to fill ; S. tl, TIT, implere, satiare ; G. 7r//i-7r\>;-/x/ ; 
 
 L. impleo, plenus; G. voll, fiillen ; E. full, fill ; H. ^")2, 
 
 b^ip, t^vD, to be full ; A. j_^, ^^jj. 
 
 fira, wind, breath ; fe, to blow ; bdnda, sky, time ; S. ^, 
 flare, spirare ; ^^, ventus ; Goth, vo, flare ; Gr. avpa ex 
 aFpa, ovpog ex oFpos ; L. ventus, aura ; G. Wind ; E. wind. 
 
8 ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE 
 
 /o, to say ; fo, adv., clean, pure, truly ; S. "q, purificare, 
 lustrare : ht, splendere ; Gr. ^rj-jSi, eiiroi; L. purus, verus; 
 fa-ri, Old G. bar ; E. pure, bare. 
 
 fono, to vomit ; S. ^n vomo ; Gr. e//eco ; L. vomo ; E. 
 vomit. 
 
 fura, to bore ; H. "llS^n, 1t:^|) ; K. Ji; L. forare ; G. bohren- 
 
 E. bore, 
 /iari, all ; S. ^, quivis, omnis ; Pers.^fc ; Gr. o\o£ \ Goth. 
 
 alls ; G. alle ; E. all. 
 kdmba, grave; G. grab, grube, graben ; E. grave ; H. "^^p. ; 
 
 kdri, to break ; kere, war ; S. •». offendere, ferire, occidere : 
 G. Kepdcii, Kipvrjixi ; G. krieg ; L. cul-ter ; H. Vl)^ ; 
 
 y ^ ^ 
 
 A. ^j;. 
 
 litre, or kele, to call ; koari, to speak ; kure, word ; S. ^^, 
 cF^, 7T, sonare ; ^FtT. vox; t\%, clamare, crepare ; Gr. 
 KoKeui, d'y^eWco; L. garrire, canere, gallus ; G. gellen ; 
 
 E. cry, call, nightin-gale ; H. ^^"Ji^, v^p ; A. Jy, J^' 
 ki, to sleep ; ku, ken', house ; S. :5ft. domire ; Gr. Koi-Tt], 
 
 Kco-fxa ; L. quies ; Goth, hei-wa, domus ; Old G. hi-wo, 
 
 conjux, hi-wa, uxor; G. hei-m ; E. home. 
 koro, old; S. xixT, adv. olim, antequam ; tt^, gravis, vene- 
 
 randus ; Gr. yepcov ; G. Greis, grau ; E. grey. 
 kSso-koso, to cough; S. 'wm, id.; Lith, kostu ; G. husten. 
 kiiri, to go round, to carry round ; Gr. KtpKos ; L. circus ; 
 
 G. Kreiss ; E. circle ; H. "^SS for ^5-|5 ; A. ji' 
 kiiru, hinder-part, back ; kilnu, yesterday ; H, "TiHt^ ; 
 
 A. J^V 
 
 kuru, kerema, ha, great, big, large. Here a transmutation 
 of a labial into a guttural seems to have taken place, 
 a change occurring even in the Vei language itself, 
 e.g. kuw and wuiv, when ; kunda and biinda, to bend. 
 On the assumption of such a transmutation we recog- 
 nise the Vei root in S. "q^, multus ; Gr. -noKv^ ; L. plus 
 mul-tus ; Hib. mar, great, big ; G. viel. 
 
VEI LANGUAGE. 9 
 
 ma, not ; S. in, id.; Gr. firj ; H. TTHT^, to deny ; A. U, idem. 
 ma, to make ; S. iT?^ parare ; Gr. f^rjxo^, /Lt>;^av)) ; G. machen, 
 
 raogen ; E. make, might, may. 
 mdma, grandmother, probably = mother's-mother; ba, mother, 
 
 S. m^, mater, of which Bopp says, "ut mihi videtur a r. 
 
 HT ; Gr. f^ar^p ; L. Mater ; G. Mutter ; E. mother ; H. 
 
 D«; A. J. 
 
 mi, to drink ; H. ^'0, ^^72, water ; A. lU, id.; S. ■qr, bibere ; 
 
 Gr. TTivoi ; L. bibo ; G. bier ; E, beer. 
 ptne, all, whole ; Gr. irag, Traf-Tof ; L. finis ; E. finish. 
 ro, to say, to think ; Gr. eipco ; L. loquor ; S. '3, to which 
 
 Bopp remarks "hue trahimus etiam Gr. peo), p^[xa, ab- 
 
 jecta litterata initi^li, sicut j6eco=fluo, and apeo), <jpefo)=^ 
 
 ^^ifn." Compare also, S. tT, loqui ; Old G. redson ; 
 
 G. reden ; Goth, razda = sermo. 
 sen*, to say ; G. singen, sagen ; E. sing, say. 
 sere, to rise, ascend ; sere, very ; S. T?, ire, progredi ; thT, 
 
 eximus, optimus ; G. hehr, sehr ; E. rear. 
 St, to sit, set ; S. ^5, sidere, sedere ; Gr. eBoq, ei^ofxat ; 
 
 L. sedere, sidere ; G. sitzen, setzen, sinken ; E. sit, set, 
 
 settle, sink. 
 so, to stand ; S. ^T, stare ; G. icrTijfjLt ; L. sto ; G. stehen ; 
 
 E. stand. 
 sunda, to send ; G. senden ; E. send. Perhaps S. 5pr^, id. 
 sun', to gather, collect ; S. ^it, cum ; ^re, colligare ; Gr. (jvv- 
 
 ^vv ; G. sammeln, sammt : L. cum ; E. sum. 
 s'lisu, breast, teat ; S. ^g^oF, papilla ; Gr. TiTdr], nrdos ; G, 
 
 Zize ; E. teat. 
 ta, fire ; ta, to cook ; S. ^^^^, calor, ignis ; re, urere ; 
 
 Gr. Baio) ; Old G. taht, daht. 
 
 ta, go; H. nr\i;»t, to come, to go; A. \31' S. ^7, ire. 
 tdra, to tear ; S. ^, lacerare, dissecare ; Gr. §epu) ; L. tero 
 
 G. zerren ; E, tear. 
 teri, or teli, tale ; G. zahlen, erzahlen ; E. tell, tale. 
 
 tere or tele, sun; S, m,, id.; Gr. rjKios; L. sol; G. Sonne; 
 E. sun. 
 
10 ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF THE 
 
 vdnya, vein ; L. vena ; E. vein. 
 
 wiiTu, to will, like, wish; S. '^\, ^. optare, desiderare- 
 Gr. (SovKofjiai ; L. volo ; G. wollen, wahlen ; E. will ; 
 
 H. rrjS, to cut out, to choose ; A, ^jj). 
 wiiru, to bear, to beget; bira, to take; boro, hand, arm; 
 S. w, ferre ; HR, onus; Gr. (pepio; L. fero, pario, porto ; 
 G. Bahre, ge-baren ; E. to bear, bier ; H. n"|)9 . 
 
 Note. — This comparison of African roots could also be ex- 
 tended to the American languages. As an instance, we will 
 merely give the demonstrative roots of the Greenlandish, 
 which entirely coincide with the first three Vei demonstra- 
 tives mentioned above. They are taken from S. Kleinsch- 
 midt's " Grammatik der Gronlandischen Sprache," and are 
 as follows : 
 ma, " here." mana, " this." wo, " here, there." 
 
 na, nav, " where ?'"' suna, " what .^" hina, " who ?" 
 
 ik, " three, yonder." inga, " that, this." kia, kina, " who ?" 
 
 3. There is a very great difference between many of the 
 African languages ; and if once fully brought to light, they 
 are likely to separate into several distinct stocks of languages, 
 differing, perhaps, as widely from each other as do languages 
 of the Indo-European and Semitic stocks. The languages 
 spoken to the south of the Moon-mountains seem to form one 
 such stock — the South African; but the North- African lan- 
 guages are not yet sufficiently known to be thus classified. 
 
 I had here given a list of roots which are common to the 
 Vei and to other Nortli- and South-African languages not be- 
 longing to the Mande stock. But as the publication of this 
 Grammar has been delayed so long, that my " Polyglotta 
 Africana" will be out about the same time, the list is now 
 omitted, because the Polyglot furnishes a comparison of Vei 
 roots with roots of a great many other African languages. 
 
 II. Besides this radical and general affinity of the Vei with 
 European, Asiatic, and African languages, it also stands in a 
 more particular and immediate relationship with a number of 
 
VEI LANGUAGE. 1 1 
 
 African languages, with which it forms one common stock or 
 family — the Mande family. For an illustration of this closer 
 or family connexion of the Vei language we again refer to 
 the " Polyglotta Africana." 
 
 The Mani family of languages seems to occupy almost the 
 whole western part of High Sudan, between the 16th and 8th 
 degree of northern latitude, extending eastward to about the 
 longitude of Timbuctu, or the meridian of Greenwich. To- 
 wards the west it seems to have nowhere descended into that 
 narrow strip of lowland, which, from Senegambia right dov/n 
 to Cape Palmas, forms an intermediate step between High 
 Sudan and the Atlantic, except in the Vei country, and in 
 part of the present Mande territory. The lowland between 
 High Sudan and the sea is occupied by languages widely dif- 
 ferent from those of the Mande stock ; viz. the Kirim, Biilom, 
 English, Timne, Baga, Nalu, Bidsogo, Balanta, Pepel, Fulup, 
 
 Woiof, ^<c. 
 
 HI. Besides those already mentioned, there is another 
 class of words which the Vei has in common with Indo-Euro- 
 pean and Semitic languages (doubtless also with African 
 though I am not able to point them out). They have not 
 originally been part of the Vei language, but were adopted 
 through the intercourse with Europeans and Muhammad ans. 
 This adoption, however, could not be effected without subject- 
 ing the words to considerable changes. A comparison of the 
 form of these words before and after their adoption must 
 afford a striking illustration of the difference of the Vei from 
 those languages from which the words are borrowed. 
 
 The alteration to which these words had to be subjected 
 before they could easily flow in the Vei speech, invites us, at 
 the same time, to reflect on the still greater changes which, 
 in different ways, one and the same root may have had to 
 undergo, at that remarkable era of the world when an omni- 
 potent will had produced in the human mind such an asto- 
 nishing variation and diversifying tendency in conceiving 
 
12 ETHNOLOGICAL HELATIONSHIP OF THE 
 
 and expressing thoughts, as must have existed in the epoch 
 of the " separation of tongues," and when that " propensity 
 to variation was still in the greatest activity." Such reflec- 
 tions may free one from many a doubt and suspicion which a 
 first glance at the above identification of roots may have 
 awakened, and dispose the mind to that degree of faith 
 which even philology often requires, before she opens herself 
 for insight and comprehension. That they may serve this 
 purpose is an additional reason for introducing in this place 
 the following collection of words which have become natural- 
 ized in the Vei language. 
 
 From the English the following words are adopted, and more 
 or less generally understood : — Bed, V. beri or beli ; bowl, 
 V. boli and bori ; lamp, V. dampo ; ring, V. din, i e. finger- 
 ring or ear-ring ; jacket. V. dseti ; English-man, V. Dsengise- 
 mo ; French-man, V. Fasi-mo ; factory, V. fetere, and some- 
 times contracted into fete ; fork, V. furokia ; governor, V. go- 
 mere ; hundred, V. hondoro ; carpenter, V. kamundere and 
 kam'dere ; candle, V. kendere ; Curtis, a proper name, V. Koisi ; 
 coat, V. k5ti ; queen, V. kuini ; cucumber, V. kumbosu ; Ame- 
 rica, V. Mereke ; million, V. milen ; Monrovia, V. Mondovia ; 
 Parker, proper name, V. Paka ; pillow, V. puro and pulo ; 
 Sierra Leone, V. Saro" ; saucy, V. sasi ; sailor, V. sera and 
 sela ; sugar, V. suru and suga ; timber, V. timbere ; tumbler, 
 V. tombiiru ; trunk, V. torongu ; wine, V. waini ; waistcoat, 
 V. weskete. 
 
 Portuguese words are found sparingly : — Pote (pot), V. boda ; 
 janella (window), V. dsindera ; batel (boat), V. baa ; cebolla 
 (onion), V. sibara and siba ; verruma (gimlet), V. biiruma ; 
 trazado (sword), V., tasaro ; ])agar (pay), V. pawa and pa ; 
 tabaco (tobacco), V. tawa and ta ; Poro, doubtless a corrup- 
 tion of Portuguese, the first Europeans seen by the natives, 
 and now used for all foreigners of a white complexion. 1 
 
 The Spanish words are also few in number : — Barra (bar), 
 V. bara ; bendera (banner), V. bendera ; plata ? (silver), 
 V. patawa (dollar) ; mesa (table), V. masa. 
 
VEI LANGUAGE. 13 
 
 French and German words are these three : — Kuto*, coiiteau, 
 knife ; feti, Flote, flute ; Bonobazi, Buonaparte. 
 
 The Arabic words are chiefly (but not exclusively) used by 
 
 the Muharamadan Veis : — Alia, i.e. dS^\, God; aldsena, i.e. 
 
 'is^\ garden, paradise; Buraima and Buranyima, i.e. ^\J^, 
 
 Ibrahim, Abraham ; Darabu, i. e. c--^^ , Arab, Arabic ; dsaha- 
 
 nama and dsanarama, i.e. J>>^, hell; dunya, i.e. \j6ii, world; 
 
 kara (to read, to learn), i.e. \^, to read ; Madina (proper name 
 
 of a towTi), i. e. 'i^^ , town ; maraka, i. e. CiJio , angel ; Mina 
 
 (proper name of a town), from ^jX<\ , Amen. [This name was 
 
 given to the town, because, when once a number of Muhamma- 
 
 dans were permitted to reside there, they often repeated ^^y^ 
 
 (V. mina), Amen '.] Momoru, i.e. s.^, Muhammad ; sara, and 
 
 saraka, and sadaka, i.e. »J\i-<«, quicquid datur deo sacrum ; 
 
 setana, i.e. ^Uajj^, Satan; sala, i.e. 'i^ or 5^Lc, prayer; 
 
 tasabia, i. e. ^j^ , rosary, &c. 
 
 Nute. — But the language has not, in all instances, so pas- 
 sively received new names : it has made an endeavour, out 
 of its own resources, to provide appellations for the new ob- 
 jects which intercourse with Europeans and Americans has 
 brought before their eyes. And it has thus indicated what 
 will be a natural course for translating books, especially the 
 Bible, into African languages : expressions must be sought 
 for many new ideas in the deep mines of these languages 
 themselves, and this as much as possible ; recourse may then 
 be had, as far as necessary, to the adoption of words from 
 other languages. 
 
 Newly-formed Vei words of the description alluded to are 
 the following : — Te-bira-fen-, i. e. sun-catch-thing, or merely 
 tere-bira and te-bira, sun-catch, i. e. parasol, umbrella ; kan- 
 kiri-gbasa, neck-tie-kerchief, i.e. neckcloth ; Poro-kiinde, Eu- 
 
14 SOUNDS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 
 
 rope-fowl, i.e. duck; Poro-kondse, Europe-nut, i e. cocoa-nut ; 
 Poro-bana, Europe-plantain, i.e. banana; dende-mandsa, ves- 
 sel-chief, i.e. captain; sisi-dende, smoke-vessel, i.e. steamer; 
 bu, gun ; dua and duba, cannon ; bambanden-, bell ; karan-ken*, 
 learn-house, i. e. school ; karan-den, scholar ; karam-mo, school- 
 master; tawa-fumu or ta-fumu, tobacco-powder, i.e. snuflF; 
 e.g. na ta-fumie sa, I take snuft; tawara, pipe, from tawa, 
 tobacco ; ken-giira (cf. G. Beinkleider), leg-cloth, i.e. trowsers; 
 masama-mie, an on-the-table-knife, i. e. a table-knife ; masa sa, 
 to lay the table; fereke-fen", a behold-thing, i.e. spectacle, 
 telescope. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 SOUNDS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 
 
 §. 2. 
 
 On the must natural principle of Orthography, "ivi'ite as you speak," 
 the sounds of the Vei language can he represented ivith siifficient 
 accuracy by the following letters : 
 
 a, b, d, e, e, f, g, h, i, k, ra, n, n, o, o, 6, p, r, r. s, t, u, v, 
 w, y, z ; ds, gb ; au, ai, ei, ei, ou ou. 
 
 I. What our material body is, compared with the soul, much 
 the same are letters compared with sounds. Never will this 
 earthy body, be it ever so disciplined and refined, perfectly 
 correspond to the personal soul which it animates ; and never 
 will any system of orthography be developed into a full iden- 
 tity with the speech which it is to represent. We therefore 
 content ourselves with writing merely the chief and easily- 
 distinguishable sounds, leaving the more minute modifications 
 and finer transitions of sounds, which will always result from 
 the living flow of speech, to be acquired by practice, where 
 the language is spoken. 
 
SOUNDS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 15 
 
 Deference to the national principle in orthography will at 
 least raise the question, whether, in writing the Vei language, 
 the Vei characters ought not to be made use of; the more 
 so, as, among the large number of Negro languages, Vei is 
 the only one which can boast of a national orthography. But 
 the fact of its being a syllabic mode of writing will at once 
 prove that it cannot be suited for the present era of the 
 world. And much credit as it does to the modest inventor, 
 and the Vei tribe in general, a comparison of words written 
 in it with those written in a proper alphabetic orthography 
 will show that, as must be expected, it bears quite the cha- 
 racter of a first attempt, and is not developed in a sufficient 
 degree of completion and accuracy. Besides, the wars which 
 had broken out not long after its invention, and which have 
 been devastating the country for about twenty years, up to 
 the beginning of the present, could not but prevent its spread 
 among the bulk of the people. At the Gallinas the fact of 
 the invention is scarcely known ; and the jealousy between 
 both places would raise a strong objection amongst the people 
 of the Gallinas against whatever has been invented near Cape 
 Mount. And of late the natives have learnt that it is so 
 much to their advantage to speak and write English — during 
 my present stay here the whole country round Cape Mount 
 has been purchased by the English-speaking Liberian Go- 
 vernment — that it is very unlikely the Vei mode of writing 
 will ever see a revival. 
 
 Even independent of the question of desirableness, the 
 state of obscurity in which the African languages are still 
 buried, and the impossibility of tracing their gradual deve- 
 lopment, at once exclude an application of the etymological 
 principle of orthography in any greater extent, than merely 
 to let it appear when vowels or consonants have been 
 dropped. 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to remark, that whenever the same 
 letter occurs, it always expresses one and the same sound, 
 those slight modifications excepted which take place in the 
 
16 SOUNDS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 
 
 organic flow of speech, but which are of too spiritual a nature 
 to be expressed in writing. The vowels have the same value 
 as in German, i. e. a as a in " father ;"" e as a in " w^ay," or a 
 in Viiter ; e as e in " bed f i as i in " sit ;" o as o in " note ;" 
 as a in "water;" o as intermediate to the o in "note" and' 
 00 in " book," or " o chiuso" of the Italians ; m as oo in " book". 
 The consonants b, d, f, h, k, m, n, p, s, t, v, w, z, have the same 
 value as when sounded in English ; g has always the sound as 
 in "go ;" y as in "yet" (although this use of y is "histori- 
 cally incorrect," it has been retained in preference to _;, lest 
 English readers should be puzzled). Ds and n' are letters not 
 contained in the English alphabet : they represent respec- 
 tively the sounds of^ in "jest" {ch in " church"?) and ng in 
 " king ;" and they were chosen because it is against the fun- 
 damental law of orthography to represent a double sound by 
 a simple sign, or a simple sound by a double sign. The 
 nasalization of vowels is uniformly expressed by a dot on the 
 right hand ; and the sound of ng in " king,'' and a certain 
 modification of r, apparently a gutturalization of r, are respec- 
 tively represented by iv and r. 
 
 It must be of much service for foreigners to have the 
 quantity of the vowels marked, but of still greater importance 
 to see which one has the accent. Both purposes have been 
 answered in the usual way. In marking the quantity the usual 
 difficulty was experienced from the fact of there being so 
 many degrees between the shortest short and the longest long 
 quantity, and from its variation in the context. For simpli- 
 city's sake all degrees of shortness have been left unmarked, 
 and all degrees of length marked by ( ~ ). Extreme short- 
 ness is sometimes represented by ( " ). 
 
 There would be less advantage and more inconvenience 
 in separating the syllables from each other. Desirable as it 
 may be in some languages, it is quite superfluous in tlie Vei, 
 where the syllables, with so great a uniformity, consist of 
 only a consonant and vowel, with sometimes the appendix of 
 another consonant. 
 
SOUNDS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 17 
 
 II. The number of sounds in the Vei language needful to 
 be represented by distinct letters appears from the above, and 
 it now only remains to make some remarks respecting the 
 nature and relation of some of them. 
 
 The sound of e is frequently a mere modification of e. 
 Sometimes one person may have a tendency to sound as e 
 what another sounds as e : and even the same individual may 
 pronounce the same word at one time with a vowel = e, or 
 a sound closely approximating to e, and at another with e, or 
 a sound closely approximating to e. This would have inclined 
 me to discard the sign altogether ; but as the sound may arise 
 from a + j, and also as the meaning of words sometimes de- 
 pends upon the distinction between these two closely-allied 
 vowel-sounds, it was retained. In cases where the pronun- 
 ciation fluctuates between e and e I have written that sound 
 which appeared to me to predominate. 
 
 The sounds o and o are, on the whole, pretty distinct, but 
 yet what has been said of e and e in some degree refers to 
 them also. Between o and u the natives strictly distinguish, 
 and by mistaking: the one for the other, one is rendered un- 
 intelligible ; but in connection wdth other words, especially 
 when preceding 6, 7n, r, the o is often plainly changed into u. 
 Tlie difference of sound is also often enough marked to require 
 the different diphthongal signs, au, ou, ou. 
 
 Amongst the consonants, gb appears to be confined not in- 
 deed to the Vei, but to the African languages in general. In 
 the Vei it is nothing but a modification of the simple 6-sound, 
 and the same individual may pronounce it in the same word 
 either as a simple b, or as a simple b only in a small degree gut- 
 turally qualified ; but frequently it is pronounced in a manner 
 which makes the guttural and labial element so distinctly heard, 
 that the sound can no longer be called a simple one, and that 
 the above representation is required. Of these three modes 
 of pronunciation, the first two preponderate when the word is 
 used alone, the last when it stands in a sentence. It seems 
 that all words beginning with b separate into two classes ; one 
 
 D 
 
18 SOUNDS AND ORTHOGRAPHY. 
 
 in which gh never appears when the word stands alone, but 
 sometimes when it occurs in a sentence ; another in which gh 
 often appears in words standing alone, and generally also when 
 they are in connexion with other words. The first class is 
 to be found in the vocabulary under h, the second under gh. 
 Were I fully convinced that all of the first class are some- 
 times sounded as gh, and that all of the second can be sounded 
 as 6, both classes might appear in the dictionary under fe. But 
 as the first class in the context change a preceding n and n into 
 m, and the second m and n into n', the place which they each 
 occupy in the dictionary appears to be really the proper one. 
 
 Ds, like gh, is a compound sound. Both of them are 
 amongst consonants what diphthongs are amongst vowels. It 
 would be just as improper to represent the sound ds by the 
 simple sign j, as it would be to write diphthongs with one 
 vowel only. And yet it seems to have arisen in the Vei 
 from a single sound, viz. either from y ov k : thus I heard dsi 
 several times pronounced so that it might have been written 
 gin; and when mdndsa was the antecedent of a compound 
 term, Kari Bara often pronounced it " ma'ya." 
 
 The sound h occurs as initial in a few words only. 
 
 When k begins a word, it sometimes appears as if a slight 
 ?i-element were uttered before it. 
 
 N' at the end of words is very frequent, but in many cases 
 does not appear to me original. It may often have been a 
 sort of substitute for dropped consonants ; and often merely 
 chosen because it forms a convenient termination. The na- 
 tives pronounce it very musically, and sometimes sound it as 
 long as a liquid can be sounded. 
 
 The letter r never commences a word. Its relations to 
 d and I are peculiar. A preceding n uniformly changes it 
 into d. But it is so closely allied to I, that in all words 
 where it is usually pronounced as r it is still sometimes 
 sounded as I, and vice versd; and I cannot consider this 
 change as arising from a different position in the context : 
 the change takes place in the same word altogether out of tlie. 
 
ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 19 
 
 context. Yet it is true, that in some words the ^sound is 
 the usual one, in others, that of r; and therefore they mi^-ht 
 be expressed respectively by I and r, instead of by one letter 
 only. I did this first myself, before I was sufficiently ac- 
 quainted with the language ; but when I afterwards perceived 
 that the interchange is unlimited, I considered it best to repre- 
 sent both sounds always by r, and to let it be learned in prac- 
 tice which words have a predilection for /, and which for r. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ETYxMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 §. 3. 
 
 The Vei language is distingnished hy an almost entire absence of 
 inJie(tio7i, which circumstajice renders its Etymology simple, but 
 increases the importaiice of certain adverbs or particles by which 
 that want is supplied. 
 
 §. 4. 
 ETYMOLOGY OF SUBSTANTIVES. 
 
 The Substantives are mostly original : comparatively few are derived. 
 They can assume a plural tei'mination, but have no signs for cases. 
 
 I. a. Most of the proper names of persons are of foreign origin, 
 especially Arabic. For though the name which people receive 
 in infancy is generally Vei, yet the one which they get in 
 the Beri {vide Vocabulary) is frequently, and the one which 
 they get when embracing Muhammadanism is always, Arabic. 
 This will be seen from the follo^ving list of names ; the last 
 in order being always that received in infancy, the one be- 
 fore, that received in the Beri, and the first, if there be three, 
 that which indicates the Muhammadan. 
 
 L Proper names of men — Momoru Doaru Bukere (bu-kere, 
 gun-w^ar, i.e. war in which guns were used. This is the 
 
20 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 name of the inventor of the Vei characters, and he himself 
 gave me this interpretation of it before his death). — M6- 
 moru Doaru Wonye (name of Lieut. Forbes' interpreter. 
 Wonye means a large kind of ant. He himself told me re- 
 specting the origin of his name : " My mother had several 
 children before me, all of whom died. When I was born, 
 people said to my mother, ' You must give a bad name to this 
 one, else he will die also.' Hence she called me Wonye, and 
 I lived"). — Momoru Fa" Kondo (kondo, a flying squirrel). — 
 Momoru Kari Kai (kari [^Mdnde], serpent ; kai, man), — Siafa 
 Fama Dsani (Dsani, John). — Buraima Bai Zina (zina, twin). 
 
 2. Proper names oiiromen — Kefui Zina. — Taro Zo (zo, chief) 
 — Sedia Dsenaba. — Goanya Dsoe (ds5e, a night bird). 
 
 It is not often the case that English proper names are 
 mixed up with Vei or Arabic ones. Individuals who have 
 English names have them generally unconnected with, and 
 independent of, their " country-names," and use them almost 
 exclusively with English-speaking people. Thus I met the 
 following names : Sandfish (pronounced Sanfish), Freeman 
 (pronounced Feeman), Nelson, Rodgers (pronounced Rodses), 
 James (pronounced Dsemi), John (pronounced Dsani), Tom 
 (pronounced Tami), Mary, Hana, Susana. 
 
 3. Proper names oi places are sometimes formed by a com- 
 position of substantives ; e.g. Dsondu, from dson, slave, and 
 du, house. — Bombudsa, from bombu, a man, and dsa, home. 
 For those proper names which are formed by postpositions 
 vid. §. 29. I. 
 
 h. By the addition of ya or dsa (cf. §. 15. 11. 2.) abstract 
 sul)siantives are derived from — 
 
 Concrete : Boya, friendship, from bo, friend ; sundadsa, 
 strangership, from sunda, a stranger ; ds'mdsa, slavery, 
 from dson, slave ; mandsadsa, kingship, from mjindsa, 
 king ; modsa, relationship, from mo, person, relative ; 
 zodsa, chieftainship, from zo, chieftain. 
 
 Adjectives and verbs: dsandsa, length, from dsan. long; doyii,. 
 
substa:^tives. ' 21 
 
 sinallness, scarcity, from do, to be little, to be scarce ; kii- 
 ruiidsa, plenty, from kuruir, much, many ; dsaya, hatred, 
 from dsa, to be red, to hate ; wuruya, shortness, from 
 wuru, short ; wurudsa, parentship, from wuru, to beget. 
 
 c. Na has now only a formative character, although it 
 may very likely have been originally a noun, as it still is 
 in Bornu. It is suffixed both to transitive and intransitive 
 verbs, and then expresses the place where the energy of the 
 verb has been exercised ; e.g. sina, seat, situation, from si, 
 to sit ; nuna, hiding-place, from nu, to hide ; fana, death-bed, 
 place of dying, from fa, to die ; suye-fana, slaughtering-place, 
 from suye fa, to kill animals ; ferekena, observatory, from 
 fereke, to observe ; siekena, place of sacrifice, altar, from 
 sieke, to sacrifice ; mo-tauna, burying-ground, from tau, to 
 bury ; dsikona, place where water is drawn, from ko, to draw 
 (water); donna, entrance, from don", to enter; koro-tiina, 
 place where rice is beaten, from tu, to beat. 
 
 d. Kiri forms abstract nouns from verbs. It is likely to 
 have arisen from kira, way, manner; e.g. dende-wurikiri 
 menu, "This is the way to pull a canoe,'' or, "This is pulling a 
 canoe ;" moa sokekirime nie, " This is our work here ;" ima 
 sokekivi so, " Thou dost not understand working ;" wara-dekiri, 
 the knitting of mats ; sekiri, for sikiri {vid. §. 15. III. 2.), settle- 
 ment, arrangement ; • makiri, preparation, means, work, eflPect ; 
 sa-dumakiri, surrender ; taukiri, burial. 
 
 11. The Plural is uniformly expressed by the termination 
 nu, which has perhaps arisen from the personal pronoun 
 3d pers. pi. anu. It is affixed to words in various ways, which 
 can be classed as follows — 
 
 a. Words terminating in a and e take nu without a connect- 
 ing vowel, but lengthening only the final vowel of the root ; 
 e.g. fanu, fathers, from fa ; banu, mothers, fi*om be : mandsanu, 
 chiefs, fi'om mandsa ; sandsanu, towns, from sandsa ; dumauu, 
 shirts, from duma ; kanu, serpents, from ka ; tienu, fowls, 
 from tie ; nyienu, fish, from nyie ; sesenu, switches, from sese. 
 
22 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 b. Words terminating in i take the nu by means of the con- 
 necting vowel e, and sometimes e, and then not unfrequently 
 contract i and e into either i or e ; ni, bullock, pi. nienu and 
 nmu ; keri, egg, pi. kerienu and kerinii ; kori, leopard, 
 pi. korienu and korinu ; seri, witness, pi. serienu and serinu ; 
 fari, alligator, pi. farienu, farenu, and farinu ; mari, water-cow, 
 pi. marienu, marenu, and marinu ; bini, porcupine, pi. binienu, 
 binenu, and bininu ; bori, medicine, pi. borienu and borinu ; 
 kisi, termite, pi. kisienu ; kai, man, pi. kaienu and kaienu. 
 
 c. Words terminating in o and o, and being monosylla- 
 bles, assume the plural termination either by the connecting 
 vowel e, sometimes e, or by merely lengthening their own 
 final vowel : mo, person, pi. moenu and monu ; b9, friend, 
 pi. boenu, boyenu, and bonu ; z5, chief, pi. zoenu and zonu ; so, 
 firewood, pi. soenu and sonu ; so, horse, pi. soenu and sonu. 
 
 But if they be polysyllables, they either follow the same rule, 
 or change o and o into e. The latter case is the more usual. 
 Dap5, shoulder, pi. dapoenu and daponu ; koro, cask, pi. k6r5nu 
 and korenu ; boro, hand, pi. boronu and borenu ; boro, cap, 
 pi. boronu and borenu ; toro, ear, pi. toronu and torenu. 
 
 d. Words terminating in u likewise assume nu, either by 
 means of e and e, or merely by lengthening their own final 
 vowel : dsombo, old farm, pi. dsomboenu and dsombonu ; ko, 
 matter, word, pi. koenu and konu. 
 
 e. Words terminating in u either assume the syllable ye 
 before the sign of the plural, or change their final u into ie. 
 The former is always the case with monosyllables, rarely with 
 polysyllables ; the latter generally with polysyllables. But be- 
 sides this, both monosyllables and polysyllables may also take 
 the plural termination by merely lengthening their own final 
 vowel : dii, house, pi. diiyenu and diinu ; bu, gun, pi. biiyenu 
 and bunu ; bii, sack, pi. buyenu and bunu ; su, night, pi. su- 
 yenu and siinu ; musu, woman, pi. musienu and miisunu ; 
 wuru, dog, pi. wiirienu and wiirunu ; tendu, messenger, 
 pi. tenduyenu and tendunu ; dsiiru, rope, pi. dsiirienu and 
 dsurimu ; duru, mist, pi. diirienu and diirunu. 
 
PRONOUNS. 
 
 23 
 
 /. Words terminating in n" may assume the plural termina- 
 tion either without connecting vowel or by means of e (some- 
 times 0, from symphonic influences). If a connecting vowel 
 is used, the n' which then stands between two vowels is often 
 ejected, and the two vowels {e + e or o + o) contracted into 
 one (e or o), cf, §. 15. IV. 5.; e.g. den, child, pi. dennu, or 
 denenu and denu ; fen-, thing, pi. fenenu and fenu ; dson*, 
 slave, pi. dsonnu, or dsonenu, and dsononu = dsonu ; kun, head, 
 pi. kunnu and kunenu ; sun, nose, pi. sunnu and sunenu. 
 
 §. 5. 
 
 ETY3IOLOGY OF PRONOUNS. 
 
 The Vei lanrjuarje has distinct Jbrnu for the Personal, Reflective, 
 Demonstrative, lyiterrogative, and Redjyrocal Pronouns. 
 
 I. The forms for the Personal and Possessive Pronouns are 
 identical. We may distinguish a short, a long, a compound, 
 and compound-emphaiic — 
 
 CORRESPONHTNG 
 ENGLISH. 
 
 {, my. 
 thou, thv. 
 he, she, it, his, 
 
 her, its. 
 we, our. 
 you, your, 
 thev, their. 
 
 SHORT FORM. 
 
 ^ LONG FORM. 
 
 COMPOUNn FORM. 
 
 n(resp.n,m) 
 
 na 
 
 nga 
 
 • 
 
 1 
 
 ya 
 
 iwa 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 awa 
 
 mu 
 
 inura,m6a,ma 
 
 moanu* 
 
 wu 
 
 wura, w6a, wa 
 
 vvoanu, wanu 
 
 anu 
 
 an lira, an 'da, 
 
 anuranu, an'danu. 
 
 
 anoa, a 
 
 anoanu 
 
 COMPOUND-EMPHATIC FORM. 
 
 SINGULAR. 
 
 mbere , I myself, 
 
 lb ere I thou thyself, 
 
 a here j he himself, she her- 
 I self, it itself. 
 
 PLURAL. 
 
 mubere { we ourselves, 
 wubere ! ve yourselves, 
 anu here I thev themselves. 
 
 * Manu never occurred to me, though it may exist. 
 
24 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 By the operation of the law of euphony (cf. §. 15., also for 
 an explanation of several others of these forms) n' occurs 
 much more frequently for the first person than n; but that 
 the latter is the radical form, and n' and m mere modifica- 
 tions of it, appears clearly from the corresponding long form. 
 The compound form consists in the singular of the corre- 
 sponding short forms + the syllable wa, and in the plural of 
 the same + dnu ( = 3d pers. pi.). For the forms n'ga and 
 an da cf. especially §. 15. II. 2. 
 
 The Emphatic form is compovmded of the short form and 
 " bere ;" which latter had probably been originally a sub- 
 stantive. 
 
 II. The Reflective Pronoun is composed of the short form 
 of the personal pronoun and the termination " wanga." 
 
 I myself. 
 
 thou thyself. 
 
 he himself, she herself, it itself. 
 
 we ourselves. 
 
 ye yourselves. 
 
 they themselves. 
 
 III. The Demonstrative Pronouns stand in no etymological 
 relation with the personal pronouns, and have all of them the 
 character of suffixes. They are as follows — 
 
 1. Me, "this." It is always suffixed without changing the 
 forms of words; e.g. kame, this serpent; musume, this wo- 
 man ; demme, this child. It might be said that me some- 
 times takes the suffix he, in order to increase its demonstra- 
 tive force; e.g. demmeke, tliis child ; but Ice being also used 
 as an adverb, it is better likewise to consider it such here. 
 The same applies to the case when me is suffixed to ke ; me 
 may then also be considered as an adverb ; e.g. demmeke, 
 this child here ; kaikeme, that man there ; denekeme, that 
 child there. 
 
 2. Ke, " that." This word also, like me, is generally suf- 
 fixed ; but, unlike me, it sometimes stands by itself. The. 
 
 nganga 
 i wanga 
 awanga 
 mu wanga 
 wu wanga 
 anuwanga 
 
PRONOUNS. 25 
 
 various ways in which it is suffixed may be thus clas- 
 sified : — 
 
 a. After words terminating in a, e, and e, it produces no 
 
 change, except that it generally lengthens the final 
 vowel; e.g. mandsake, that chief; kake, that serpent; 
 dumake, that shirt ; mieke, that sword ; seseke, that 
 whip ; dendeke, that canoe. 
 
 b. It is added by the connecting vowel e — 
 
 aa. After words ending in i : serieke, that witness ; 
 
 sisieke, that smoke ; nieke, that bullock. 
 bb. After monosyllables in o : zdeke, that chief ; soeke, 
 
 that horse. 
 
 c. By the connecting vowel e — 
 
 aa. After words ending in o, and changing that o 
 into o; e.g. soeke, that firewood (from so). 
 
 bb. After words ending in n' : deneke, that child ; 
 feneke, that thing ; din'eke, that ring. 
 
 d. By the connecting letters ye or ye after monosyllables 
 
 in It; e.^. buy eke, this gun; diiyeke, this house. 
 
 e. By changing the final o of polysyllables into e : gbore- 
 
 ke, that skin ; kuteke, that pocket-knife. 
 
 f. By changing the final u of polysyllables into le or le : 
 
 musieke, that woman ; durieke, that mist ; wurieke, 
 that dog. * 
 
 3. Biri, " the same," " that.""" Like me, it does not further 
 affect the words to which it is affixed, than so far as the com- 
 mon law of assimilation is concerned ; e. g. dembiri, that 
 same child ; kembiri, that same house. 
 
 4. Mu is suffixed in the same way as me, with which it 
 appears to have had a common origin. But its force is 
 peculiar, for which see the Syntax. 
 
 All these demonstrative pronouns can assume the plural 
 termination ; e.g. demmenu, denekenu, dembirinu, dem- 
 munu. 
 
 £ 
 
26 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 IV. The Interrogative Pronouns are not suffixes, but inde- 
 pendent words. They are as follows : — 
 
 Dso? who? which? Only used of persons. 
 
 Mhe ? which ? what ? what sort ? It inquires after the 
 
 distinguishing qualities of things or persons. 
 Mina ? which ? which one ? It inquires after a person or 
 
 thing out of a whole number. 
 Kama ? what ? how much ? how many ? Only used of 
 
 things, and inquiring after a thing as such, without 
 
 regard to others. 
 
 None of the interrogative pronouns appear to assume the 
 plural termination. 
 
 V. There is only one Reciprocal Pronoun : nyo, each other, 
 one another. It can take the plural termination nyonu. 
 
 §.6. 
 ETYMOLOGY OF ADJECTIVES. 
 
 The Adjectives are either original or derived : they may take the sign 
 of the Plural, hut have no distinguishing forms to express degrees 
 of comparison. 
 
 I. Adjectives are derived from other parts of speech by the 
 syllables ma and re. 
 
 1. Ma forms Adjectives — 
 
 a. from Substantives : kai, man, kaima, male ; miisu, 
 
 woman, miisuma, female. 
 h. from Verbs : d5, to be little, doma, little ; gbe, to 
 
 be white, gbema, white ; fin, to be black, fima, 
 
 black, for finema or finima. 
 
 2. Pe forms Adjectives — 
 
 a. from Substantives in ya ; e. g. doyare, small, from 
 
 " doya, smallness ; wuruyare, short, from wuruya, 
 
 shortness. 
 
 6. from Verbs, corresponding to the passive participle in 
 
 other languages : tere, broken, from te, to break ; 
 
ADJECTIVES. 27 
 
 basare, mixed, from basa, to mix ; tie re, cut, from 
 tie, to cut ; dsare, red, from dsa, to be red ; sande, 
 bought, from sair, to buy ; bunde, covered, from 
 bun", to cover ; bande, finished, from ban*, to finish. 
 Sometimes the verbs are contracted before they as- 
 sume this termination ; e.g. gbara, to dry, gbare, 
 dried ; sen-, to say, sere, said ; e.g. kaime seremu, 
 this is the said man. 
 
 II. When adjectives assume the pUiral termination, they 
 always first lengthen their final vowel ; e. g. ba, great, mandsa 
 banu, great chiefs ; musiima, female, dem musumanu, female 
 children, i.e. girls; kai kirare, a sick man, kai kirarenu, sick 
 men. 
 
 III. The method of supplying the want of forms for the 
 degrees of comparison will be seen from the Syntax. 
 
 §. 7. 
 
 ETYMOLOGY OF THE NUMERALS. 
 
 There is a developed system for the Cardinal Numbers only. It con- 
 sists of distinct words for the first five^ the tenth, and the twentieth 
 numbers, all the rest being compositions of these. Traces are also 
 left of distinct forms for other sorts of Numerals. 
 
 I. The Cardinal Numbers are as follows : — 
 
 1, dondo 
 
 2, fera 
 
 3, sagba 
 
 4, nani 
 
 5, soru. 
 
 6, sundondo 
 
 7, sumfera 
 
 8, sunsagba 
 
 9, sun nani 
 
 10, tan* 
 
 11, tan dondo 
 
 12, tam fera 
 
 13, tan sagba 
 
 14, tan nani 
 
 15, tan soru 
 
 16, tan siindondo 
 
 17, tan sumfera 
 
 18, tan sunsagba 
 
 19, tan sunnani 
 
 20, mo bande 
 
 21, mo bande ako dondo 
 
 22, mo bande ako fera 
 
28 
 
 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 23, mo bande ako sagba 
 
 24, m5 bande ako iiani 
 
 25, m5 bande ako soru 
 
 26, mo bande ako sundondo 
 
 27, mo bande ako sumfera 
 
 28, mo bande ako sunsagba 
 
 29, mo bande ako sunnani 
 
 30, mo bande ako tan 
 
 31, mo bande ako tan dondo 
 
 32, mo bande ako tam fera 
 
 33, mo bande ako tan sagba 
 
 34, m5 bande ako tan nani 
 
 35, m5 bande ako tan s5ru 
 
 36, m5 bande ako tan sun- 
 
 dondo 
 
 37, m5 bande ako tan sumfera 
 
 38, mo bande ako tan sun- 
 
 sagba 
 
 39, mo bande ako tan sunnani 
 
 40, mo fera bande 
 
 41, m5 fera bande ako dondo 
 
 42, mo fera bande ako fera, 
 
 &c. 
 
 50, mo fera bande ako tan* 
 
 51, mo fera bande ako tan 
 
 dondo, &c. 
 
 60, m5 sagba bande, &c. 
 
 80, mo nani bande, &c. 
 100, mo soru bande, &c. 
 120, mo sundondo bande, &c. 
 140, mo sumfera bande, &c. 
 160, mo sun sagba bande, &c. 
 180, mo sunn;1ni bande, &c. 
 200, mo tarn bande, &c. 
 220, mo tan dondo b;inde, &c. 
 240, mo tam fera bande 
 
 260, m5 tan sagba bande, &c. 
 280, m5 tan nani bande, &c. 
 300, mo tan soru bande, &e. 
 320, mo tan sundondo bande, 
 
 &c. 
 340, m5 tan sumfera bande 
 360, m5 tan sun sagba bande, 
 
 &e. 
 380, mo tan sunnani bande, 
 
 &e. 
 
 400, mo mobande bande 
 
 401, mo mobande bande ako 
 
 dondo, &e. 
 
 415, mo mobande bande ako 
 tan soru, &c. 
 
 420, mo mobande bande ako 
 mobande, &c. 
 
 450, mo mobande bande ako 
 mo fera bande ako tan', 
 &e. 
 
 500, mo mobande bande ako 
 mo soru bande, &c. 
 
 600, mo mobande bande ako 
 mo tam bande, &e. 
 
 700, m5 mobande bande ako 
 mo tan soru bande, &c. 
 
 800, mo mobande bande ako 
 m5 mobande bande, or, 
 mo mobande bande fe- 
 ra, &e. 
 1160, mo mobande bande nani, 
 
 &c. 
 1200, mo mobande bande sag- 
 ba, &c. 
 2(X)0, \\\o mobande bande so- 
 ru, &c. 
 
NUMERALS. 29 
 
 2400, mo mobande bande sun- 
 
 dondo, &c. 
 4000, mo mobande bande tan, 
 
 &c. 
 
 5000, mo mobande bande tan 
 
 soru, &c. 
 8000, mo mobande bande mo 
 
 mobande bande. 
 
 This list of numerals shews that it is a composition, not, 
 as is the case, e.g., in Indo-European languages, of decades, 
 but of quints, and this in a manner which regularly unites 
 two quints into a decade, and then again two decades into a 
 score. Such a mode of numeration is perfectly natural to 
 uneducated and uncivilized persons, who have to call in the 
 assistance of their five fingers when they want to count.* 
 And it is nothing but what we may naturally expect, when 
 we see the bare-footed African making use for this purpose, 
 not of his fingers only, but also of his toes ; for he, not in the 
 habit of using chairs, squats on a mat upon the floor, and there 
 has his toes as conveniently at hand, for the purpose of count- 
 ing, as his fingers. The Vei people, and many other African 
 tribes, when counting, first count the fingers of their left hand, 
 beginning, be it remembered, from the little one, then, in the 
 same manner, those of the right hand, and afterwards the 
 toes. This cii'cumstance furnishes a key to the etymology 
 of the numerals, dondo, tan*, mobande. It has long been my 
 opinion, that dondo is a compound word, before I was struck 
 by its connexion with the verb do, to be small, to be few ; but 
 now it is my clear conviction that it stands for dod5, n being 
 an evolved consonant, just as, e.g., in feranden, a twin (from 
 fera, two, and den, child). Whether fera, sagba, nani, and s5ru, 
 have also originally been appellations of fingers, is at least 
 possible ; but it is not very probable, as at present the fingers 
 have different names. Tan may have been the original word 
 for finger or hand (at present only one word is used both for arm 
 
 * They are so dependent upon this auxiliary, that I have met with in- 
 stances among the Negroes where a man was immediately confounded when 
 required to count without using his fingers, whereas he could do so most 
 rapidly when allowed to use them. 
 
30 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 and hand, boro).* If " hand" or " finger" has really been the 
 primitive meaning of tan, the hands were considered as equal 
 to ten fingers, and then the name of the (ten) fingers was 
 fixed to express the numeral ten. That the Vei people are 
 not aware of the proper meaning of mo bande is surprising, 
 its etymology being so obvious ; but I consider it confirma- 
 tory of my view, that whenever I told it them, they at once 
 took to it, and considered it as evidently correct. For when 
 both the fingers and the toes were counted, they said, "A 
 person (mo) is finished (bande),"" and hence mo bande came 
 to mean twenty. The phrases for 40, 60, 80, &c., are quite 
 of a regular construction, and mean respectively, " Two men, 
 three men, four men, &c., are finished." 
 
 Dr. Latham says in his work on the English language, 
 §. 204. : " When languages separate from a common stock, 
 before the use of certain words is fixed as absolute, there is 
 room for considerable latitude in the choice of numerals. 
 Whilst with one tribe the word 'pair' is equal to two, ano- 
 ther tribe may use the word ' couple,' a third, ' brace,' and 
 so on." Now just so it seems that the original meaning of 
 fera has been a more general one, viz. that of simple addition 
 or conjunction, such as, e.g., that of our " both, pair, couple," is 
 now. Hence the word fixed itself, in the present Vei lan- 
 guage, in a twofold capacity ; first as the numeral for " two," 
 and then also as a conjunction = " with," Cf. §. 30. I. 1. 
 
 The word ako, which is used in joining numerals to mu 
 bande, and sometimes also to tan', is not a conjunction, as 
 might be supposed, but the verb ko, to give, and the 3d pers. 
 sing, of the personal pronoun, and it consequently means, 
 " give it !'' or " add to it !" (vide the construction of ko, 
 §. 27. IV. 6.) 
 
 Up to 100 the people usually count in this way. I caused 
 the Vei men to count beyond it, and up to 400 ; and it is 
 
 * May not the same root l)e recognised in the Greek (^aK-T-vXoj? whieh 
 would form a striking parallel to an obsolete "tau'-doli" for the present 
 " boro-doli." 
 
NUMERALS. 
 
 31 
 
 likely that in by-gone years the system has been in use to 
 this extent. Whether it has ever been used higher than 
 400 is doubtful. Up to 8000 I have carried it myself, merely 
 to shew how capable of development the system is. If it has 
 ever been developed thus far, or farther, it must now be con- 
 sidered as forgotten and obsolete, down to mo soru bande, and 
 as entirely lost, down to mo mobande bande. Instead of count- 
 ing higher up than mo soru bande in their own way, the Vei 
 people find it much more convenient to mix up with it the 
 English mode of counting, saying, hondoro dondo for mo soru 
 bande, and then proceeding in the following manner: — 
 
 101, hondoro dondo ako dondo 
 
 102, hondoro dondo ako fera 
 
 103, hondoro dondo ako sagba 
 
 104, hondoro dondo ako nani 
 
 105, hondoro dondo ako soru 
 
 106, honddro dondo ako siin- 
 
 dondo 
 
 107, hondoro dondo ako siim- 
 
 fera 
 
 108, hondoro dondo ako sun- 
 
 sagba 
 
 109, hondoro dondo ako siinnani 
 
 110, hondoro dondo ako tan 
 
 111, hondoro dondo ako tan 
 
 dondo 
 
 112, hondoro dondo ako sam- 
 
 fera, &c. 
 
 120, hondoro dondo ako m5- 
 
 bande, &c. 
 140, hondoro dondo ako mo 
 
 fera bande, &c. 
 160, hondoro dondo ako mo 
 
 sagba bande, &c. 
 180, hondoro dondo ako mo 
 
 nani bande, &c. 
 200, hondoro fera, &c. 
 300, hondoro sagba, &c. 
 400, hondoro nani, &c. 
 500, hondoro soru, &c. 
 600, hondoro sundondo, &c. 
 700, hondoro siimfera, &c. 
 800, hondoro sunsagba, &c. 
 900, hondoro sunnani 
 1000, tousen dondo 
 
 "Milen dondo" they believe to be =10,000, and use it for 
 any countless number. They employ "tousen" in like manner. 
 
 II. Of real Ordinal Numbers I only met one instance, 
 although I endeavoured to ascertain whether they use more, 
 viz. sendse, first. Of its etymology, however, I know nothing 
 more than that between dondo, one, and sendse, first, there is 
 no etymological relation, which is the case in most languages. 
 
32 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 III. Besides the cardinal numbers, which are very fre- 
 quently used as adverbs, I met only one other Adverbial Nu- 
 meral, viz. donddri, at once. It is evidently derived from 
 the cardinal dondo by the termination ri, which appears to be 
 identical with, and is perhaps a more ancient form of, re, one 
 of the particles by which adjectives are formed. 
 
 IV. The following may be called Indefinite Numerals, be- 
 cause they do not convey the idea of a certain number of units, 
 but of a number in general : gbi, all, any, all kinds, all sorts ; 
 hari, all, whole ; — this word has perhaps been adopted from 
 the Mande language. I found it much more frequently used 
 at the Gallinas than at Cape Mount ; — gbere, the whole of 
 all ; pene, all, even the last ; mande, other, another, a diffe- 
 rent ; babai, alone, only ; ben and gben, only, solely, alone. 
 This is properly an adverb ; but when connected with nouns 
 it becomes an indefinite numeral. 
 
 §.8. 
 ETYMOLOGY OF VERBS. 
 
 Verbs are either original or derived. For voices, moods, and tenses, they 
 possess no distinguishing fiorms ; neither can it be said that they are 
 conjugated. The absence of such forms has to be supplied by the use 
 of auxiliary verbs, adverbs, and changes in the form of the subject. 
 
 I. By the suffix ke verbs are derived from substantives ex- 
 pressive of — 
 
 1. The production or performance of what tlie substantive 
 signifies; e.g. kereke, to make war, to war; tomboke, to 
 dance, to play ; soke, to do a work, to work ; kike, to sleep ; 
 serike, to make water. 
 
 2. The use, application, or management of the thing signi- 
 fied by the substantive; e.g. buke, to fire a musket; dubake, 
 to fire a gun ; sinke, to play at sing ; seneke, to farm. 
 
 II. When andsere means, " he turned me back," and adserea, 
 "he returned;" kaiea dene tu mboro, "the man left a child in 
 
VERRS. 
 
 33 
 
 my hand," and dene toa mboro, "a child was left in my hand f 
 we are tempted to think that intransitive and passive verbs 
 are formed from transitives by the addition of a. But if we 
 find that, e.^M the forms dsere and to are, in certain con- 
 nexions, also used as intransitives, and that verbs which never 
 have a transitive signification, yet sometimes appear with, 
 and sometimes without, a (cf. §. 27. I.), our opinion will be 
 changed ; and we are led to perceive that the Vei language has 
 no characteristic forms for the active, passive, and neuter rela- 
 tions of the energies expressed by verbs, but that the same 
 verbal form can be used to express all these relations. It 
 remains a fact, however, that verbs in a have very frequently 
 a neuter, intransitive, or passive signification. 
 
 There is also a small number of transitive verbs terminating: 
 in a and ro, which, however, appear in these cases to be radical, 
 and are not to be confounded with the formative a or ra above 
 alluded to ; e.g. bira, to take; dsira, to show; tara, to meet, 
 find ; sunda, to send ; binda, to burn ; dia, to love ; sua, tosalute. 
 
 HI. The absence of both numeral and personal In flection 
 will be seen from the followine: instances — 
 
 1st p. na ta, I go 
 
 2d p. ya ta, thou goest 
 
 3d p. a ta, he goes 
 
 1st p. ndserea, I return 
 
 2dp.idserea,thoureturnest 
 
 3d p. a dserea, he returns la berea, he surpasses 
 
 SINGULAR. 
 
 na dse, I see 
 
 ya dse, thou seest 
 
 a dse, he sees 
 
 mberea, I surpass 
 
 i berea, thou surpasses! 
 
 1st p. moa ta, we go 
 2d p. w6a ta, ye go 
 3d p. anoa ta, they go 
 
 1st p. mu dserea, we return 
 2d p. wu dserea, ye return 
 3d p. anudserea,they return 
 
 PLURAL. 
 
 moa dse, we see 
 woa dse, ye see 
 anoa dse, they see 
 
 mu berea, we surpass 
 wu berea, ye surpass 
 auu berea.they surpass 
 
 F 
 
 na dia, I love 
 
 va dia, thou lovest 
 
 a dia, he loves 
 
 ndo, I say 
 
 iro, thou sayest 
 
 aro, he says 
 
 moa dia, we love 
 woa dia, ye love 
 anoa dia, they love 
 
 miiro, we say 
 wuro, ve sav 
 an'do, they say 
 
34 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 IV. The Vei language possesses a number of short ad- 
 verbs of time, which always directly follow the verb. This 
 circumstance would have rendered it convenient for them 
 to coalesce with the verb into one word, and thus to form 
 what are called tenses of a verb — a process which probably 
 has taken place in many of those languages which now pos- 
 sess real tenses. But such a coalescence would not have 
 been of any practical advantage to the Vei language, as 
 the adverbs alluded to are already so short, that they could 
 scarcely become shorter when vmited with the verb into one 
 word ; and as, so far as their accent is concerned, they can 
 be treated as if they were part and parcel of the verb to 
 which they are appended, without actually losing the character 
 of distinct words. This, perhaps, is the reason why such a 
 coalescence never has taken place, and why the Vei language 
 is now altogether void of tenses. How the want of tenses is 
 supplied by verbs and adverbs is to be learned from the 
 Syntax (vide §. 27. II. and §. 22.). 
 
 V. The subjunctive mood is identical in form with the 
 indicative ; and the imperative is distinguished from both 
 only by the tone, and sometimes by the absence of the 
 pronoun; e.g. wa biiri Karia ! "fear ye Kari!" wui si ka- 
 narama! "sit on the box!"" i done si taro ! set rice on the 
 fire !" tafo, mue saduma, " go and tell that we will not sur- 
 render." 
 
 The infinitive consists of the simple verb, i.e. of the verb 
 without pronoun. But if it is governed by another verb it 
 takes the suffix a, which is indicative of any subordinate rela- 
 tion whatsoever, e.g. an ta Zoduna kerea, "they went to call 
 Zoduma." (Cf. §. 22. XI. 1.) 
 
ADVERBS. 
 
 35 
 
 §.9. 
 ETYMOLOGY OF ADVERBS. 
 
 Besides the number of words which are never used except as adverbs, 
 there are others which assume the character of adverbs only ivhen 
 they are brought into a certain relation to verbs. Many of the 
 latter may, with equal right, he regarded as other parts of speech. 
 Hence the adverbs sepai'ate into two classes — Absolute and Relative 
 Adverbs. 
 
 I. When speaking of absolute, or such adverbs as are never 
 used in any other capacity, it must be understood that this 
 appellation is given with regard to the language as it exists 
 at the present day, without reference to its history, and of 
 course, also, only with regard to that part of it which came 
 ^under my notice. It is, therefore, very possible that a 
 thorough acquaintance with the whole language as it now 
 exists, and with its past history, would remove many a word 
 from the list of absolute adverbs to that of relative ones, and 
 would be able to trace them back to either verbs or nouns. 
 As matters are, the list of absolute adverbs stands as follows : — 
 
 burun-, well, very (only used gbanda, for nothing, gratui- 
 in connexion with the verb tously, in vain 
 
 bun', to cover, with which gbaro, back, behind 
 
 it seems to have a common gbe, awhile, sometime 
 
 b 
 
 origin) 
 
 fo and fo, pure, clean (then, 
 after certain verbs, expres- 
 sive of emphasis in gene- 
 ral, or entirety) 
 
 fo, close, near 
 
 fua, early, soon 
 
 gba, alone, by itself, distinct 
 
 gba", quite, entirely,thoroughly 
 (after certain verbs, em- 
 phasis in general) 
 
 gbe, quietly 
 
 gben*, or sometimes gbai and 
 
 gbei, wholly, entirely, fully, 
 
 quite, thoroughly ; just, 
 
 just then 
 gbongbon-, on, a long time 
 gbu, all night 
 gburun', loud 
 ka, till, until (of time and 
 
 space) 
 giro, in future, hereafter 
 
36 
 
 ETYMOLOGY OF THE FARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 ka, a while, a short time 
 
 kerei ! really ! indeed 
 
 keren-, continually, constantly, 
 on 
 
 kinei, exactly, accurately, dis- 
 tinctly 
 
 kunu, yesterday 
 
 kun- and wun", when 
 
 ma, not 
 
 ni, in time past 
 
 ngare, only 
 
 phir, distant, far away 
 
 pu, through 
 
 purun', further on, for a time ; 
 for nothing, without cause, 
 at random 
 
 re, where ? when 
 
 sa, hurriedly, suddenly 
 
 Sana, at present, just now, im- 
 mediately, instantly, scarce- 
 
 ly (from sa-na, lying-place 
 
 = on the spot ?) 
 pipipiri, much, constantly 
 san"a and sa, perfectly, tho- 
 roughly, well 
 sen', slowly, gently 
 sei, loud, with a loud voice 
 sere, high up, long on, long 
 
 (of time and space) 
 sina, to-morrow 
 39, fully, altogether 
 ten", straightly, erect 
 ti, really, actually (doubtless 
 
 connected with the verb ti, 
 
 to be) 
 we, now 
 wen, when 
 wi, awhile ago 
 wii and ii, imitating the noise 
 
 of flowing water. 
 
 It is the less surprising that several of these adverbs 
 have both a local and temporal meaning, as the Vei language 
 in other instances also uses local expressions to denote time ; 
 e.g. kambiri-banda mu ton dem mesenu, " at that same time 
 (lit. at that place's time [sky ?]) we were (still) little children ;" 
 dumam' be, " at the present time (lit. the ground which is) ;" 
 anu toa nuwa, am' Zau kira, " at that time (lit. they were left 
 there, and) Zau fell sick ;" nie-banda, " present time (///. 
 here-time orhere-sky ?) f niia kea, amo an'da bdro ka KJvria, 
 " then (lit. there it had reached) they despatched Kari." 
 
 Ncte. — The equivalents to "yes" are fr and e', or, more 
 emphatically, hnhn and ehe' ; to " no,'' ghere and gbereo. — Mbu 
 and mbdu is a reply expressive of gratification on receiving a 
 pleasing answer, or pleasing information. 
 
ADVERBS. 37 
 
 II. All adjectives and numerals may be used as adverbs 
 without undergoing the slightest formal change. 
 
 Some demonstrative and interrogative pronouns are likewise 
 frequently converted into adverbs. . They are, ek, there, then, 
 thus ; me, here ; hdma ? how ? mhe ? why ? mina ? where ? 
 
 The imperative of verbs is also sometimes used adver- 
 bially ; e. g. ka ! " up !" from ka, to rise. 
 
 As we can say in English, to act " with wisdom," instead 
 of to act " wisely," so also in Vei may substantives be made 
 complements of verbs. But because in Vei relations of instru- 
 mentality, locality, &c., are frequently conveyed without any 
 alteration of, or addition to, the noun, it is natural to con- 
 sider the noun in those cases as an adverb. Nor is it, in- 
 deed, an impossibility that those nouns may have been really 
 converted into adverbs ; but the analogy of the whole lan- 
 guage seems to be more on our side, when we view them 
 as uninflected nouns; so, e.g., nie, "in this place," instead of 
 "here;" nu, "in yonder place," instead of "yonder, there;" 
 da and dara, " to town ;" dsa, " in the home, to the home," 
 instead of "home;" duma, "on the ground, to the ground," 
 instead of " down ; " were and wereme (cf. Lat. ho-die), " on 
 the present day," " to-day." Words also like kando, komu, 
 may be better regarded as nouns with suffixes, than as 
 somewhat similar to the "adverbs of deflection" in other 
 languages. 
 
 There are also some entire phrases, of frequent occurrence, 
 which are now virtually turned into adverbs, and may there- 
 fore be termed phraseological adverbs ; e. g. ya kune ? lit. " art 
 thou awake .^" but now used at any time of the day or night 
 as a general salutation : hence the English-speaking Veis in- 
 variably interpret it by, "How do you do.^" It may also be 
 stated in this connexion, that when the natives salute they 
 always first utter the name or title of the person whom they 
 wish to salute ; e.g. if a man of the name of Kari salutes his 
 father, he says, Mfa, ya kune ? "My father, art thou awake ?" 
 
38 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 The father replies : E ; Kari, ya kune ? " Yes; Kari, art thou 
 awake ;" — ko beremu, " good ! well ! all right ! {lit. the matter 
 is good);" — kima ma, " never mind I (lit. it is no matter)." 
 
 §. 10. 
 
 ETYMOLOGY OF POSTPOSITIONS. 
 
 What Prepositions are in other languages Postpositions are in Vei. 
 They are either original or derived. 
 
 I. List of Original Postpositions — 
 
 fe, after 
 
 koro, under 
 
 ma, on 
 
 mani, by, at, on, about, around 
 
 ro, in, within, inside ; among ; 
 
 during 
 ye, for, to, against 
 
 II. List of Derived Postpositions. They are either derived 
 or converted from substantives — 
 
 gbaro, "hind-part, seat;'' as postpos. " behind, after ;" e.g. 
 moenMa gone-da tau mu gbaro, " the people shut the 
 stockade-gate after us ;" ya mbe ko fo aye mu gbaro ; 
 " what didst thou tell him behind our back .^" 
 
 ko, " word, thing, cause, reason ;" as postpos. " on account 
 of, in behalf of, &c. ;" e.g. mbe koa ? " on what account ? 
 why? wherefore?" mu ma ki na dem mesenoa koa, "we 
 did not sleep on account of my little children ; " yabira 
 na koa? "hast thou seized him on my account?" mfa 
 kiinni ekere m5a ko-fo koa? "when did my father call 
 thee, in order to speak of our case." 
 
 ko, "back;" postpos. "after, behind ;'' anu kiako nani, "they 
 slept after it ( = afterwards) four times ; " a be keneko, 
 " it is behind the house." 
 
 bara, "place;" as postpos. "to;'' e.g. i na mbara! "come 
 to me ! ' ata M6re-m6 dondo bar^i, " he went to a cer- 
 tain Muhaminadan." 
 
 tina, " place ;" as postpos. " to ;" e.g. mu tawa soe tina ! "let 
 us go to the hole ! " 
 
POSTPOSITIONS. CONJUNCTIONS. 
 
 39 
 
 Some substantives, with the suffix ro, might possibly be 
 considered as somewhat like j^ost positions of deflection ; e.g. 
 
 bu, "belly, bowels;" a be kene- kan", "neck;" Subahanalai abe 
 
 buro, " it is within the 
 house "' 
 dsa, " face, front ;" sene be 
 na kewe-dsaro, "there is a 
 stone before my house : " 
 wu ta ndsaro! "go ye be- 
 fore me ! (temporal)" 
 
 tere-kando, " Subahanalai 
 
 was above the sun'' 
 dsi, "descent;" Walahaula abe 
 
 tere-dsiero, "Walahaula was 
 
 under the sun" 
 kb, "cause;" na koro akoro, 
 
 " on account of my rice " 
 
 But they are better looked upon, as is already intimated, as 
 substantives with suffixes. 
 
 §. 11. 
 
 ETYMOLOGY OF CONJUNCTIONS. 
 
 The Vei language is comparatively rich in Conjunctioris, which viay 
 he divided into Absolute and Relative. 
 
 I. The following are Absolute Conjunctions : — 
 
 be, and 
 
 fera, witli, and 
 
 hi, and, if 
 
 zi, but, however 
 
 o — o and ii — u, either, or whe- 
 ther, or as well as, both, 
 and 
 
 pere, too, also, even 
 
 II. List of Conjunctions which are but relatively such :- 
 
 gba, or; from gba, adv. sepa- 
 rately 
 
 ke and kere, but, then, that, 
 whether, else ; from ke, 
 pron. this, adv. then 
 
 kun, if ; from kun', adv. when 
 
 kunni, if, as ; from kunni, adv. 
 when 
 
 bema, because, for; from be, 
 to be, and ma, on = on the 
 being 
 
 amu, and, then; from a, it, 
 
 and niu, it was = it was, it 
 
 had taken place 
 komu, therefore ; from ko, 
 
 reason, and mu, it is 
 kirimu, as, forasmuch as ; from 
 
 kira, way, manner, and mu, 
 
 it is 
 somu, at the same time, but, 
 
 however ; from so, time, 
 
 and mu, it is 
 
40 convp:rtibiltty of words. 
 
 §. 12. 
 ETYMOLOGY OF INTERJECTIONS. 
 
 In Vei, as mmost languages, the Interjections, for the most part, consist 
 of a vowel, or a comhinatwn of vowels. They are asfolloivs — 
 
 a ! e ! ea ! eio ! ko ! o ! h5 ! oya ! hoio ! kuo ! yambao ! 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CONVERTIBILITY OF WORDS* 
 
 §. 13. 
 
 The Convertibility of Words being in the sayie ratio with their trant 
 of infection, we tmist he prejmred by the preceding chapter to find 
 it in the widest extent in the Vei language. 
 
 I. It is probable that all intransitive Vei verbs may be used 
 as adjectives and substantives. As a natural consequence of 
 the entire absence of inflection, it must follow, that whenever 
 any thing is predicated of a subject without the use of a 
 separate copula, the predicate can with equal right be con- 
 sidered as either verb, adjective, or substantive. With re- 
 gard to form, there is generally no difference whatever in 
 Vei; and with regard to meaning, I suppose the natives do 
 not distinguish between verb and adjective on the one hand, 
 and an abstract substantive on the other : a walk is to them 
 "the walking;" one's fall, "his falling;" the grandeur of a 
 thing, " its being great." The close affinity between verbs 
 and adjectives is so obvious as to strike one in any language ; 
 and James Harris said a century ago, " Some verbs appear 
 to denote nothing more than a mere simple adjective joined 
 
 * This term, as well as some others, has been adopted from Dr. \\. (i. 
 Latham's work on the English language. 
 
CONVERTIBILITY OF WORDS. 41 
 
 to an assertion; thus, lad^etv in Greek, and 'equalleth' in 
 English, mean nothing more than Tcros- ecrr/, 'is equal.' So 
 albeo, in Latin, is no more than 'albus smw'" (vide Ch. IX. of 
 " Hermes, or a Philosophical Inquiry concerning Universal 
 Grammar," by James Harris, Esq.). The sameness of form 
 between adjectives and verbs is so complete in Vei, that here, 
 if in any language, it may be asked whether they are not 
 really one part of speech. 
 
 II. The parts of speech between which conversion usually 
 takes place are the substantives, adjectives, and verbs, on the 
 one hand ; and the pronouns, adverbs, and conjunctions, on 
 the otlier. 
 
 1. The following instances will illustrate the conversion 
 between, or (as it might be termed) the identity of substan- 
 tives, adjectives, and verbs — 
 
 Bia : na i dia, " I love thee ;" mfa ndia, " my father loves 
 me;" dia-mo, "love-person, friendship-person,'' ie." lover, 
 friend ;" mu nyo-dia ma I " let us make mutual friend- 
 ship !"" anu be nyo-diavvaro, " they are in love with 
 each other ;" a dia, " he loves, is loving." 
 
 Dsa : an'da nyo dsa, " they hated each other ;" ya ndsa, 
 " thou blackenedst (lit. reddenedst) me ;" dsa-mo, " ha- 
 tred-person," i.e. "enemy;" a dsa, "it (is) red, yellow, 
 loathsome." 
 
 Fa : a nie fa, " he killed a bullock ;" mboea fa, " my friend 
 has died ;" an'da fa ma, " they made a funeral ;" ita 
 fa-ko fo ! " go and tell the death news !" nyanan' do : 
 ya na faro, " the spirits said : Thou hast come into 
 the kingdom (or region, dominion) of death ;" an'da 
 kura bun- anoa fam.a, " they covered their dead with 
 cloths." 
 
 Nyi : I nyi, " thou art handsome ; ndia-mo nyi gba, my 
 friend is very handsome ;" an da sana nyia, ' they pre- 
 pared the bed ;" kore nyia kiirumba, " the rice yielded 
 very much ;" a nyia ta, " his beauty is gone." 
 
 G 
 
42 CONVERTIBILITY OF WORDS. 
 
 2. Pronouns may be converted into adjectives and con- 
 junctions. 
 
 As the English adverbs " then " and " there " are certain 
 cases of an Anglo-Saxon demonstrative pronoun (vide Latham, 
 "The English Language," §. 182.), so it cannot be surprising if 
 in Vei, which has no traces of inflexion, the same form 
 stands both for a demonstrative pronoun and an adverb. This 
 is the case with the words me, he, and also with the indefinite 
 numerals ghi, gbere, pene, which partake of certain peculiarities 
 of the pronouns. 
 
 Me has generally an adverbial force when suffixed to a 
 noun which is unconnected with verbs (cf. the use of 
 H. n3n) ; e. g. siname, " here is a seat ;" kaieme siro, 
 " here is the man sitting ;' wa domme, " here is your 
 rice ;" mfa ngame, " my father, here am L" In order 
 to increase its demonstrative force, nu is frequently 
 added to me (cf. the German diess da, dahier) : ya 
 musiemenu, "here (or "this here") is thy wife ;" rfibira- 
 miisiemenu, " here is my mother-in-law ;" fameniiye, 
 " the dead is here." 
 Ke may be considered as an adverb when suffixed to me ; 
 e.g. demmeke, "this child here." The proper meaning 
 of meke and heme seems to be respectively, " this here " 
 and " that there ;" but in the praxis of the language 
 this difference is not observed, both being used for 
 "this here'' and "this there;" only with regard to 
 their connexion there is this difference, that meke is 
 generally a suffix, whereas k'eme is generally not ; e.g. ke- 
 mero, " this here said ;" keme kone bira, " this here 
 took a stick ;" musumeke mmiidse, " this woman here I 
 have not seen ;" na suye demmeke ai toa pfuruarowa, 
 " this my little animal here, it will be left in the trap." 
 Ke is also frequently converted into a conjunction (just as 
 Grimm derives the corresponding conjunctions, German 
 "doch," and English "though," from the demonstrative 
 pronoun, vide his Grammar, Vol. IIL p. 176): ke wu ta 
 
( 43 ) 
 
 fo! "then go and tell itf ke ngbasi! "then whip me!" 
 na kaie ma ndiaro, ke dem musuma demme, " my hus- 
 band does no longer love me, but this little girl/' 
 Ghi : an'ni a mamani gbi, " they apply it all over him." 
 Gbere (of. the adverbial use of Heb. 72) : anu kunni bo afoa 
 gbere, " when they have gone out to tell it every- 
 where." 
 Pene : kowe mbe fen dom pene ! " let me eat first !" iwu- 
 roa ini mbere dsau, " thou wantedst to abuse me first." 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ON THE ACCENT. 
 
 §. 14. 
 
 The Vei language is so eininently musical, that the alternation of 
 intensity and modei'ation in sound is much more uniform, and 
 much less interfered with hy the logical elemetit, than in many other 
 languages. 
 
 I. The accent in all isolated words lies on the first syllable J 
 
 y ^ ^ 
 
 e. g. dende, firi, anu ; Doaru, koari, moanu ; barawara. This 
 will appear the more natural, when we consider that the 
 greatest portion of words are monosyllables, that a smaller 
 number are dissyllables, and still fewer, trisyllables or poly- 
 syllables. In foreign words, however, the accent is generally 
 suffered to remain unchanged ; e.g. Monddvia, Setana, dsaha- 
 nama. 
 
 It is striking, that often the mere consonant of which the 
 first person of the singular pronoun consists may receive the 
 accent; e.g. nko, "give me;" rnfa, "my father;" ihbara, 
 " my place ;" nton, " my name ;" lita, " I go." If these forms 
 are considered as one word, the case is identical with the 
 general rule, the consonant n and its equivalents being treated 
 as a distinct syllable. But the language has not been con- 
 
4-4 ON THE ACCENT. 
 
 sistent in this respect, for we meet even more frequently forms 
 like mniama, " my grandmother f mfara, " my liver (heart) " 
 nkuru, " my bone ;" n-kun-, " my head.'' One thing, however, 
 seems to have been the case, viz. that monosyllables have more 
 readily ceded their accent to the pronoun than dissyllables. 
 
 II. In a sentence, the accent of individual words gives way 
 to the regular undulation, in which the general flow of speech 
 moves on. The law for this undulation is, that one accented 
 syllable is followed by one or two, rarely three, not accented ; 
 e. g. na i dia, " I love thee ;" amo anu dunda firaro, " and 
 they entered into the forest;'' amo a boro don* akoro, "and 
 he put his hand under it;" anu ma nani kerereiwabara = 
 kerera iwa, '* they did not bring war to thy place ;" ndo mbe 
 kb be nle ? "I said. What are the news here?" likomuimusu 
 here, i.e. nkomu I musu bere, " this is my reason (for say- 
 ing) &c." ; or " therefore give up a woman." The accent seems 
 to serve merely a musical or euphonic purpose in the con- 
 text, and not the logical one of distinguishing one word 
 from the other. Hence the circumstance, which appears 
 rather strange at first, that the verb, in a logical point of 
 view the most important part of a proposition, so often occurs 
 in the capacity of a mere enclitic ; e. g. anu banda dsi tia, 
 "they had finished crossing the water;" a gbi tedun", "she 
 divided all ;" an'da diiyenu, " so they built houses." The 
 want of being able to distinguish one word from another by 
 means of accent is made up by certain affixes expressive of 
 emphasis {vide §. 22.). 
 
 In imperative prepositions the accent generally falls on the 
 verb, which circumstance may have so much influence on 
 what follows, as to cause several subsequent words to move in 
 the iambic measure. But, as if not fitting them well, tliey 
 always soon exchange it again for trochees or dactyles; e.g. 
 Tna moa gbatie bo, " come and remove our difficulty ;" ina 
 mome buro fere, " come, inspect this person's bowels !" 
 
( -io ) 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 §. 15. 
 PHYSICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 The Physical Law of Euphony is the tendency of a language to avoid 
 difficulty in the transition from one position of the organs of speech 
 to another. It accounts for several phenomena in the Vei language. 
 
 I. The great influence which Phonetism exercises in every 
 language, Max Wocher first systematically exhibited in his 
 " Allgemeine Phonologic." He also suggested the appella- 
 tion of Physical and Psychical Laws of Euphony. I was 
 much gratified, after a little application, at once to recognise 
 the above laws in most of the euphonic changes in the Vei 
 language. In a written language, and among a literary people, 
 the free operation of the law of euphony may, in some de- 
 gree, be impeded ; but in the unwritten languages of Africa, 
 which have never attained to an objective existence, but have 
 been transmitted to us merely by the mouths of numerous 
 generations, due attention to their phonetism is especially 
 needful, in order to understand the form in which they present 
 themselves to us at present. I have found Wocher's advice 
 of great practical utility in ascertaining which combination 
 of sounds is accompanied with least difficulty to the organs of 
 speech, and give here the chief of them, w^ith the full confi- 
 dence, that whoever makes use of them will easily see that' 
 " the secret operation and formation of language " which 
 resulted in the changes to be mentioned below, w^as influenced 
 by the tendency to avoid difficulty in changing the position 
 of the organs of speech. Wocher says : " In order to obtain 
 some certainty in ascertaining the degrees of ease and diffi- 
 culty in the transition from one position of the mouth to 
 another, not only a fine taste in general is required, but the 
 
46 THE LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 same must also be improved by much and long exercise. 
 Advantages for such an exercise are, 1. Frequently repeated 
 pronunciation of the whole combination of sounds in question 
 alternately with this or that vowel or consonant in question ; 
 2. Combining silent and vocal pronunciation ; 3. Assuming as 
 indifferent and lazy a position of the mouth as possible, in 
 which case every inconvenience and harshness is most easily 
 felt : the chin may, e. g., be supported by the hand during the 
 attempt ; 4. On account of the intimate connexion between 
 the organs of speech, and the mutual influence of one on the 
 other, it will be of great advantage, in difficult cases, closely 
 to observe even the external visible position of the mouth, 
 by means of a looking-glass." 
 
 II. Euphonic changes in the symphony of consonants. 
 
 According to the nature of the Vei language, consonants 
 can only meet, 1. when the pronoun of the first person sin- 
 gular is prefixed to a word ; 2. when a word, terminating in 
 n' is followed by one beginning with a consonant ; 3. when 
 the elision of a vowel has taken place, rendering an m or n 
 final. Hence it appears that only m, n, and ?i' can come 
 into immediate contact with other consonants. It then de- 
 pends on the nature of the latter whether the former will 
 exercise an assimilating influence, or be assimilated them- 
 selves. 
 
 1. Cases when m, n, and n' are changed by a following 
 consonant — 
 
 a. m and n are changed into w by a following 
 
 g : an' Goturu na, for : am' G-, " and Goturu came ;" m' 
 gone daka, for : in' g-, " that thou open the stockade- 
 gate. 
 k: mon' kura bi, for : mom k-, "the person who took the 
 cloth;" mun' kaduma, for: mun' k-, "let us get up." 
 w : nwuro, " I want," for nwuiro ; but then cf. 2. a. 
 h. m and n- are changed into 71 by a following 
 
 d: an difi na, for ; am' d-, " and darkness came ;" fen* 
 
PHYSICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 47 
 
 dondo, for: fend-, " one thing;" dondori, for: dendori, 
 
 "an infant." 
 n : an nyana na, for : am' ny-, " and a ghost came ;" 
 
 tan nani, for : tan' n-, " fourteen." 
 s : an* sandsa, for : am' s-, "and the town ;" kon-siiru, 
 
 for : kon"-s-, " tree-root ;" tan sagba, " thirteen." 
 t : an tere bera for : am't-, " and the sun set ;" kun ti, 
 
 for : kun ti, " when it is ;" ken tan, " ten houses." 
 
 c. n and w are changed into m by a following 
 
 b : rfiba, for : nba, " my mother ;" mboa, " I come out ;" 
 femba, " a great thing, devil ;" a sem bi, " he took 
 a stone." 
 
 f: mfa, "my father ;" ya mfiri, "thou hast thrown at 
 me ;" dom-fen, " foot, pp. eat- thing ;'' dom-fon, " ap- 
 parel." 
 
 p: mPoro-bana, "my banana;" mpoe, "my eagle;" 
 fem peneme ? "are these all the things ?"" 
 
 V : mvovo, " my lungs ;" mvanya, " my vein ;" a torn 
 Vani, " his name was Vani." 
 
 d. n" is changed into n by a following 
 
 y: denye, "to the child," for: denye; but this is rare, 
 
 and for the more common change vide 2, b. 
 r : kunro, for : kunro ; but then cf. 2, b. 
 2. Cases when (m) n, n', change a following consonant — 
 
 a. n changes a following 
 
 r into d: ndo, "I say," for: nro; an'da, "they," for: 
 
 an' ra; moendo, "the people said," for: moen'ro. 
 y into ds: iidse, "for me," for: liye ; dendse, "to the 
 
 child." 
 and sometimes into y : anu senge, for : senye, " they 
 
 told me." 
 cZ into n: banna = banda, "timej" but this change is 
 
 very rare. 
 
 b. ri changes a following 
 
 h into y : ken-giira, for : ken-kiira, " trousers ;" anum' 
 here ken-go, for: ken-ko, "they pass behind the house." 
 
48 THE LAW OF EUPHOJ^Y. ; 
 
 7V into g : akuir guru, " if he want ;" ya a gbasi pu- ■* 
 runga, for : purunsva, " thou whippest her for 
 nothing ;" ai goro-konga tia, " he is to cut palisade- 
 pg,les ;"" nguru-'ba be nu, for: n'wuru-ba, "my parent 
 (mother) is here." 
 But if n — g or n — w are not conversant enough, they are 
 changed into 
 
 Either, m — h : mbem fa, " when I die ;" mbe, " I shall ;" 
 mbere, "I shall not,"" for: irwe, it were, or nge, n'gere. 
 or, n — d : awe ngbasia purundau, " he is whipping me 
 for nothing " (purundau = purunwau, or purungau). 
 3. It must be observed, that the above changes do not 
 always take place w^hen they have become possible. The 
 preceding rules show only what is generally the case. Some- 
 times the euphonic change is purposely avoided, perhaps 
 from reasons arising from the symphony of the sounds of a 
 whole phrase, or from the law of a regular undulation in the 
 accent; e.g. an'dakun tie, "they cut his head;" but, an'dcl- 
 kune bi, " they took his 'head." 
 
 The m of am\ the apocopated form of amu, quite distin- 1 
 guishes itself by its resistance to assimilation. Forms like 
 am' Doalu, am' so, are more common than those euphouicallv 
 changed. 
 
 4.' An accumulation of three consonants without an inter- 
 vening^ vowel is what the Vei language does not admit of. 
 Whenever it would occur in the common collocation of words, 
 it is avoided by what is best looked upon as contraction ; for 
 the first two of them are in such cases always identical. 
 These two then so flow together in pronunciation, as to 
 sound as one. (Perhaps, also, in English tliis view would 
 be more correct than when it is said, " that in the mouths 
 even of correct speakers, one of the doubled consonants is 
 often dropped^) To account for the disappearance of one of 
 those consonants, either by apocope or apha?resis, would bi^ 
 considerably more difficult. Tlie forms referred to are, 
 tliereforc, to be written as one word ; e.g. fulsanda, " lie 
 
PHYSICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 49 
 
 ook leave of me ;" kumbe ta, " therefore I shall go ;'' a don- 
 undo, " it enters into my nose ;" na kummawake, " as to 
 ly thing which I have done ;" woanu tombenu, " ye are my 
 ncles (lit. your names are my uncles);" (dsanda, from 
 sannda = dsan* nda ; kumbe, from kum'mbe = kiimu mbe ; 
 onsundo, from donnsundo = don- nsundo ; kumawake, from 
 um' 'mawake = kumu mmawake ; tombenu, from tommbenu 
 = ton' mbenu). 
 
 III. Euphonic Changes in the Symphony of Vowels — 
 1. Two vowels can only meet when a word terminating 
 1 a vowel is followed by certain pronouns (i, a), or takes 
 vowel affix. (Some interjections, and a few other words, 
 lithln which two vowels meet, cannot here come into con- 
 deration, their forms being already euphonically fixed.) 
 he hiatus thus arising is removed in the following ways — 
 
 a. By Crasis. This is the case only if the second of two 
 . meeting vowels be i. They then either coalesce into 
 one vowel, or form a diphthong : the first we call per- 
 fect, the second imperfect, crasis. 
 The Perfect Crasis unites a and a, a and i, e and i, e and i, 
 and i, o and i. 
 
 a + a = a: a feraba = a fera aba, " she and her mother ;"" 
 abiiro-dem berendse = a aburo-d., "he gave up his 
 own child to me ;" fembabi = femba a bi, " the big 
 thing (devil) took her ;" anu fanu tusa=anu fa anu 
 tusa, "their father asked them;" moe tanu dsa = 
 moe ta anu dsa, " the people went to their home ;" 
 amo anu tusa = amo a anu t., " and he asked them.'' 
 rt f i = e; a bundedsaro = a bunda idsaro, " it came down 
 into thy face ;" mbe a sendeye = senda iye, " I am 
 telling it thee ;" wu ferenyomo = fera iny., " thou 
 and thy brother ; '' akbm' moekere=m6a ikere, 
 " therefore we called thee {"' miii bereeko = berea iko, 
 " w^e will go behind thee, i.e. go over to thee.'' 
 (This e may sometimes be pointed into e.) 
 
 H 
 
50 THE LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 e + i=ze: mbegbasi = riibe igbasi, " I shall whip thee/ 
 
 e + i=e: na bereye==na here lye, "I gave it up to 
 thee ;" ya dseton dem mese=dse iton, " thou seest 
 thou art a young boy;" ya dsewa torn m6ba=dse 
 iwa, " thou seest that thou art a grown up person." 
 
 i 4- i=z : himabi=hi ima abi, " if thou do not take it ;" anu 
 kun korira = kori ira, " when they surround thee." 
 
 i + i=: e: a f6aweye=foawi iye, " he has told thee ;" ya den 
 kunnekere=kimni ikere, "if thy child has called thee". 
 
 o + i (perhaps first = oi = ai, and then) = e: aredon nie 
 
 = aro i dOn, "he said, Enter thou here;" ai'esa = 
 
 aro isa, " he said, Lie down ;" arewa fo = aro iwa fo, 
 
 " he said, Thou saidst ;" den kaimaregbara nie, " the 
 
 boy said, Draw near here ;" kaimaro io-bara. 
 
 But the e, thus arising, is sometimes pointed into e : 
 arekie =aro ikie, "he said, Sleep thou ;" mfarena 
 =.mfaro ina, " my father said. Come thou." 
 The Imperfect Crash joins a and i, a and it, e and i, ,o and 
 i, and u and i. 
 
 a + i = ai: mfaina, "come, my father;" mfaikere, "my 
 father calls thee ;" wu ferainyomo, " thou and thy 
 brother." 
 
 a 4 i =r e^ ; kaneina = kana ina, " come, guana ! " kerei- 
 sene = kera isene, " deer, be welcome '." ndo neiso = 
 ndo na i s6, " I said, I know thee ;'' ntii dsireira = 
 dsira ira, " I will go and show thee ;" mu meikere, 
 " we did not call thee." 
 
 a-\-ii = au : a ma dsam moe dondo pereau = pereau, " lie 
 did not take leave even of one person." 
 
 a + u=^ou: anu ma nu kou=kau, "they do not sell 
 that place ;" Cinu muniwa moou = moiiu, " they 
 turned from us." 
 
 e-f.z = ei: keiwa mu gbi wuru, *' but thou hast begotten 
 us all ;" keibere, " but thou thyself." 
 
 e + i = €i: tirinei tii mina ? " which way is the fight 
 going?" momu kun" kerekeira, "if any man make 
 
PHYSICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 51 
 
 war with thee;"" keima, for keima, from kerima, 
 
 " lately." 
 o + i = oi : nni a foiye, " I must tell it thee ;" deneroina 
 
 = denero ina, "the child said, Come thou!" = i ma 
 
 foinyomoenuye, " do not tell thy brothers ;" amo 
 
 arbiton- ge dso ? " he said, What is thy name ?" 
 o-\~i = ei: areidbn! = aro idon*, "he said, Enter!'' mfareita 
 = mfaroita, "my father says, Go;" b5rei, "in the hand.'' 
 u +i = ui: tamara-momuira = momu ira, thou art a 
 
 fool ;" mo nyamabamuira, " thou art a very bad 
 
 person ;" kbmuita, " therefore go." 
 o + u often = ou : awere a denu kou = kou, " he did not 
 
 give to his children." 
 
 b. Hiatus avoided by a mere accommodation of vowels. 
 
 Certain vowels can so easily follow each other, that they 
 leave no hiatus between them, or only a very slight one. If 
 such a relation has been produced by a change of one of the 
 meeting vowels, that is what is here called accommodation 
 of vowels : which of the two meeting vowels is to be 
 changed depends on the second : if that is a, the first is 
 changed ; but if i, the second. 
 
 aa. The first of two meeting vowels changed — 
 
 o and u become o : amo a baro, " and her mother said," 
 amo anu, "and they;" ano akene dsiranoa = anu 
 akena dsira aniia, " they showed them his house ;" 
 d5aru = doaru atoa, from to, " it was left;" akoa, 
 from ko, " on its account." 
 But sometimes u becomes i : mo wuri a gbau, wuri = 
 wuru, " somebody wants to see her ;" wumi a fa ; 
 wumi = wumu (or = wumui ?), " let us kill him !'' 
 e becomes e: kike and kikea, " to sleep;" fere and ferea, 
 " to look ;" sara be ama ? " is there a law on it .?" 
 kaime a bira, " this man seized him;" aro ke akun, 
 " he said that he could;" lina were awa dsea, " I came 
 to-day to see him ;" Momoru here a mo here, " Momoru 
 
52 THE LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 himself gave up a person;" anu s5 anufe, an 'da tirinke 
 
 anua, "they pursued them, they fought with them/' 
 
 becomes o : ke mu here akou, " then we will not be 
 
 after him ;" rnma sou, " I do not know." 
 
 Note. — The u in the diphthong au often dissolves itself into 
 
 ui when followed by a or i: bue daw anuma, "guns fired on 
 
 them ;"" anu kum ban anu nyawa, " when they had finished 
 
 dressing them ;" in' daw iro (and then, according to IV. 5, 
 
 dairo), " thou answerest and sayest." 
 
 66. The second of two meeting vowels changed. 
 
 As has been stated already, this second vowel is al- 
 ways i. Generally it becomes e, but sometimes 
 also the broader e. 
 i changed into e: ai e koa, "she will give thee;" 
 mfa kunni ekere, " when my father called thee ;" 
 ini a so ero, " thou knowest it, thou sayest ;" 
 an'do ero, " they said (that) thou saidst." 
 i changed into e : miii e fara, " we will kill thee ; ' 
 mui epere ifara, " we will kill thee too." 
 
 c. Hiatus avoided by the ejection of a voivel. 
 
 The ejection can either be an apocope or an aphceresis : 
 the former is the more common ; the latter can occur only 
 if the second vowel is a. 
 
 aa. Apocope of e, e, i, u : mb'a mi = rnbe a mi, " I shall 
 drink it ;" mb'a foiye, " I shall tell it thee ;" ya 
 ds'a fo udse = ya dse a fo, "thou seest he has told 
 me ;" ya ds'a were, " thou seest he will not ;" iwa 
 fo mfay' iro = mfaye iro, " didst thou tell my father .^" 
 ani ko fo ly'o, am'ma ko fo iy'6 = Tyeo, " whether he 
 has told thee something, or whether he has not told 
 thee something ;" an'da niuro nyeny'ou = nyenyeou, 
 " they scattered us;" ktV inyomo kunni fa = kai iny., 
 "man! as thy brother has died;" kom' I dsake = 
 komu i, " therefore divine !" 
 
 66. Aphccresis : wui 'nu bira = wui anu, "catch ye- 
 
PHYSICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 53 
 
 them l" anu 'ndone don' = anu anu d., " they ate their 
 rice ;" f nu bo, " beg them ;" musie, zi, Vo = zi, aro, 
 " the woman, however, said." 
 
 d. Hiatus avoided by the insertion of a consonant. 
 
 r inserted : na ra dse = na a, " I saw it ;" mandsa ra 
 mi, " the chief drank it ;" kori ra gbai, " the leopard 
 chased it f am' Vani ra fo, " and Vani, he said ;'' 
 siiye ra koa, " on account of the meat ;" tie ra don*, 
 " the fowl ate it ;" mu ra dan*, " we hear it ;" ta 
 ranu gbai, " the fire drove them."" 
 
 tr inserted : sando wa ton = sando a ton, " Sando's name ;" 
 an'tda waro, " they were left in it ;" anda wa fo 
 Bomma, " they spake it at Bomma ;" Gotiiruwa 
 nsan = Goturua, " Goturu has hired me." In some 
 of these cases, however, it is uncertain whether the w 
 is inserted, or whether it is part of the pronoun. 
 
 y inserted : this is only the case where the first of two 
 meeting vowels is i : lya wosa = i a wosa, " bale it 
 out ;" i ya dse, " thou seest it ;" i ya nko = i anko, 
 " give thou me."" 
 
 2. Besides the mutual influence which vowels have when 
 placed in immediate contact, they sometimes also affect each 
 other, although separated by consonants. This seems to be 
 the case in the following instances : a kiire fi nu = a kiire f., 
 " he threw a word there," i.e. "replied;" borei, "in the hand," 
 for boro ; me-fen', " drinkables," for mi-fen* ; sekiri, " settle- 
 ment," for sikiri ; dondori, and donduri, and dunduri = den 
 dori, " a little child ;" fom-foro, " spoil, booty," for fem-foro ; 
 fom fore, " an empty thing," for fern fore. 
 
 IV. Euphonic Changes in the Symphony of Vowels and 
 Consonants — 
 
 I. Mutation of Vowels. — It is sometimes difficult to say 
 whether the change of a vowel has been occasioned by the 
 influence of another vowel, although separated by consonants 
 
54 THE LAW OF EUPHONY, 
 
 (vide IV. 2.), or by the influence of the consonant imme- 
 diately following. There appear to be some instances where 
 the latter is the case. 
 
 The labials, especially, have a tendency to change o and 6 
 into u : mbe diambumuwi = diambomuwi, " what has been the 
 conversation?'''' kume = kome, "this matter;'''' kumu = k6mu, 
 "therefore;"' burumero = boromero, "in this hand;''' ku here, 
 " good ;"' mu be ku biriwaro = ko bir., " we were in that 
 matter."'"' 
 
 The consonant r also often imparts to vowels an inclina- 
 tion to become u: a be mburo, for boro, " it was in my 
 hand ;"" suro = soro, " in the hole ;"'"' mbe kiiro = koro ? " in 
 what matter ?" suro, " sitting," is frequently used for siro, 
 than which it flows decidedly easier. 
 
 2. Ejection of Vowels. — The vowels i and u are especially 
 liable to ejection. Certain consonants following facilitate this 
 
 t — 
 
 ejection, and certain vowels following oppose it: e.g. mun ta 
 dara = muni ta, " let us go to town ;" muni anu nu, " let us hide 
 them;" mum' bo nu, "we have come out thence ;"" ini a fo, "that 
 thou tell it;"" kan'-da'ya, but generally kani-daya, "silver- 
 bracelet." The u of the conjunction dmu is generally dropped 
 before consonants : am' Vani — am' Doaru — anV dende — am' 
 moenu, &c. The u of the affix mu is frequently dropped, 
 especially before labials : mmirinyarem' Vanira mfa, " my 
 ftither, I am afraid of Vani ;" i kom"" ma nda, " the thing 
 which thou hast done to me ;" nnyomom"' Buraima, " Ibraliim 
 is my brother." The u of the pronoun anu, and the plural ter- 
 mination, is likewise frequently dropped : an 'ta p6n", " they 
 went far away ;" an' na, " they came;" moro fiman'te, "in the 
 midst of black people ;" mu gboren'do, "in our skins;" a tan 'da 
 =:atanura, "he went with them;" an'da = anura, "they;" an'- 
 do = anuro, "they said;" miisien'toa, "the women were left." 
 
 3. Insertion of Vowels : i anko, and then iyii nko, for 
 inko, "give me." 
 
 4. Insertion of Consonants. Of — 
 
 7 Ijctwecn n' and u, rc and a : bangu, for band, " it is 
 
PHYSICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 55 
 
 finished ;" dongu, for donu, " he put on ;" kangu, for 
 kanu ; sandsa den' ga benu = den* a, " there was a 
 small town." 
 
 m before b and /; bamba, for baba, " very big ;"" ktiru- 
 mba, for kuruba, " very much ;" sum fera, for soru 
 fera, " seven." 
 
 n : feranden", "a twin/' from fera and den; sund6ndo = 
 s5ru dondo, "six;" mu an to = mu a to, "we leave him." 
 
 r (or d) between n' and a: mbe sowa san dara = 
 san- ara, " I shall buy a horse with it ;" w limu dsere 
 san da musia, " let us return Sang's wife." 
 5. Ejection of Consonants. — The vowels which thereby 
 come into immediate contact coalesce by means of either 
 perfect or imperfect crasis : — 
 
 n ejected : na se*ye = na sen' iye, " I have told thee ;" 
 na baidia = na ban* idia, " I am already in love with 
 thee;" de we kun' koaria = den'e w., "the child 
 cannot speak ;" a ma* maye = a man'a ma aye, " he 
 made a growl at him ;" a be ka'raro = kanararo, 
 "it was in the boxV' anun'" kura, bu* ama = bun' a. 
 "they cover him with cloth." 
 
 riy and nds ejected : a ma'-demu = a ma'ya, or mandsa- 
 den'emu, " she is the daughter of a chief ;" keima 
 = kenyema, " on the sand." 
 
 r ejected : a ma kiire fi nu = firi nu, " he did not 
 reply ;'"' baw^ara = barawara, " sheep ;" B5a Kairo = 
 Boa Kariro, " Boa Kari said ;" anu bero = berero, 
 "they gave again ;" na kuna benu = here nu, " I have 
 
 / — / ^ 
 
 nothing to do with it ;" Ai Bubi = Ari Bubi ; Zo 
 Duma = Zoru Duma ; hi' Gadsei beni nu bereni, " if 
 Gadsei had not been there ;" moa so ta mi da = 
 tara nu dara, " we met a horse there, in the town ;" 
 te dondo blr6 = tere d. biriro, "on that very same 
 day." 
 w ejected : mu ere dse = mu were idse, " we did not 
 see thee ;'' mu e saduma = mu ere, or mix were s., 
 
56 THE LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 <( 
 
 we will not surrender;" a ra fa uru = fawuru, "she 
 brought forth his father f akumu na u kere = na wu, 
 " therefore I called you;" mu fanoa miirn = muuru = 
 mii wuru, " our fathers have begotten us ;" moa na 
 u dserea, = na wu, " we came to fetch you back ;" 
 anum' fa bouboro = bo wu, " thev take the dead out 
 of your hand." 
 y ejected : baramuira = bayaramuira, " thou art a trai- 
 tor." 
 
 §. 16. 
 
 PSYCHICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 
 
 Tkis is a tendency of the Innguarjeto render the combination of sounds 
 harmonious and agreeable to the ear. 
 
 I. Wocher says on this subject in his " Allgemeine Plio- 
 nologie," §. 10 : " The euphony of the ear is in intimate 
 connexion with the euphony of the organs of speech. What 
 flows conveniently and easily as to the organs of speech must 
 also sound agreeably and pleasantly to the ear, at least to 
 that of the speaker himself, when carried along on the stream 
 of euphony ; and vice versa, every disagreeable sound is also 
 more or less inconvenient to the organs of speecli : conse- 
 quently, every language which has developed itself into a 
 living symphonism, must also satisfy the ear ; in so far, at 
 least, as we have entered into its organism. On the plea- 
 santness of sounds in a foreign language we may not judge 
 correctly until we can move in its organism with some ease, 
 and consider all its parts in their peculiar phonetic relations. 
 It will not do to compare merely this or that abrupt phrase 
 with an expression of another language which we consider 
 more beautiful." Accordingly, we must not expect an ab- 
 solute difference between what we ascribe severally to the 
 physical and to the psychical law of euphony. The difference 
 consists merely in a more or less. It is evident, e.g., that 
 an accumulation of the same vowel is not only monotonous to ' 
 
PSYCHICAL LAW OF EUPHONY. 57 
 
 the ear, but requires also considerable exertion of the organs 
 of speech. But in avoiding it, the psychical law may have 
 exercised a predominating influence. 
 
 II. The Vei language produces euphony to the ear in 
 the following ways — 
 
 1. By the thoroughly uniform proportion of the conso- 
 nantal and vowel elements, in which it surpasses even Arabic 
 and Italian. With great regularity, a consonant and vowel, 
 or diphthong, form the syllable ; and one or two, seldom 
 more, syllables, the word. The only consonant which can 
 conclude a word or syllable is ri, or its symphonic modifi- 
 cation. In all cases where n and d, or m and b &c., meet 
 in the same word, that word is probably a compound. 
 
 2. By the agreeable modulation and variety in the suc- 
 cession of vowels. 
 
 In this place may be mentioned the changes in the ter- 
 mination of words, when standing in the context. This is a 
 very striking peculiarity of the Vei language, antl cannot be 
 accounted for, except it be to serve such a phonetic purpose. 
 Nouns, namely, not terminating in a or e, very frequently 
 undergo the same changes at their termination when used 
 in the context, as, e.g., when assuming the plural termi- 
 nation, and the suffix ro. The following are some of the 
 most common of these changes ; but more occur, which can 
 easily be learnt from the examples dispersed throughout the 
 grammar. 
 
 a. Final o and o interchanged : kone akoa, " oif account of 
 the famine," (kono) ; a kore-kunge dan', " he smelt the 
 scent of the rice," (koro) ; a miisu donde fere, "he looked 
 at one woman ; hima kaiwore ma, " if thou dost not 
 perform thy conjugal duty (kaiworo) ; a kore bi, " he 
 took the throne (koro) ; nnyomoe kum fa, " when my 
 brother has died;'"' dem mese-dongbe kunkiiru, musu- 
 don-gboe kunkiiru, " there was a numerous crowd of 
 little children and women ;" (dongbo = crowd.) — Awa 
 
 I 
 
58 ON COMPOSITION AND DECOMPOSITION. 
 
 gbore else, " she found her skin (gboro) ; n'gbore sa- 
 
 mani, " my hide has been lost ;"" musie gbia dan* Dsuba 
 
 bare, " all the women heard that Job had recovered," 
 
 (baro); kerea gbore bi, "war has t \ken the book." — 
 
 Zuve ton zo-manira, " the chiefs name was Chief- 
 
 Mani ;" amo a poe-kerie bo akoro, " and he took the 
 
 eagle's eggs from under him." 
 
 b. Final o and u changed : wuri a gbasa bi, ** the dog took 
 
 the cassada ;*' miisi afo aro : na kani-dimmu, " the 
 
 woman said, It is my silver ring ;" abe musie boro, " it 
 
 is in the woman's hand ;" kaie a wurie fa, " the man 
 
 killed the dog;" an' turie ke nu, "they put oil there;" 
 
 pakennamuye, " it is the spider ;" a kue dan* and a kde 
 
 dan-, " he heard the word ;" tendiiye ta, "the messenger 
 
 went." 
 
 I have made large collections, to ascertain whether or 
 
 not these changes serve a logical or rhetorical purpose; but I 
 
 am led to conclude that they are purely phonetic, and may 
 
 therefore be made or omitted according to taste. 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 ON COMPOSITION AND DECOMPOSITION. 
 
 §. 17. . 
 
 COMPOSITION. 
 In compouvd words a Suhftfantive may define. Su7)sfantives, Adjectives, 
 and Verbs, but a Verb only Substantives. From the vianner in 
 which they are joined, the Compounds are divided into Pure and 
 Impure Compounds. 
 
 I. Pure Compounds are those whose constituent parts do not 
 undergo a formal change by composition. 
 1. Substantives define or qualify — 
 
 n. Other Substantives : don-gbun-, rice-bowl ; gbiin-te- 
 renu, bowl-pieces; da-don-, feast-rice; be-den-, uncle's. 
 
COMPOSITION. 59 
 
 child, i. e. nephew ; gbe-kuru, rum-cask ; patavva- 
 kanara, money-chest ; kani-binda, silver-spoon ; Boa 
 Kari-ba, the Boa Kari-mother, i.e. Boa Kari's mo- 
 ther ; poe-keri, eagle-egg ; fauie-te, grassfield-centre. 
 
 6. Adjectives : bu-fa, lit. belly-full, i. e. satisfied. 
 
 c. Verbs : fira-bo, lit. breath-coming-out, i. e. life ; sandsa- 
 bo, town-taking. 
 2. Verbs qualify Substantives — 
 
 Sa-banda, lit. lie-down-time, i.e. bed-time; na-banda, 
 come-time, i.e. time to come. 
 
 II. Impure Compounds are those whose constituent parts 
 undergo a formal change by composition. 
 
 1. Substantives defining: — 
 
 a. Other Substantives : sandsaro-moenu, lit. the in-the- 
 town-people, i. e. the town people ; koro-kama, lit. the 
 in-the- water-elephant, i. e. the v, ater elephant ; firaro- 
 kama, wood-elephant ; daro-kure, mouth-word ; ke- 
 rero-kb, war- word. 
 
 h. Adjectives : m6ro-mande, another-person, = another ; 
 moro-fima, black-person, negro. And in proof of 
 moro-fima being really considered as one word, mean- 
 ing " negro,'' the form moro-fima-mo, lit. a negro- 
 person, i.e. a negro, sometimes occurs. 
 
 c. Verbs : kando-ban, head-being done = confusion, per- 
 plexity ; kundo-kiri, head-tying = study, thought. 
 
 §. 18. 
 DECOMPOSITION. 
 
 In Decomposites, either the Antecedent or Subsequent, or both Ante- 
 cedent and Subseque?tt, are Compounds. 
 
 I. Decomposites with a compound antecedent. 
 
 1. The antecedent a noun, defined by either substantive 
 or adjective — 
 
 Duye-bari-kon, house-roof-rafter ; tie gbema-kundi, 
 
60 ON COMPOSITION AND DECOMrOSITION. 
 
 white-fowl-feather ; bure gbere-gbowo, the whole 
 country's sores ; kambiri-banda, same place-time, 
 i.e. at the very same time; kere-dendero-moenu, a 
 war- vessel's people ; gore-ko-kira, palisade-back-way, 
 i.e. way at the back of the palisade ; boro-dsire-fern- 
 mu, it is a from-the-country come-down-thing, i. e. it 
 is something come down from the country ; kando- 
 kiira berebere-bu, an upland-very fuie-cloth-piece, 
 i.e. a piece of very fine upland cloth. 
 
 2. The antecedent a verb with one or more complements. 
 
 B6ri-ma-fenu, medicine-make-things, i e. things to make 
 medicines ; dson-san-dende, slave-buy-vessel, i. e. 
 slaver; koro-suma-fen'e, rice-measure-tliing, i.e. a 
 rice measure ; dori-firi-moe, hook-thro w-persou, i.e. 
 an angler ; fira-bo-fenenu, breath-drawing-things, 
 i.e. living creatures; sandsa-bo-seri, towm-take-wit- 
 ness, i.e. a witness of taking the town; gban-gbe- 
 sie-mo, bamboo-wine-make-person, i. e. a bamboo wine 
 maker ; ta-ke-tawararo-mo, fire-put-into-a-pipe-per- 
 son, i.e. a person employed in lighting pipes; e.g. 
 ya ta-ke-tawararo-mome, " this is a person to put 
 fire into thy pipe.' 
 
 II. Decomposites with a compound subsequent. 
 
 1. The subsequent consisting of verb and noun — 
 
 A na Mando-si-kerema, " he came to the Mando seat of 
 war, i.e. to the seat of war at Mando;'' a ta Banda- 
 koro-tie-da, " he went to the Bandakoro fording-spot." 
 
 2. The Subsequent consisting of two nouns — 
 
 Nyana-daro-kure, ghost-mouth- word, i.e. word of the 
 mouth of a ghost ; Moro-kira-fira, Moro-sickncss- 
 forest, i.e. sickness-forest, or forest into which sick 
 persons are carried for recovery at Moro ; dsara- 
 susu-dsi, lion-brcast-water, i.e. lion's milk. 
 
DECOMPOSITION. G 1 
 
 III. Decomposites with a compound antecedent and subse- 
 quent — 
 
 Mano-moenu-ta-dsa-fene, Mano-people-part-eye-things, i. e 
 the Mano people's part of goods ; faro-bo-fen-gbe-bii, heart- 
 take-out-white-cloth-piece, i.e. a piece of -white cloth to take 
 out the heart, or to effect conciliation ; si-mo-buro-den, wealth- 
 person-bowels-child, i. e. the natural child of a wealthy person ; 
 mo-buro-fere-mo, people-bo wels-inspect-person, i.e. a person 
 to inspect people's bowels. 
 
 IV. Here may also be mentioned a striking phenomenon 
 of the Vei language, viz. the contraction or unition of a whole 
 proposition by ejecting or contracting vowels, and by a change 
 of accent, in such a manner that the contracted phrase can 
 be considered as a decomposite ; a decomposite, however, of 
 a different nature from that mentioned above. If the latter 
 be logically and grammatically compounded, and form only 
 one part of a proposition, the former is merely grammati- 
 cally or formally united, and contains itself a whole proposi- 
 tion, or even several propositions. The following are instances 
 of this phenomenon — 
 
 An'tanu fa bara, for: anu ta ami fa bara, "they went to 
 their father's place;" mfaikerewi mbea? for: mfa i kerewi 
 mbea ? " why has my father called thee ?'' nkumb^afowiiye, 
 for : nkurau, mbe a fo wuye, " therefore I am telling it you ;" 
 mfareita, for: mfaro ita ! "my father says, Go thou!" arei- 
 teina, for : aro ita ina, " he said. Go ! Come I" ibere weitoaro, 
 for: iberewa ito aro, "thou thyself wilt be left in it;" nantu- 
 sando, for: na anu tusa ndo, "I asked them, I said;" areitaifa 
 femmu kure sundanume, for : aro ita, ifa, &c., " he said. Go 
 thou ! these are the things concerning which thy father has 
 sent word." 
 
( 62 ) 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 FIGURES OF SPEECH AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 §. 19. 
 
 FIGURES OP SPEECH. 
 
 Pleonasm, Ellipsis, and Apposition, are common in the Vei language. 
 
 I. Pleonasm often occurs in the use of pronouns. It may be, 
 that originally, when a pronoun was used in addition to a 
 substantive, this was done in order to express emphasis; but 
 pronouns are certainly now used where they must be con- 
 sidered pleonastic ; e.g. akumu femme an'keira, " therefore 
 this thing is to concern thee." It is also a sort of pleonasm 
 when the pronoun a is prefixed to numerals ; e.g. &, dondo na, 
 " one came ;" na aboro bi, " I took some ;" aro mande be 
 nie, " there is another one here." 
 
 The verb ro is often used pleonastically , e.g. mfaro aro, 
 " my father said ;" moen'do an'do, " the people said." But the 
 very frequent pleonastic repetition of ro in repeating the words 
 of others has doubtless been occasioned by the unaccustomed 
 slowness with which the natives had to speak when dictating 
 to me. I never heard, in common conversation, phrases like 
 the following, which I wrote from dictation : aro ngawa tani 
 Vei, aro, amu mmia nu kaka, aro mbe nanawa, aro amu nkea 
 wura baro, i.e. "he said: I have gone to Vei, and remained 
 there a good while. When I was coming, I arrived at a 
 large forest." 
 
 Mo, " person," is used pleonastically : moro pere keremu, 
 " be there even war ;" moro pere faniu, *' be it even death." 
 
 II. Ellipsis. 
 
 1. Ellipsis of the Copula is very common : hi" bori biri 
 gbere, " if that medicine is strong ;" i saro, " thou art lying T' 
 
FIGURES OF SPEECH. 63 
 
 a dondoe ton si, " the name of one is buffalo ;" si a keremaba, 
 " the buffalo is very large." 
 
 2. When a substantive or pronoun governs several verbs, 
 the latter are generally without conjunction : mu ta mfa tusa, 
 " go and let us ask my father ;" i na nko, " come and give 
 me ;" wu na mbi, " come and take me ;"" anu ma nabira, 
 " lest they come and take her ;" ita fo Momoruye, " go and 
 tell Momoru ;" muta dsie ke, " we went and reached the 
 water ;" mui ta berea Momoruwako ? ** should we go and 
 pass behind Momoru?" ke kowe mun'ta nu dse, "then permit 
 us to go there and see ;" mbe ta dsi, "I shall go and descend," 
 i. e. "I shall go down." 
 
 Sometimes a whole proposition is omitted per ellipsin : 
 mboa Huroa fen* gbauna, " I come from Huro (supply, " where 
 I have been") to seek something ;" ab5afana, " he came out 
 from (supply, "where he had gone") to kill her." 
 
 III. Apposition. — If the word, explained by another in ap- 
 position is to have a suffix, different cases may take place. 
 
 1. The chief word may have the suffix, and that in apposi- 
 tion be without it : na bereye More, " I gave it to thee, Mu- 
 hamraadan ;" i kom' ma nda, iiga dsabundemu, ita denge a 
 mairau, iwa Vani, " the thing which thou hast done to me, 
 who am a blind man, will thine own children do to thee, 
 even thee, Vani ;" anu be muko, mu Vei-m5nu, " they were 
 after us, us the Vei people." 
 
 2. The word in apposition may have the suffix, instead of 
 the word which it explains : na here iwa .Moreye, " I gave it 
 thee. More." 
 
 3. Both the word in apposition and that explained, may 
 have the suffix : itareinyomo kerema bara Vani bara, " carry 
 it to the place of Vani, thy elder brother ;" Kanmba boro 
 kaniia, marekaniia, " God sent them, the angels." 
 
 IV. The use of " Abstractum pro Concreto" is not un- 
 common. 
 
 Kere, lit. "war," but also "warriors:'' e.g. kere sande ma 
 
64 FIGURES OF SPEECH AND FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 nabira, " lest the hired warriors come and take her ;" kere 
 sanden' do, " the hired warriors said.'' 
 
 Sande, lit. " female circumcision," but also = the number 
 of females circumcised at one and the same time : sande biri 
 a boro kundi gbema bewe anu kimdo, " some of that same 
 sande have now white hair on their head." 
 
 §. 20. 
 
 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 The Vei language is highly figurative: Comparisons are not rare; 
 Metaj)hors, Fables, and Proverbs abound. 
 
 I. In words for abstract and metaphysical ideas the Vei- 
 language is exceedingly poor. But, like other uncivilized 
 tribes, the Veis are to such a degree identified with nature, 
 that in many inward processes they only see a reflection of 
 what happens in the world around them. Hence the very 
 frequent use of figures. All the Veis use them, more or less 
 frequently, in common conversation, and especially when 
 settling their palavers ; but individuals are met with who 
 scarcely utter a sentence without connecting a metaphor or 
 parable with it. What has been dictated to me in the Vei 
 country is mostly of such a nature, that this feature of 
 the language could not exhibit itself so much ; and yet it 
 will be seen, from the sequel of this section, that I did 
 not remain altogether unacquainted with it.. This feature 
 of the Vei language testifies to the correctness of an observa- 
 tion by G. F. Graham : " Figurative language is neither 
 the invention of philosophers, nor the result of modern re- 
 finement ; for it is found to have been especially prevalent 
 in the early ages of the world, and in all countries where 
 man appears in a rude, uncivilised state." 
 
 II. The following is an instance of a simile or compari- 
 
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 65 
 
 son : P6ro-m5 beiro musu gbandawau, " the European is 
 like an unmarried woman." The force of this simile is : 
 " As an unmarried woman is not bound to any parti- 
 cular man, but can keep company with any one (accord- 
 ing to Vei ethics), so also the Europeans do not side 
 with any one faction in the country, but are friends of 
 any one that serves their purposes — to-day of this, to- 
 morrow of another." 
 
 III. Metaphors : 
 
 Tungbe-ko, lit. " staff-matter ;" hence, " court-matter," the 
 speaker in a court of justice always holding a staff in his hand. 
 
 Boro don dsi kimeiro, lit. " to put the hand into cold 
 water ;" hence, " to make peace," from the ablution of the 
 hands with cold water on such an occasion. 
 
 Kure bon', lit. "to pour out words ;" hence, "to bring news, 
 give information, speak." 
 
 Iweiken donde den, ikene to dendowa, ini kure bon ! lit. 
 " hang one leg of thine : leave thy leg hanging and give in- 
 formation," i. e. " thou art not to be longer in giving the in- 
 formation than thou canst stand on one leg." 
 
 Ya dsi kimareme, lit. "this is thy cold water;" i.e. "this 
 is a refreshment for thee."" 
 
 Boro si fen- koro, or boro don fenkoro, lit. " to put the 
 hand under any thing ;" hence, " to be pleased with, or con- 
 sent to it." They also often say, boro fera — or even — boro 
 fera hi kem fera si fen koro, lit. " to put both hands and 
 both feet under any thing," i. e. " to be exceedingly pleased 
 with any thing, or consent to it from the bottom of the 
 heart." 
 
 Tamba-da-dsi, lit. "to put down a spears mouth," i.e. 
 " to stick a spear into the ground before any one, in ac- 
 know^ledgment of his superiority." 
 
 Boro to kando, lit. "to leave hands up," i.e. "to leave any 
 one's hands in a supplicating posture, or to deny his re- 
 quest." 
 
 K 
 
66 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 Mo SI tai'o, lit. "to lay a person in the fire," ie. to put a 
 slip of paper into the fire on which a person's name and some 
 incantations are written in Arabic. 
 
 Fira kiri mora, lit. " to tie the breath with regard to or 
 from a person,"" i. e. to pester, harass one. 
 
 Kira tie, lit. " to cut or cross a way f' hence also, to way- 
 lay, to make a way insecure. 
 
 Dsoe sure den- ? lit. " who hanged the bag ?" i e. who is the 
 cause of it ? 
 
 Dsi gbandi-ko, lit. "hot water-concern,"" i.e. marriage-con- 
 cern ; because the wife has to make hot water for her hus- 
 band. 
 
 Kura kiri musiia, lit. " to tie a cloth on a female," i.e. to 
 make her one's wife; unmarried girls not wearing cloths, but 
 merely the bere-band. 
 
 Bore-kimde gbai, lit. " to drive away country birds,'"" i. e. 
 to drive invaders out of the country. 
 
 M5 dsira terea, lit. "to show a person to the sun," i.e. to 
 make him publicly known 
 
 Na kai kon sore dia, //^ " I love the man as a stand- 
 ing tree," i.e. I love him just as he is — as he stands be- 
 fore me. 
 
 Dsi dondo mi, lit. " to drink one water," i e. to have 
 peace. 
 
 Fara sunda, lit. " to send a bamboo splint ;" hence, to 
 court a v/idow, this being done, not by a verbal application, 
 but merely by sending a piece of bamboo-rind of about the 
 length of a hand. Fara bira, lit. " to take or accept a bam- 
 boo-splint," means then, to accept an offer for marriage (as 
 said of a widow). 
 
 Keu bun, lit. "to cover with a tortoise," i.e. thoroughly to 
 disguise one's intention. 
 
 Dsuru be m5kan, lit. "there is a rope at one's neck," i.e. 
 he is in want of something. 
 
 Fara gbere mora, lit. " the heart grows hard with some 
 one," i.e. it becomes firmly united with him in friendship. 
 
 I 
 
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 67 
 
 Sandsa bo moye fira, lit. "to bring forth to one the town 
 as a forest," i.e. to give him liberty to settle and live in it 
 wherever he likes. The same is also said of a district or 
 country. 
 
 Da ka m5ma and da ka komn , lit " to take away the mouth 
 from on a person and thing,"" i.e. to make no objection to a 
 person or thing. 
 
 K6-kun dse, lit. " to see the head of a thing, case, mat- 
 ter,'' i.e. to see or get the end thereof; kasi bere mo mani, 
 also : kasi bere komaui, lit. " there is no rust about a person 
 or thino;," i.e. there is no fault in him or it. Thev even sav, 
 and this most frequently too, kasi bere kanba mani, i. e. " there 
 is no rust or fault in God;" = He has done His part, been 
 kind, liberal. So e.g. they often merely say, in reply to in- 
 quiries after their health, kasi bere kanba mani ; and this 
 then is equal to, " Thank God, I am well." 
 
 IV. In a wider sense of the term, proverbs and fables also 
 may be considered as illustrative o^ figurative language, and 
 therefore they find a place here. 
 
 Proverbs : kundi d6nd5 gben* a boa nkundo, ke were n'kun'e 
 dsau, lit. " one single hair only has fallen from my head ; 
 this will not spoil my head," i.e. I have sustained such a 
 triflino' loss or injury, that it is not worth speaking of. 
 
 M6e kama bira boyara kii'awakoa, lit. " one takes the ele- 
 phant for a friend on account of the way," i.e. one makes 
 a great man his friend, in order to share the benefit of his 
 influence. 
 
 Fen dondo were fem ferasrba bo ; a kunni abo, ke a kuro- 
 ake, lit. " one thing does not pay the debt of two things ; if 
 it pay it, then it must be large." 
 
 Kumare turi abunddwa, lit. " the palm-nut decays in its 
 own bunch," i. e. every one wishes to die in his own 
 home. 
 
 Moi kereke ya mo akoa, " a man fights for his people." 
 
 Korimu mua, muwe suye ture don", lit. " we are leopards; 
 
68 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 we do not eat putrid meat," i.e. we will not have the help 
 of others in order to obtain our wishes. 
 
 Dsa we fen ta san, lit. "the eye does not buy a rag," i.e. 
 one will not be deceived if one first inspects a thing before 
 buying it. 
 
 Mo dondo we mo fima-ko fo, lit. "one person may not 
 speak the case of a negro (negro-man)," i.e. a single indivi- 
 dual must not decide a case on which a human life depends. 
 
 V. The following two may serve as specimens of Vei 
 Fables : — 
 
 KAMA-TERI. 
 
 Kama be suyenu ta sokena, amu sando : wu ta ndsa ! 
 Kemaro : gbere ! aro anun' ta nta soeke. Amu sando ! mbe 
 sokero dsawa. Amo a ra bana bi, ata sira kirafe. Amo a 
 bunda bana sinda. An' suyena na 'nu bunda tomboekea. 
 Ke kun tomboeke kaka an'ni si sammani, awe ta sokena. 
 Am sokero dsawa, tere biriro : anu ma taro. Am*" kama 
 tusake aro : mbe ma, wu ma na soeke ? Am' sando : na 
 fowi ndo wuni ta ndsa ! irowi : gbere ; akomu nga zi, na ya 
 sokero dsau. An kamaro : tonyamu. Anu ma soekero tere 
 biriro. A ban. 
 
 ELEPHANT-FABLE. 
 
 The elephant and (other) animals went to work, and 
 the deer said, " Come to my {sc. work) !" The elephant 
 said, " No ! they are to go to my work." And the deer 
 said, " I shall spoil the work." And he took his harp, and 
 went and sat by the way. And he began to play the harp ; 
 and the animals came, and began to work. But when he 
 had played awhile, they sat by the deer, they did not go to 
 work. And the work was spoiled that day : they did no 
 more go. And the elephant asked, " What happened tliat 
 ye did not come and work ?" And the deer said, " I said 
 that ye should go to mine ; thou saidest, no : therefore 
 have I spoiled thy work.'' And the elephant said, " It is 
 true." They did no more work on that day. It is done. , 
 
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. . 69 
 
 PAKENNA A TERIMU. 
 
 Pakennawa sira an'' konoba na gborero : koro bere, gbasa 
 bere, bana bere, boro bere, dua-fem bere, dom-fem bere, kono 
 keremaba ana borero. Pakenna fera musie, anMa den guru 
 kakakaka, den hondoro dondo. Dom-fem bere borero anu 
 to denenu koara. Pakenna akira, fania-kira; afo a dsa 
 musieye aro : mbe favvai. Am' musiero : ima fau ! mu so- 
 eke! Pakennaro: gbereo, mbe fawa ! Amo a fo a musieye 
 aro : m bem fa somu, i ma nsa nsi soero, i gbengbere sa 
 nkumma, inl bore bon gbengberema ! Amo a musu daurau. 
 Pakenna afau. Musie afo adenuye aro : wu soe sen ! Amo 
 an5a soe sen ; amo anoa pakenna si soero ; anu ma sau, 
 an5a siwake soero ; gbengbere anoa bun s5ema. An' dse- 
 rema keau, pakenna bo soero, ata bbroro pen. A kende 
 kende, a ma fa. Ata, musu ba tara, miisu-mandsa : koro 
 kurumba be musie boro, kore be senero kurumba, a be bun- 
 dero kurumba, gbasa be dsombero kurumba. Musie ma 
 wuruke, dem bere a boro. Pakenna a tusake : rnba, va 
 denere ? Aro : na dem bere. Aro : mbori be mboro, mbe 
 iko ini a mi, ini bii bi, ini wdruke. Musiero : nko borie ; 
 mben wureke, nni dene dse, mbe iko koro bundu fare gba', 
 nni ko gbasa dsombo fera, nniko bana kurumba. Pakenna 
 dau kone akoa ; ata borie boa kirafe ; a na dara. Musiea 
 ba fa, a don ta pakennaye ; " Pakenna, ya doneme !" Paken- 
 na done don, a bii a fa gba*; a borie ke gbunoro, a dsi ke 
 gbunoro, a borie sui ; a fo musieye : ina kurabu dondo ! A 
 kiri musie-dsaro, aro : i borie mi, he ! i wunni borie mi, 
 iwere ndsearo : nata pon; karo siindondo ya wureke den 
 kaima ; mbe na in' na kere bere, in' na dom-fen gbi bereu. 
 Musie a dau, a gbune bi, a borie mi. Pakenna a firi gbunoro, 
 musie ra pakenna kanu. Pakenna abe musie-buro. Musie 
 a wureke dondorie : pakenna beremu. Musieni ako dsie, 
 ani a mi ; miisien' done ta bereberebere, am' pakenna ko 
 done, ani a don. Pakenna be aburo, adonduriemu Pakennau, 
 musie ma so, ke pakennamu. 
 
70 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 Suye be firaro, a ton san*, a dsirimasoa ; aro : mbe ta 
 musie a dene dse, karo sundondo ai miisie a done donda. 
 Sanana, aro : mba na na ya dene dse. Musie a dene bere 
 sandse. Sana dene fere, a pakenna dse ; a dene bere mu- 
 sieye, musie a dene bira ; asa kuraro. San' a ta pon* sandsaro, 
 a sese bi; a na a kura bi dondoriema, a gbasi gba. Don- 
 doriea burike, a ta pom San* a fo iniisieye, aro : pakenna- 
 muye, aro: demma : pakenna ka'-momu. 
 
 Pakenna ta he ! a miisu-bara, a miisu a kore gbi amo, a 
 tie kurumba, a kora tu, a denii a suye fa ; miisie a done ta, a 
 suye ta, a done ke gbunoro, a suye ke donoro. Pakenna na 
 dserema, a miisie tara, ai done douda. A miisie-boro dsoudo, 
 a bere, a soke ; miisie a boro firi donero. Pakenna a dsere, 
 a miisie gbore tu, afo miisieye : na fani korokoro, na dsere. 
 Miisie a ma koario ; miisie a dene a fo : raba, mfamiie. 
 Miisiero : gbereo, areifa afa korokoro. Pakenna a na afo 
 miisieye : n-ga pakenna. Miisiero : pakenna a fani korokoro, 
 Pakenna ka'-momu, he ! Dondau. 
 
 SPIDER-FABLE. 
 
 There was a spider, and a great famine came into the 
 country, (so that) there was no rice, no cassadas, no plantains, 
 no palm-cabbage, no meat, no victuals : a great famine had 
 come into the country. The spider and his wife had been 
 begetting children for a long time : an hundred cliildren. 
 There was no food in the country for them to give to the 
 children. The spider became sick — it was a feigned sick- 
 ness {lit. a lie-sickness). He said to his wife, " I shall die." 
 And his wife said, " Do not die : we will work." The spider 
 said, "No, I shall die." And he said to his wife, "At the time 
 when I shall have died, do thoii not lay, but set me (upright) 
 in the hole, and lay boards on me, that thou mayest put 
 the earth on the boards." And his wife consented. The s])i- 
 der died. The woman said to her children, " Dis a hole." 
 And they dug a hole, and they set the spider in the hole : 
 they did not lay him, they set him in the hole : with boards 
 
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 71 
 
 they covered the hole. And (when) the evening came the 
 spider came out of the hole and went to a marsh far away. 
 He was still alive : he had not died. He went and met a 
 great woman, a woman-chief. The woman possessed very 
 much rice, very much rice was in her farm, and very much 
 was in the store, and there were very many cassadas in the 
 farm. (But) the woman was barren : she had no children. 
 The spider asked, "My mother, where are thy children?'' 
 She said, " I have no children." He said, " I have a medi- 
 cine ; I will give it thee that thou drink it, so that thou may- 
 est become with child and give birth." The woman said, 
 " Give me the medicine. When I give birth, so that I get 
 a child, I will give thee a whole shed full of rice, two farms 
 of cassada, and a great many plantains." The spider con- 
 sented on account of the famine. He went away to take out 
 the medicine by the way, and returned to town. The woman 
 had killed a goat and cooked rice for the spider, (and now 
 said), " Spider, here is rice for thee." The spider ate the 
 rice : he was fully satisfied. He (then) put the medicine into 
 a bowl and put water into the bowl, and mashed the medi- 
 cine. He said to the woman, " Bring a strip of cloth.'" He 
 tied it round the woman's eyes, and said, '* Drink the medi- 
 cine, hear ! When thou hast drunk the medicine thou wilt 
 no more see me : I go far away. In six months thou wilt 
 give birth to a male child, and I shall come, that thou mayest 
 give me my rice and all my victuals." The woman consented. 
 She took the bowl and drank the medicine. The spider 
 jumped into the bowl, and the woman swallowed the spider. 
 The spider was inside the woman. The woman brought 
 forth a baby : it was the spider himself. The woman gives 
 it water to drink : she cooks excellent rice, and gives it to 
 the spider to eat. The spider had been within her : her 
 baby was the spider. The woman did not know that it was 
 a spider. 
 
 There is an animal in the forest, its name is deer : it 
 is cunning. It said, " I shall go and see the woman's child : 
 
72 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. 
 
 it has been eating the woman's rice for six months." 
 The deer came and said, " My mother, I am come to see 
 thy child." The woman handed her child to the deer. The 
 deer looked at the child : it saw that it was a spider. He 
 handed it to the woman. The woman took the child and 
 laid it within cloths. The deer went far away to a town, 
 took a switch, returned, took the cloth from on the baby and 
 flogged it well. The baby ran, and w^ent far away. The 
 deer said to the woman, " It was a spider : it was no child. 
 The spider was an impostor."" 
 
 The spider went to his wife, hear ! All his wife's rice 
 had become ripe, she had very many fowls, she beat rice, 
 and her children killed animals for meat. The woman 
 cooked the rice, she cooked the meat, she put the rice into a 
 bowl, and put the meat into the rice. The spider came in one 
 evening, and met his wife (when) she was eating rice. He 
 pushed his wife's hand, passed on, and stood there. The 
 wife put her hand into the rice. The spider struck his 
 wife's hand again, and said to his wife, " I died long ago, 
 and am (now) returned." The wife did not reply. The 
 wife's child said, " My mother, it is my father." The 
 wife said, " No ; thy father died long ago." The spider 
 came, and said to the wife, " I am the spider." The wife 
 said, " The spider died long ago." The spider is an im- 
 postor, hear ! Finished. 
 
( 73 ) 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ON PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 §. 21. 
 
 It may he sufficient to illustrate the mechanical construction of Pro- 
 positions or to point out the proper j^lace of their mevibers. And 
 this icill afford a new proof of the observation, that liberty in the 
 collocation of words decreases in a direct ratio with the amount of 
 infexion. 
 
 I. In a Sit?iple Proposition the subject always stands first, 
 then the copula, and last the predicate; e.g. a be sandsaro, 
 " he was in the town ;'' dori be nu, *' there is an hook ;" 
 mandsa here firaro, " the chief is not in the forest ;'' mbe 
 siro, " I was sitting ; " niei ti tan-, " the bullocks are 
 ten." 
 
 When the copula is omitted, or contained in the predicate, 
 the subject stands first, and then the predicate : e.g. tere 
 bera, " the sun set ;" difi na, " darkness came f ' dsome ? 
 "who is this? '^ 
 
 Even in Interrogative Propositions this order of words is 
 retained, and the question is distinguished from an assertion 
 by the tone (and sometimes accent only) : ya na ? " art thou 
 come .^" ita.^ " wilt thou go.^"" i fa be nle ? " is thy father 
 here ?'' 
 
 Imperative Propositions usually appear in the same form: 
 I na, " come thou !" wu ta ! " go ye !" i here ! " pass on !"' 
 and it is not of frequent occurrence to meet with forms 
 where the subject is included in the verb, e.g. na, "come;"" 
 ta, "go;" dse, "see." Only nko, "give me," generally ap- 
 pears without expressed subject : i nko, or wu nko, " give 
 me," and wuni nko, " may ye give me f are used very 
 sparingly. 
 
74 ON PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 II. Complex Propositions have complements either of the 
 subject or the predicate. 
 
 1. Complements of the subject may be adjectives, numerals, 
 possessive pronouns, or substantives in apposition. 
 
 The adjectives and numerals always follow the substantives 
 which they qualify, e.g. mandsa ba na nie, " a great 
 chief came here f moro fima fo, " the black man 
 said;" dem mesenu gbi buri, "all the little children 
 ran away ;" so dondo be nu, " one horse is there ;" 
 dende tan na, " ten vessels came." 
 
 The possessive pronoun always precedes the substantive: 
 moe moenu ta pon-, " our people went far away ;" 
 mfa ndia, " my father loves me ;" a dene fa, " her child 
 died." 
 
 A word in apposition may be placed either before or after 
 the noun it explains : a kai, Ghana ka duma, "Ghana, 
 her husband, rose up ;" a nyomo Vani na, " Vani, his 
 brother, came ;" mo we ti nie Vei, " there is not a 
 person here, in Vei." 
 
 But sometimes the apposition of the subject stands 
 quite at the end of the proposition : i bani ake wara- 
 buro, a beifa, " thy mother, she and thy father are to 
 put it into a mat ;" wu buri Boa Karia, wu fera Siafa, 
 " shun ye, thou and Siafa, shun ye Boa Kari ; " mu 
 tawa, mu be Sokorouu, " we went, we and Sokoro's 
 people." 
 
 In the same manner the numerals also, belonging 
 to the subject, do not follow it directly, but quite at 
 the end of the proposition : bu be anu boro dondo, 
 *' one gun was in tlieir hand;" kamanu nil siigba, "three 
 elephants came ;" a moenu fa kiirumba, " he killed very 
 many people." 
 
 If, in consequence of the contraction of several pro- 
 positions into one, a proposition happens to have more 
 than one subject, two constructions may occur: either the 
 lirst of them takes the usual place before the predicate, 
 
 1 
 
ON PROPOSITIONS. 75 
 
 i.nd the others follow it, joined to a pronoun which 
 repeats the first subject ; or all subjects are placed first 
 absolutely, and then are again all comprehended in a 
 pronoun which stands in apposition to them, and con- 
 stitutes the formal subject of the verb : moe birini na, 
 abe a musu gbere, hi' a den kairaanu, hi' a tomboke- 
 moenu, " those people come, they, and all their wives, 
 and their sons, and their players ;" musu-dongbo, kai- 
 dongbo, mo here here, m5 nyama nyama, anu gbere- 
 wai na daro, "a crowd of women, a crowd of men, 
 very good people, very bad people — they all come to 
 town." 
 
 2. Complements of the predicate are either the negative 
 particle or other adverbs, or a next and remote object, or a 
 verb, which may again govern one or more objects. 
 
 The Negative Particle " ma "" constantly takes its place 
 between the subject and predicate, e.g. a ma na, "he did not 
 come ;" mma dan", " I do not understand it ;" a ma ndia, 
 " he did not like me ;" mfa ma mu dia, " my father does 
 not like us ; " i ma femme don*, " do not eat this thing!" 
 
 The Adverbs immediately follow the verb : mbe siro gbe, 
 " I was sitting still ;" an 'do kerima, " they said lately ;" mbe 
 mo so nu, " I shall send people there ;" a ta pon, " he went 
 far away." 
 
 The next object usually precedes the verb : a mandsa-dene 
 gbi kere, " he called all the free-born people ;" an'da mo so, 
 " they sent a person ;" mma Buraima fa, " I did not kill 
 Ibrahim ;" ya den' kaima fareme dia ? " dost thou love this 
 dead boy ? " ima mieme bi, " do not take the sword." 
 
 If the next object has an apposition, that follows the verb : 
 anda mo fanufe, kai keremaba, " they killed somebody 
 after them — a very great man ;" amo a monu dse, kai 
 sun sagba, " and he saw people, eight men.'' 
 
 If the next object consists of several words, the first word 
 only takes its place before the verb, and all the others 
 
76 ON PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 follow it, often headed by a pronoun', repeating tlie first 
 object : sunamera n"gbasi gba mu be na moe gbi, "this 
 rain has well beaten me, me and all my people ;" an'da 
 ni fa, hi* ba kiirumba, hi* barawara, " they killed bul- 
 locks, and very many goats, and very many sheep." 
 
 Numerals belonging to the next object can either 
 precede or follow the verb : anda moe dondo bira. 
 "they caught o«e person; moa tie kurumba fa nu, 
 "we killed very many fowls there;" an'da mo fanufe 
 sagba, " they killed three men after them ;"" an'da mo 
 bira mii fe fera sandsaro, " they caught two persons 
 after us in the town ;" moa moe bira kurumba, " we 
 caught many people ;" moa ni fa nu nani, " we killed 
 four bullocks there.'" 
 Sometimes the next object itself follows the verb : ta bira 
 duyera, " fire caught the house ;" a berea moe gbia, 
 "he exceeds all people;" dsa-fene berea \vu sagba, "the 
 goods surpass you three." ■ 
 
 The remcte object, and nouns used adverbially, follow the 
 predicate : na keu dondo sa nnyomoeuu sagba, " I had a 
 dream of my three brothers ;'" a nkerewi diamboa, " he called 
 me for a conversation;" anda sina dsiiara, "they showed 
 him a seat ;" kanmba suyenu gbi ko dom-fen, " God gives 
 food to all animals ;" arekuru dikea, " he said. Cease from 
 weeping;" mboa Huroa, "I come from Huro ;" miisie dunda 
 gborero, " the woman went into the skin ;" an' na kere-fem- 
 mewa gbia, "they came with all these war-things ;" an''da dsi 
 tie Bomma, dsie-denero, fitiriro, " they crossed the water at 
 Bomma, at the low part of the water, in the dusk of the 
 evening." 
 
 If the complement of the predkate is a verb, it likewise stands 
 after, and may itself be accompanied by objects and adverbial 
 definitions : an"" na Boa Kari bara, ferekena kani dsart;a, 
 •' they came to Boa Kari to make trade with gold ;" man- 
 dsfuiu bunda dsone berea Kebn Mas pereye, " the chiefs began 
 
ON PROPOSITIONS. 77 
 
 to give up slaves to Captain Marsh also ;"" wu mo so anu 
 kerena, " send ye somebody to call them !" 
 
 in. In connecting propositions with each other, the way 
 of simple co-ordination predominates. It is often adopted 
 where we use subordination ; and frequently propositions are 
 so loosely joined, that even co-ordinate conjunctions are 
 omitted. 
 
 Den' kaima dondo be nu kuruwamu, am' hCiye ra bira, 
 amo a bera nu, lit. " there was a boy, he was a war-hero, and 
 a gun caught him, and he fell there." A donde a tom Fa' 
 Gbese, am' buye ra pere bira, amo an'da bi, an' tara Datia ; 
 anu kea kirafe, amo a fara ; amo an' ta farera, amo an'da 
 tau, lit. " as to one of them, his name was Fa Gbese ; and a 
 gun caught him also, and they took him ; they carried him 
 to Datia ; they reached the road, and he died ; and they 
 carried the corpse, and they buried him." Mu nani mu 
 dsa ; mu tia nuwa, arau Gbakira-dsa-monu, an'da kere nyia, 
 an' uara Goronamaro ; am' anu dunda da, " we came to our 
 home ; we had been there, and the Gbakiradsa-people, they 
 made war ; they brought it to Goronama, and they entered 
 the town ;" wu bii here ! wu musu here ! agbaro wun' to na, 
 mun' gboroke, " deliver up the guns! deliver up the women! 
 Afterwards ye shall be suffered to come, that we may take 
 an oath." 
 
 Subordinate propositions always precede the principal ones 
 when they are connected with them either by the relative 
 pronoun " mu," or by the conjunctions "kun*," "re," "hi'," 
 or by " mu " and " kun' " together ; but they follow them, 
 when standing in an objective relation to the verb of the 
 principal proposition : wu kum mo so, mu we ko mara, "if ye 
 send somebody, we will not do him any harm ;" a kerea na 
 momu akoa sandsa biria to fera, " as to the people on whose 
 account his war came, two such towns remain;" wu kun 
 dau kereni ban*, mui to nie, " if ye consent that the war be 
 done, we will leave here ;" komu be mu daro, muni a fo, 
 
78 ON PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 " we will tell the word which is in our mouth ;"" anu kun 
 kumu fo, mbe wu kundo ka, " whatever word they may tell, 
 I shall let you know ;" wu ma nare sina gbia, wu na namusia, 
 " if you cannot bring all to-morrow, bring my wives ;" kure- 
 mu kun ti ndaro, hi mbe a foa wuye, nni a fo, " as to any 
 word which may be in my mouth, (come to me) that I may 
 tell it, if I will ;" komu kun tidaro ifou ! " whatever word be 
 in thy mouth, speak it!' hi' mandsamu, ani ni fa, " if it is 
 a chief, he kills a bullock ;" wu kunni nkere, nkun na, woa 
 nkere kumua, wui fo ! " as ye have called me, and as I have 
 come, so tell the matter for which ye have called me !'' awai 
 ma an' baro, "it makes that he recovers," i.e. " restores him 
 to health;" moew^e kun den", awa na, a gbandien' ta daro, "the 
 person then hangs the head over it, that its vapour may go into 
 his mouth ;" na a dia ani to mbdro, " I like her to be left in 
 my hand ;" Kanbawe basaira, ini bo ko biriro, " God will then 
 help thee, that thou mayest come out of such a matter." 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 §. 22. 
 
 There are a mimher of S^iffixes, or Enclitic Bfonoayllahlea, tvhich are 
 appended not only to Verbs, hut also to other parts of speech. It 
 may therefore he best to consider them together in a special chapter, 
 to avoid the necessity of frequently recurrinfj to them. 
 
 I. Of very frequent occurrence is "ni," and it may be affixed 
 either to substantives and pronouns, or to verbs. In the 
 first case it appears to have a verbal, in the second, an ad- 
 verbial character — 
 
 1. Ni in its verbal character. — When substantives and 
 pronouns are subjects of a proposition, " ni " is often affixed 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 79 
 
 to them, and then generally acts the part of our auxiliary 
 verbs " have, be, may, can, will, must," &c. : it also, at the 
 same time, makes up for the omission of certain conjunc- 
 tions. 
 
 a. Ni in imperative and precative propositions — 
 Wiimun ta dara, " let us go to town ;" muni a to 
 firaro, " let us leave him in the forest ;" wuni a dongo, 
 " eat it ;" an' sama, " may he lie on it !"" ifaran' ti 
 kanmbaro benda, " thy heart be with God alone !'' 
 wuni nko nni a mi, " give it me that I may drink 
 it ;" wun' dsere, " ye must return ;" wun' ta nda nu, 
 " carry me thither;" wu ma mu ko dom fenda, muni 
 a don, mu bum fa, " ye did not give us food, that we 
 might have eaten it and been satisfied ;" ita fo Momoriiye 
 an' na, " go and tell Muhammad that he may come." 
 
 b. Ni in declaratory and predicative propositions — 
 
 Hi' a mu dia, muni a so, hi* a ma mu dia, muni a so, 
 " if he love us, we shall know it ; if he do not love us, 
 we shall (also) know it ;" amo ani na dara, amo ani ke, 
 "and he came to town; and he arrived;" kumu mfa, 
 lini a foiye, " therefore, my father, I tell it thee ;" ani 
 a gbi pake, " he is to pay for them all ;" musieni a ko 
 dsie, " the woman gave him water ;" mfure here, na 
 denem'' fa, " if I give up the shell my child must die ;" 
 mu tonni kereke-mo, " our name has been ' War-peo- 
 ple :'' " anoanu tonni kuriia, " iheir name has been ' War- 
 horses."' " 
 
 c. Hence ni is also used in describing what exists, or what 
 
 takes place as a regular and usual thing, where we use 
 
 the simple present indicative. 
 Hi' musie-nyomo be nu, an'ni a biri nyau, anuu' da'ya 
 ke a bbro, anun'' kura here aye kururaba, " if the woman 
 has a sister, they dress the same, they put a bracelet on 
 her arm, they give her very many cloths ;" a kunni fa, 
 an'ni a ko, an'ui a kbfo. Anu kum ban a koa, anun' 
 tiiru mamani, anun' wuse sa dsaro. Anu kum ban 
 
80 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 / 
 
 wuse sa, anun" kura dondo kiria. Aim kum ban* kura 
 dondoe kiri ara, anun' kaienu kere, " When she has died 
 they wash her and speak concerning her (lit. her case). 
 When thev have finished washing: her, thev besmear her 
 with oil, they put (ornamental) clay on her face. When 
 they have finished putting the clay, they tie a cloth 
 round her. When they have finished tying the cloth 
 round her, they call the men.'' Kira dondo be nu, a 
 torn feo, a kunni mo bira, iwe kum fira boa ; ibu kunni 
 fa anibira, dsie kunni fa anibira. Abiri bone be nu : 
 anun*' kunda si taro, an'ni pakenna-dsara ke aro, an'ni a 
 fa, so'roa. Ai soro biriwa sa afaro, ani aboro don, 
 " There is a sickness, its name is 'asthma,' if it catches 
 any one he cannot draw breath. It catches thee when 
 thy stomach is full ; it catches thee when it is flood- 
 tide (lit. when the water fills). There is a medicine for 
 the same. They put an iron pot on the fire ; they 
 put spider-webs into it ; they burn them to ashes (lit. 
 kill them to a calcined substance.) He takes that ashes, 
 lays it on his heart, and eats some of it." 
 2. Ni in its adverbial character. — When ni appears as the 
 affix of a verb one might be tempted to look upon it as a 
 mere termination, the characteristic of a perfect tense. But 
 that this is not its real nature, and that it is rather an adverb 
 expressive of long-passed time in general, appears from the 
 circumstance that it is sometimes separated from the verb, or 
 affixed to the pronoun viu where a verb is not expressed at all, 
 but merely understood : an' na kererani Gor'o (for the more 
 usual an' nani kerera), " they have (long ago) brought war to 
 Goro ;" Buraima wa Poro-momuni, " he has been Ibrahim's 
 white man ;" Mani demmuni, " he has been a Mani-boy." 
 
 In English, however, the force of this adverb is sufficiently 
 expressed by the usual po.vf tense, as will be seen from the 
 following sentences : nJi fani korokoro, " I died a very long 
 time ago;" na i koni musu, "I have given thee a wife;" a 
 berewa miisume bereni ndsc, " he himself has delivered up 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 81 
 
 this woman to me ;" kaie, zi, sirani gba, " but the man 
 has been very rich ;" kai kore kuruani diekea, " the man 
 had ceased weeping ;" kemo anyomo kerema mani, " this 
 is how his elder brother acted ;" inyomo ma foni, aro : 
 ya fa ? " has not thy brother told me that thou art 
 dead ?" anuvve a birawani, " they would have caught him f ' 
 momu a binike aton Kari, " the person who has taken it, it 
 is Kari." 
 
 3. Connected with the preceding adverbial signification of 
 ni is its force when appended to the conjunction kun' or wun'. 
 The conjunction then introduces an action which has already 
 actually taken place, or a supposition which the speaker be- 
 lieves will be actually realized. In the first case the En- 
 glish " as " or " because " corresponds to kunni or tvunni ; 
 but in the second, " iV or "when" does not fully convey 
 its import. 
 
 a. Kunni = as, because : a kunni ke ma, mu boro fera 
 be akoro, ** because he has done this, I am much pleased 
 \\'ith him;" mfa, i kunni ntusa, kemo a ma ndau, "my 
 father, as thou askest me, this is what he has done to 
 me ;" kiimu nkun" nara i san, " therefore, as I have 
 brought him, do thou buy him ;" Zau here kunni fa, 
 akumu wu ta, " as Zau himself is dead, therefore go ye ;" 
 mu kunni a fa, mu a Poro-moe fawau, " as we have 
 killed him, we will kill his white man also." 
 
 b. Kunni = when, if: mfa kunni mu tusa, "when my father 
 will ask us " (sc. which will certainly be the case) ; 
 i wunni borie mi, "when thou shalt have drunk the me- 
 dicine ;" sama wunni gbe, " in the morning, when it is 
 light ;'' beri wunni ti bororo, mo were mo tie, " if beri 
 is in the country (sc. which is always the case, from 
 time to time), no one will hurt another;" anu kunni 
 mfa re ? " if they kill me, what then ? " 
 
 II. The adverbial suffix wi is of similar import to ni. 
 As ni expresses the idea of long-past time, so wi expresses 
 
 M 
 
82 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 that of Lately-passed time, and also of past time in general. 
 Ni cannot be used of what has past on the day of speak- 
 ing, but only ivi ; and this is also the case with suppo- 
 sitions of which it is understood that they are not real- 
 ised : mb(B diambomuwi ? " what has been the conversa- 
 tion P"" mbe a dse wu tawawd, " I have seen that ye have 
 left;" mfaikerewi mbea ? "why has my father called thee?" 
 a nkerewi diambda, " he has called me to a conversation ;" 
 awe ntusanawawi, " he has been asking me ;" mu tawi firaro, 
 " we went into the forest ;" anu fai kumu gbere foawi Kariye, 
 an'da gbiro dan", " all things which their father had been 
 telling Kari, they had all heard ;" mfai mbe ko foaweye ? 
 " what thing has my father been telling thee ?" mfa berewi 
 ko fona ndse, " my father has not been telling me any thing." 
 mbewi awa tuna, " I have been pounding it f' hi mfawawie, 
 "if I had been dead;'' mu kun tiwi s5ru, "if we had been 
 five ;" hi' an'da birakewi, " if he had caught him ;" iro mun' 
 dsi kowiye, " thou saidst we were to draw water for thee ;" 
 anda m5a momunu gbungie, " as to those of our people w^hom 
 they shot." 
 
 ' Expressions like musiewi, denewi, I'd. " the woman just 
 now, the child just now," are elliptical, standing for "the 
 woman who has been here just now, the child which has 
 been here just now." 
 
 III. We probably stands in an etymological connexion 
 with v}i. It can be affixed either to substantives, pronouns, 
 or to verbs. In the first case it is an auxiliary verb; in 
 the second, an adverb. 
 
 1. In its verbal character, we corresponds with the diffe- 
 rent tenses of our auxiliary verb, to be. 
 
 Iw' a danda P " art thou hearing it ?" awe mfarai, " he 
 is killing me ;" awe ngbasia, " he is flogging me ;' 
 muwe kerekewa, " we are to make war ;" il musiewe 
 tda nu, " his wife is to be left there ;" anu perewe a 
 kefira, " they also were fighting him ;" wu kunni a fa. 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 83 
 
 ke wuwe mfa ! " if ye kill him, then are ye to kill me 
 (also)." 
 
 2. In its adverbial character, ive expresses either some- 
 thing contemporaneous with the speaking or something prior 
 to it. In the first case it can be rendered by " now, at 
 present, just, yet ;" in the second, by " then, still, yet."" 
 
 a. We expressing contemporality with something pre- 
 sent — 
 Kowe ! " give now, allow ;" Kaire we ? " where is Kari 
 now ?'' mua tawe, " we go now ;" wuniu dau kereni 
 bange, " let us consent that the war be now finished ;" 
 mui dsiwawe Wakoro, " we are just going down to 
 Cape Mount ;" anu ma tawe, " they have not yet 
 gone ;" kere ma ban'ge mute, " the war is not yet 
 finished between us." 
 6. IFe expressing contemporality with something past — 
 A tdaniwe Bumbu berea Dsanlye, lit. " he was left 
 then to give up B.," i.e. " he had then not yet given 
 up Bumbu to John ;" abororo muniwe Moro-borora, 
 " he then changed the Moro country into his country," 
 i. e. " he then made the Moro country his own ;"" mo- 
 menu boa we firaro, " those people came then out of 
 the forest ;" anu kure ma tawe kan dondo, " their word 
 did not yet go one way," i.e. " they did not yet agree ;" 
 abiri bandawe, am' mu na, " then, at that time, we 
 came ;" Zoru bewe boro, " Zoru was still in the coun- 
 try," i. e. " Zoru was still alive ;" kira bewe dondd ben, 
 "the sickness was still quite the same." 
 
 IV. Ke, like ive, appears in a verbal and adverbial cha- 
 racter — 
 
 1 . The verbal import of ke is, " to do, to make, to per- 
 form. Thus it is used in connexion with substantives, viz. 
 
 a. Suffixed to substantives : sinke, " to play, sing :" kereke, 
 " to make war :" fereke, " to make trade, to trade :" 
 pake, " to pay ;" pa, pawa, para, s. = " pay f' sieke, " to 
 
84 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 become rich," lit. " to make riches," from sie, " riches ;" 
 gboro, s. " oath ;" gboroke, " to take an oath, to swear ;" 
 bu, " a musket ;"" buke, *' to fire a musket :" diiba, " a 
 great gun, a cannon ;"" dubake, " to fire a cannon ;" 
 tungba, s. " an arrow ;" tungbake, " to shoot an arrow ;" 
 sene, "a farm;" seneke, "to make a farm." 
 b. Separated from, but referring to, a substantive : mui a 
 ke, "we will fire it" (sc. the gun); amo an'dake, "and 
 they fought it" (sc the battle) ; muni ake, " let us make 
 it" (sc. the war); wumui keou, " let us be swearing it" 
 (sc. the oath) ; moa ke gba', ** we fought well ;" ke kere 
 ma ke gbanda, " but the war was not made for no- 
 thing." 
 2. When ke is affixed to verbs, adverbs, and prepositions, 
 it has an adverbial character. 
 
 a. After verbs in the present or perfect tense it expresses 
 the actual certainty of an occurrence : na wu diake, " I 
 do like you ;" na tusake kaka, " I have asked a long 
 time ;" dsara kaie dseke, " the lion had seen the man ;" 
 ke moa tayeke firaro, "thus we walked in the forest ;" 
 mfa nkereake, " my father has called me ;" ko biria 
 dongake berebere, " that thing offends me very much ;" 
 nai kiriwake, " I have tied thee ;" anyiakehari, " he was 
 really altogether beautiful." 
 h. After a future tense it expresses the actual certainty 
 with which something will take place : mbe a foake, " I 
 shall surely tell it ;" ka mbe ta tusake ! " up ! I shall go 
 and ask ;" awa make, " he ivill do it ;" ke dsara idonga 
 keni, " then the lion must certainly have eaten thee ;" 
 a kum fono, ai fawake, " if he vomit, he will surely 
 die." 
 0. After the prccative and imperative mood, and after ad- 
 verbs and postpositions, ke is expressive of emphasis or 
 intensity in general : in' tusake ! " do ask !" ibirakc; ! 
 " do take it !" sanake mbe kum basawa, " imnipdiateli/ I 
 cannot assist ;" mandsanr be nuke, a ton- Kari, " the 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 85 
 
 name of the chief who was in that place was Kari ;" 
 momu nagbaroke, " the person who came after him." 
 
 V. The suflBx wa is expressive of emphasis, and can be 
 added to almost every w^ord. Its force is conveyed in 
 English by the accent merely. 
 
 A faniawa fo wuye, " he has told you a lie f mCi be na 
 denewaita, " I and my daughter shall go ;" ke kirawa, " on 
 this side;" mbe a kunga tia, "I shall cut his head off;" wa 
 fo to'yawa, " ye spoke truth ;" mu be kererowa, " we are 
 at ivar r a berewa musume bereni ndse, "he himself has 
 given this woman to me ;" kewai borosai, " this is quieting 
 the country {'' bore gbi na niewa, " all countries came here ;" 
 yagbasi purunga, " thou whippest her for nothing" a toa 
 nuwa, " she has been left there ;" mandsanu babaiwa ta, 
 " only chiefs went ;" Tuso-moenu sendsewa na nie, " the 
 Tuso-people came here frst ;" muwe kerekewa, " we will 
 now make war /' mu a mawau, " we will do it ;" akumu mu a 
 fawa, "therefore we will kill him;" inbe fawai, "I shall die;" 
 ai dsa-fene dsauwake, "they will surely waste the property;" 
 anui berewani muko, " they would have gone over to us ;" 
 wu ma makewa, " ye certainly did not do it ;" muwa zi, 
 " but as for us ;" moa moa boriwa bi, " we took our gree- 
 grees ;" an'da mu gbaiwake, " they have repelled us ;" ima 
 tere fere ! " do not look at the sun, but look at the person /" 
 nga musie fa, " / have killed the woman." 
 
 VI. At the end of declarative, exclamatory, and horta- 
 tory propositions or words, e or u, or o or qu, as euphony 
 may require, is sometimes added, in order to express greater 
 emphasis. When u is used, it often coalesces with a pre- 
 ceding a into au or ou : 
 
 Denee ! " O child !" mfae ! " my father !" musienuye ! " O 
 women !'' a ma suye biu, ** he must not take the animals ;" 
 kemu a ma ndau, " this it is what he has done to me ;" ke 
 kunaraau, " but never mind ;" moa ta siiye fanau, " we will 
 go to kill beasts ;" sundameu, " a stranger is here ;" aro 
 
86 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 gbereo ! " he said, No !"" bered ! — and — bereu ! " give up !'' a 
 duma dongii a nau, " he put the shirt on and came ;" a bori 
 here musieyou, " he gave medicine to the woman ;" mu be 
 anua gborowakeou, " I and they have taken an oath ;" mbe 
 ta kangu, " I shall not go anywhere ;" an'da mu gbaiwa- 
 keou, " they have driven us back ;"" a boro fawau, " some 
 died ;" amo anu boau, " and they came out." 
 
 VII. The vowel i may be suffixed both to nouns and pro- 
 nouns, and to verbs ; and in both cases its import appears to 
 be the same, viz. the expression of continuity or frequent 
 repetition. In English it is to be rendered by the simple 
 indicative present, or by the participle with the verb to be. 
 
 1. i suffixed to nouns or pronouns — 
 
 Ai done donda, " she was eating rice :" ai buke, " he 
 was a marksman ;'' ligai mo ko dom-fenda, " I am 
 giving food to man ;" Dsubai seria, " Job is praying ;" 
 kereai dsa-fene dsau, " war is destructive of goods ;" 
 anui bukea, anui duakea, " they were firing muskets 
 and guns ;" ngaina, " I am coming ;" na kerei na nie, 
 " my war has come here ;" keremei, " war is here." 
 
 2. i suffixed to verbs — 
 
 Moanu sirai, " we were sitting ;" awe mfarai, " he is 
 killing me ;" ya kureai, " thou art being fooled :" ai 
 musie a done donda, " he has been eating the woman's 
 rice ;" Dsubaroi, " Job has been saying ;" kewai boro 
 sai, " this is quieting the country ;'' awai ma koe we 
 dsau, " it is making the salt not to spoil." 
 
 3. Sometimes i has arisen from, and is equal to, ye ; but 
 this seems to be owing to carelessness in pronuncia- 
 tion — 
 
 Ita, dsomme bereai, " go and give this slave to him." 
 At other times i may have arisen from ni, by the ejection 
 of n : at any rate, the power of i and ni seems sometimes 
 quite identical : ai soro birivvii sa afaro, ani a boro don-, " he 
 lays those same ashes on his heart, and some he cats." 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 87 
 
 It is even possible that sometimes i has merely been 
 added in order to give greater fulness to a word, and thus 
 to express a degree of emphasis. 
 
 VIII. It will have been seen from the above that the im- 
 port of several of these suffixes approaches sometimes very 
 near to each other. And this may account for the circum- 
 stance, that one mode of expression may be used in English, 
 viz. the adverbs " when, whilst, as," with a past or present 
 participle, to translate these several suffixes — 
 
 1. Forms in ni: amo an' tani, amo an'da kure bon, " when 
 they had gone, they delivered the message ;" amo an'danu 
 bowoni, amo an'daua " and when they had begged them, 
 they consented ;" anui bandani ama, amu Dsaniro, " when 
 they had finished making it, John said ;" anu nyenyani a 
 birie bandani, a gbaromu, amu sandsa binda, " when they 
 were dispersed, when that was done, afterwards it was that 
 the town was burnt." 
 
 2. Forms in wa : anu bande fa nyawa, amo an'da sere, 
 " when they had dressed the dead, they carried him up f' an' 
 tawa, amo an'da kure bon' " when they had gone, they de- 
 livered the message ;" an'da damewa ma, a ma ban, amo a ta, 
 " when they made this feast, and it was not yet over, he 
 went ;" nnawa, kereni ban, " as I have come, the war must 
 be finished." 
 
 3. Forms in ke : anda sandsa boke, an'do, " when they had 
 taken the town, they said ;" an'da gborekeke, amu Dsiima ta, 
 " when they had taken the oath, Dshuma went ;" a kea nuke 
 amo a kundumi, " after having arrived there, he made a war- 
 dance." 
 
 4. Forms in i : ai na mbara, a kaime tara, " when he was 
 coming to me, he met this man ;" ai siro gbe, musie a suye 
 ke daro, " whilst he was sitting still, the woman put the meat 
 into a pot ;" a musie tara ai done donda, " he met his wife, 
 when she was eating rice ;" awai ma femme were a donda, 
 " when he does so, the thing will not hurt him." 
 
88 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 5. From their nearly approaching pcJwer it also results 
 that several of these suffixes may be joined together at the 
 end of words. The examples already quoted abundantly 
 illustrate this. 
 
 IX. The syllable ro can be affixed both to nouns and 
 verbs. Its general import is the idea of being within ; and 
 in English it must be expressed in various ways — 
 
 1. Bo suffixed to substantives and pronouns. 
 a. In a local sense. And here it again depends on the 
 verb whether ro indicates the idea of resting in a place 
 (then = " in, within, inside ; among, with ; in behalf of"); 
 or of moving into a place (then = ** into, to") ; or even of 
 moving from within a place, in which latter case it must 
 be rendered in English by the quite opposite preposi- 
 tions, " out of, from :"" moenu be mu dsaro, " people 
 were in our sight f anu be sandsaro, " they were in 
 the town ;" a be dsiero, " he was in the water ;*" a sam 
 here suero siindondo, " he spent six years in the hole ;" 
 moa tae wuraro, " we walked in the bush ;" dondo be aro 
 afadia berebere, " one was among them, him his father 
 loved very much ;" a tondo Vandi, hi' Momoru Kari 
 Kai, " among their names were Vandi and Muhammad 
 Kari Kai ;" nna ibara na diambo dendowau, " I come 
 to thee with my little talk ;" na toro dse aro, " I have 
 had trouble on its behalf f' a ta firaro, " he went into 
 the forest ;" a gbi kiri gbasaro, " he tied all into a 
 handkerchief ;" i femme firi dsiero, " throw this thing 
 into the water ;"" wui mu firi taro, " throw us into the 
 fire ;" mbe ma ke anu firiaro ? " what ha})pened that 
 they jumped into it.^" a b5a kenero, "he went out of 
 the house ;" a sene bo dsifaro, " he took out a stone 
 from the pocket ;" an'da buye biranu boro, "they took 
 the guns out of their hands ," i boro bo kerero ! " take 
 thou the hand out of the war !" 
 Sometimes ro also corresponds to what in Hebrew has 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. S9 
 
 been called 1 essentia; : aro kuru, ^i^ "in it (was) great'' = " it 
 was great ;" kere abe kerero, lit. " war was not in the war," 
 i.e. "the war was no war " = was not a difficult war ; femmu 
 tondo Bumbu, lit. " as to the thing which in name is Bumbu/' 
 i. e. " as to the thing whose name is Bumbu ;'"' dsa-fen* gbiro 
 ton- gbe-dsi, lit. " in all goods is the name gbe-dsi," i. e. " all 
 goods have the name of, or are called, or are gbe-dsi" 
 (cf. especially Exod. xxiii. 21, ^T)^)^. '•nil)). 
 
 b. Bo with a temporal meaning, " in, during :" an' sama 
 suyero, " he may lie on it in the night ;" a fo tere- 
 mero, " he said in that day ;" anu ma soekero terebi- 
 riro, " they did no more work during the same day." 
 
 2. Suffixed to verbs, ro has either an adverbial charac- 
 ter, or makes them serve the purpose of our present par- 
 ticiple. 
 
 a. It is easy to perceive why a particle, whose proper 
 meaning is " in " (local), should, when connected with 
 verbs, assume the meaning of " again, still, more, 
 also." For, as J. Harris remarked in his Hermes, 
 " Time and space have indeed this in common, that they 
 are both of them by nature things continuous, and, as 
 such, they both of them imply extension; but in this 
 they difi'er, that all the parts of space exist at once and 
 together, while those of time only exist in transition or 
 succession.''' What, therefore, exists as an uninterrupted 
 extension in space must be parallel to a constant succes- 
 sion or repetition in time : i naro ! " come again !" am' 
 sama gbearo, am' turu taro, " and the morning dawned 
 again, and the ground pig went again ;" amo a dondo 
 gbauro, " and she sought one again f anu firiaro den- 
 dero, " they embarked again in the vessel ;" na kaie 
 ma ndiaro, " my husband likes me no more ;" wu 
 ma dson" karo, " sell slaves no more f nfibe fendo ? 
 " what more ?" liima foro Zo, lit. " I do not also say 
 Z6, i.e. "except Zo ;" wu ma bukero moeniia, "do no 
 
 N 
 
90 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 more fire at the people ;" kira dondo bero nu, " there 
 is still another sickness." 
 b. Verbs in ro corresponding to our present participle : ai 
 siro gbe, " he was sitting still f na banda ba tara soro 
 tomboero, " I found a large cotton-tree standing on the 
 deserted town " musie gbore ben' dendo, " the woman's 
 skin has been hanging ;" kere be kiro, " the deer was 
 sleeping C' a we fen dondo, " he was eating something." 
 
 X. The suffix re serves a variety of purposes, between 
 some of which there appears to be a connexion — 
 
 1. When affixed to pronouns, re sometimes appears to be 
 merely emphatic : ngare, na mbe ma ? " as for me, what 
 shall I do ?" aware toa " she was left ;" ngare ma koariro, 
 "/ said nothing more;" ngare na mbe don? "what have / 
 eaten ?''' ngare, mma dsom firiwe nie, " as for me, I did not 
 ship slaves here ;" yanuware kurua, ya nd5ya, " thou hast 
 made them great, me small." 
 
 It may, however, be considered as still an open question, 
 whether this is the true nature of re, or whether it ought 
 not rather to be looked upon as a euphonic e joined to a pre- 
 ceding a by the consonant r. 
 
 2. Sometimes, when affixed to verbs, re gives them an ad- 
 jectival or participial character — 
 
 Mmirinyaremu Vanira, " I am afraid of Vani ;'' i gboro- 
 aremu, " thou art crazy ;'' ndsirimasoreba, " I am very 
 wise ;" i kurearemu ? " art thou made a fool ?" Ti 
 den tare bera duma, " her child, able to walk, fell 
 down ;" tie nyeiremu, " it was a speckled fowl :" mo 
 fare, " a dead person ;" mo biinde kiinkuru, " many 
 people shot ;" mo birare, " captured people;" ai koilria 
 sore, " he was speaking intelligibly." 
 
 3. But sometimes, also, when affixed to verbs, it is a rela- 
 tive adverb of time = " when " — 
 
 An\la faire ke a mo, " when they have planted it, then it 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 91 
 
 is ripe," i. e. " they have scarcely planted it, when it is 
 already ripe ;" an'da senenu bindare, anda ta, " when 
 they have burnt the farms, they go." 
 
 4. After substantives, re is generally an interrogative ad- 
 verb = " where ?" — 
 
 Boa K aire? "where is Boa Kori ?" Van! re ? "where is 
 Vani ?" wu nyomo domare ? " where is your younger 
 brother ?" na suyere ? " where is my meat ?" man- 
 dsare ? " where is the king ?" 
 
 Symphonism sometimes transmutes the e into i : 
 deneri ? " where is the child ?" 
 
 5. When standing at the end of an interrogative proposi- 
 tion, it increases the force of the question — 
 
 Anu kunni mfare ? " when they kill me, what then ?" hi' 
 a ma gbai moa berere ? " if he should not speak well 
 with us, what then ?'' anu kunni kereke sina ndare ? 
 " if they make war with me to-morrow, what then ?" 
 
 XL When a (or ra, da) is affixed to verbs, it generally 
 denotes a subordinate (adverbial, complemeutal) position of 
 theirs, in a proposition. It must be rendered into English 
 in a variety of ways — 
 
 1. Verbs in a, corresponding to our infinitive form — 
 
 A kurua diekea, " she ceased to weep f a bunda 'fa 
 kerea, " he began to call his father ;" anun*' kiiru 
 kerekea, " may they cease to make war ;*' anu banda, 
 done donda, " they had finished eating the rice." 
 
 But w^hen the verb already terminates in a, this a 
 is generally omitted (but cf. also § 15. IV. 5.): areikuru 
 mana ma, ** he said. Cease to make a resistance ;" mu 
 na a kune dsiraira, " we come to show thee his head ;" 
 hi* a ma wuru na, " if he does not like to come." 
 
 2. Verbs in a, corresponding to our participle — 
 
 An' terea tay'a gben, " they spent the day wholly in 
 walking ;" mo biri dserea burikea, " that same person 
 
92 PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 
 
 returned running ;" a tea dia, " he burst out weeping," 
 i. e. " he burst into tears ;" ai boa, bukea kirafe, " he 
 comes out shooting by the way ;" anu kun tere tomboekea 
 gben, " when they have spent the whole day playing ;" 
 ai boa dikea, " he was going forth weeping."" 
 
 3. When the predicate of a proposition stands first, in which 
 case it also always has mu suffixed, the subject is indicated 
 by a or one of its equivalents — 
 
 Ando tomboke-fem munda, " they thought I was a play- 
 thing," i. e. " a thing to play with ;" mo koromu nda, 
 " I am an old man ;" a sundamii nda, " I am his 
 stranger ;" a dia-demmuira, " thou art his favourite 
 child ;" mandsa bamuira, " thou art a great chief;" mo 
 beremeira, m5 nyamabamuira, " thou art not a good 
 man, thou art a very bad man ;" mo kimarebamu 
 Daminia, " Damini is a very cool man ;" dem mese 
 berebamu Siafara, " Siafa is a very good little boy ;" 
 a be a demmu Biranda, " Birang was his cousin." 
 
 4. The remote object of doubly transitive verbs follows 
 the latter, and has the suffix a, or one of its equivalents. 
 
 The same is the case with adverbial definitions or com- 
 plements after transitive verbs with their object — 
 
 Mfa nko bara, " my father gave me a goat ;" mfa ma 
 nkere fenda, " my father has not called me for any 
 thing ;" a nkerewi diamboa, " he has called me to a 
 conversation ;" mbe gboro siinda Kuinira, ** I shall send 
 a letter to the queen ;" amo anMa sina dsirfira, " and 
 they showed him a seat ;" mii kun* ko nyflma mara, 
 * if we had done wrong to him ;" kanmba boro kanua, 
 marekanua, " God sent them, the angels ;" wii ma 
 bukero nyonua, " do not fire guns at each other any 
 more ;" mma ko nyama maira, " I have not done wrong 
 to thee ;" mo we sua ko ma miisuakba, " one does not 
 use witchcraft on behalf of a woman ;" na fen kakoa 
 kiirumba, " I have sold many things on her account ;" 
 
PECULIAR SUFFIXES. 93 
 
 mbe a kumaka dsonda, " I shall redeem it with a 
 slave."" 
 
 5. When intransitive verbs are adverbially complemented 
 by nouns, the latter follow with a, or its euphonic modifica- 
 tion — 
 
 A na kura norea, "he came with dirty cloths ;" kaie ta 
 bara, " the man went with the goat ;" itaina keria, " go 
 and come with ( = fetch) the eggs ;" hi" na soni, ke mbe 
 nani kiramea, "if I had known it, then would I not 
 have come this way ;" i faran' ti kanmbaro benda, 
 " thy heart be alone with God ;" mboa Hur5a, " I come 
 from Huro ;" awa nani tenduyera, " he has come as a 
 messenger ;" ama nawakoa, " he did not come on his ac- 
 count ;" femmemu awa fore be nda, lit. " this is the thing 
 whose grief is with me," i. e. " which grieves me." 
 
 When such a noun has a suffix already, a is gene- 
 rally omitted; e.g. " anu dunda firaro" is much more 
 common than " anu dunda firaroa,'' " they went into 
 the forest;" "anu toa dararo" much more common 
 than " anu t5a dararoa," " they were left in the forest." 
 It is also sometimes omitted after the remote object 
 of doubly transitive verbs ; but perhaps this is to be 
 considered as an instance of negligence in speaking : a 
 mandsamu ko tawa, " he gave tobacco to the chiefs ;" 
 awa suyenu gbi ko d6m-fen% " he gives food to all 
 animals." 
 
 6. Concerning the a after subjects of propositions, and 
 after intransitive verbs, see §. 27. I. 
 
 XII. The suffix na stands probably in an etymological con- 
 nexion with the verb na, "to come," primarily expressing 
 the idea of " coming to, attaining to," i. e. obtaining, gaining, 
 effecting the notion of the verb to which it is affixed. With 
 this power, na makes verbs correspond with our infinitive. 
 But as it is natural to expect that we are really engaged in 
 effecting what is the purpose of our will and the object of 
 
94 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 our destination, so verbs in na do not only correspond with 
 our infinitive of purpose, but also with our participle present. 
 
 1. Verbs in na corresponding with our infinitive — 
 
 A taba kunena, " she went to awaken her mother ;' 
 wuria na dsi mina, " the baboon came to drink water;" 
 mu ta dom-fen sanna, " we went to buy food ;" a mo 
 so a kerena, " he sent somebody to call her ;" anu ta, 
 senekena, " they went to make a farm.*" 
 
 2. Verbs in na corresponding to our participle present — 
 
 Ai kbme gbi mana keiiro, " lie was doing all this in a 
 dream ;" mirinya be miisie kanua, ** a boa was swallow- 
 ing the woman ;" mbe ko gbi manara, " I am not doing 
 any thing to her f a be dsambi senna, " he was dig- 
 ging wild yam."' 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 §. 23. 
 SYNTAX OF SUBSTANTIVES. 
 
 The peculiar use of some Suhstantices, and the relation between jdural 
 and collective Nouns, are hers to he mentioned. 
 
 I. How the want of case-terminations is supplied is partly 
 to be learnt from the preceding chapter, and partly from the 
 syntax of the possessive pronouns, the postpositions, and in- 
 terjections. 
 
 II. 1. The substantives ta, " part," and dsju " home," are 
 frequently connected with possessive pronouns, and add em- 
 phasis to the idea of possession, similar to our " own," or 
 "one's peculiar" — 
 
SYNTAX OF SUBSTANTIVES. 95 
 
 Ta : ita denge a maira, " thy own child will do it to thee ;" 
 anu ta mii ta mamara Dsondu, "theybrought our grand- 
 mother to Dshondu ;" nta sawa dondomu, " this is one 
 of my laws ;" aro ben* ata bira-monumeninu, " they 
 have been his captives, his only ;" mui wu koa dson 
 sunsagba : ke-ye-moenu-ta nani, more-moenu-ta nani, 
 lit. " we will give you eight slaves : four as part of the 
 diviners', four as part of the Muhammadans'," i.e. " four 
 for the diviners and four for the Muhammadans ;" bere- 
 mo-ta kirimu, " it is the peculiar manner of a virgin." 
 
 Dsd : anadsa kenna, " he came to his own house ;" ata 
 Vani dsa kuro, " he went into Vani's house ;" ata adsa 
 kuro, " he went to her own house."" 
 
 2. Gbo means properly " seed f but it is often joined with 
 other words to express more emphatically the idea of " small- 
 ness or fewness." 
 
 Bu-gbo dondo pere ma dau, " even not a single gun was 
 fired ;" n'gbo n"ga Fan'a mbe don* kenna, " I, even I, 
 Fanga, was quite alone entering the house." 
 
 Its force is sometimes to be conveyed in English by 
 " very, even :" kama-gb9 dsi-kire rama, " the very ele- 
 phant suffered thirst," or, " even the elephant suffered 
 thirst." 
 
 3. The word duma, " ground," is sometimes used where 
 we use merely the grammatical subject, and sometimes it is 
 made the object of a verb where we use an intransitive verb — 
 
 Duma maroa, lit. "the ground was ashamed,"" i.e. "it was 
 a shame " a ma kun duma dsea, " he could not seethe 
 ground," i. e. " he could not see at all, was blind." 
 
 4. The Vei people frequently say that something is in one's 
 hand (boro, or bCiro, for bororo) where we cannot say so, but 
 generally use the prepositions " with, about," or the verbs 
 " to have, to own," &c. 
 
 ^ kunni kiraibiiro, " if she has become sick with thee,'"" 
 i.e. " in thy house ;" hi* momu fem bereboro, "if there 
 
96 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. i 
 
 is anybody who has nothing;" femme gbia beni 
 aboro, " all these things he possessed ;" inusuma toewa 
 rebore, " no woman has been left with thee or for thee ;'' 
 dsa-fen- kun tiboro, " if thou hast goods ;" a kunni fa 
 iboro, " if she dies with thee ;'' kira gbi here moa mo- 
 enu boro, " there is not any way (left open) for our 
 people." 
 
 And just as frequently they use da, " mouth," where, 
 in translating, we must substitute another word for it : 
 an'ni sunda-da tie, lit. " they cut the teremite-hiirs 
 mouth/' i.e. " they cut a mouth to it " or " they cut it 
 open ;" na na mie-da sa, " I laid down the mouth of my 
 knife," ie. "1 sharpened my knife." 
 
 5. The substantive tow, " name,'' is often used where we 
 use the verb substantive — 
 
 A ton sinke-moba, " he was a great sing-player ;" atom 
 bira sunsagba, lit. " its name was eight fathoms," i e. 
 " it w^as eight fathoms long ;" a gbi ton t5nyawa, " it 
 is all true ;" i ton na denu gbi a moba, " thou art the 
 eldest of all our children;" iwa ton dem mese, "thou 
 art a little boy." 
 
 III. Although all Vei substantives may assume a plural 
 termination, yet this termination is often omitted, without 
 preventing the substantive from being expressive of plu- 
 rality. This seems to be the case, when the idea of 
 sameness and unity amongst the individuals that constitute 
 a multiplicity, is uppermost in the mind of the speaker, 
 whereas the plural termination is used when a particular 
 stress is laid on the multiplicity itself. The absence of the 
 plural termination is therefore especially common when gbi 
 is joined with a noun ; e.g. kai gbi, " all men ;" sandsii 
 gbi, " all towns." Owing probably to the tendency of the 
 language to great simplicity, the plural termination is 
 frequently omitted when the idea of plurality is expressed 
 by a defining word ; e.g. the numerals above one ; or that if 
 
SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 97 
 
 a substantive is defined by an adjective or a suffixed pro- 
 noun, the defining word alone receives the phiral termina- 
 tion — 
 
 Mo b5ro kun ti nie, " if there are some persons here ;" 
 abore na gbiinda fera, a bore na gbunda sagba, a bore 
 na gbunda tan, " some bring two bowls, some brino- 
 three bowls, some bring ten bowls;'"' den* sagba, "three 
 boys ;"" kura fera, " two cloths ;" den kaimanu, " boys;" 
 dsara kunkurunu, " many lions ;" mandsa banu, " the 
 great chiefs ;'"' moe fimanu, " black persons ;" momunu 
 a musu beni nu, " those men whose wives had been 
 L there ;" anda musumeniiwa te-dunni, " they have di- 
 
 vided these women." 
 
 §.24. 
 
 SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 
 
 It is necessary to offer some remarks on the vse of all the various 
 
 classes of Pronouns. 
 
 I. Personal and Possessive Pronouns. 
 
 Although the forms for the personal and possessive pro- 
 nouns are identical, it will yet be convenient for syntactical 
 purposes to separate them, and to consider them, first, with 
 a personal, and secondly, with a possessive force. 
 
 1. Personal Pronouns — 
 a. Etymology has already shown that the personal pro- 
 noun has three distinct forms, a short, a long, and a 
 compound one ; and we now come to examine into 
 the distinct uses of each. It is easy to define the 
 province of the compound form, that being always 
 used when the pronoun stands alone, i.e. when it is 
 used elliptically for a whole proposition, or when it 
 stands emphatically before a verb with its simple pro- 
 noun; in which latter case, however, the simple pro- 
 noun seems sometimes to have been ejected, so that 
 
 o 
 
98 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 the compound form comes into immediate contact with 
 the verb; e.y. Afaro dsomu ? Aro irga Boa Karimu, 
 " his father said : Who is it ? He said : It is I, Boa 
 Kari ;" Aro ds6 a ma ? Nd5 : nga ma, iwa, " He said : 
 Who has done it ? I said : Not I, thou ;" Aro : ngamii 
 naiwuru, " He said : It is I, I have begotten thee ;"" 
 Areiwaitoa ngbaro, "He said : Thou, thou wilt be left 
 behind me." 
 
 The short and long: forms are used in connexion 
 with the verb, both as its subject and object. If the 
 latter is the case, the short form is uniformly employed ; 
 e.g. na i tusa, " I asked thee ;" na i dia, " I love thee ;" 
 mba ndia, " my mother loves me f' nko ! " give me !" 
 But if a pronoun is the subject of a verb, either the 
 short or the long form may be used. To remove, as 
 far as possible, the uncertainty from the choice of one 
 form for another, we may here distinguish between 
 three different cases ; viz. first, when only the short, 
 secondly, when only the long, and thirdly, when either 
 the short or the long form, may be used. 
 
 The short form of the personal pronoun is used exclu- 
 sively — 
 
 First, in voluntative, imperative, interrogative (provided 
 the verb be intransitive), negative, and conditional pro- 
 positions — 
 
 Nta, " I will go ;" mu dsere, " let us return r wu 
 bii here, "give up the guns!" ita, " go thou !" 
 nta.^ "shall I go?" mu dsere? " shall w'e return?'"' 
 mu mabira, " we do not take them ;" wii ma ndia, 
 " ye did not love me ;" wui 'nu bira ! Amo an'danu 
 bira, " take ye them ! And they took them ;" an'da 
 sara boira, " they liavc selected thee as an alms ;" 
 anu ma sara bo nda, " they have not selected me as 
 an alms ;" wii kmr kiire bon-, " if ye bring news f 
 i kun ta, " if thou go." 
 
SY^'TAX OF PRONOUNS. 1)9 
 
 Secondly, when prefixed to the verbs substantive be, 
 here, to the auxiliary verbs ice, icere, to the verb ro, 
 and to all such intransitive verbs as are formed by the 
 addition of a, ra, da — 
 
 I be nu ? " art thou there ?" mu be nie, " we are 
 here;" anu be nu, "they are not there;" wu be 
 nie, " ye are not here ;" iwe fen dondo, " thou art 
 eating ;" mu we tana, " we are going ;" mu we ta 
 kan, " we will not go anywhere ;" iwere ndsearo, 
 "thou wilt not see me again;" ndo, "I said;'' muro, 
 " we said ;" an'do, " they said ;" anu soa kirafe, 
 " they set out on the way ;'' amo anu dserea, " and 
 they returned ;" a^u daura, " they consented ;" a 
 sira duma, " he sat down ;" ndunda, " I entered ;" 
 wu banda, " ye have finished." 
 The long form is used exclusively — 
 
 First, when the pronoun is the subject of a transitive 
 verb in the present or perfect tense, and not falling 
 under the above rules — 
 
 Moa gore bira, " we have taken the palisade ;' an'da 
 
 mo bun*, " they shot people ;"" moa sisie dse, " w'e 
 
 saw the smoke ;" woa ns6, " ye sent me ;"" moa 
 
 femme gbi bi, " we took all these things ;" ya kaie 
 
 dia ? Na a diau, " doest thou love the man ? I love 
 
 him ;" wu bawara bira ! Amo an' da bawara bira 
 
 " catch ye the sheep ! And they caught the sheep." 
 
 Secondly : when it is the subject of an intransitive verb, 
 
 not terminatino- in a formative a, neither included in 
 
 any of the above rules, and being at the same time 
 
 the imperfect or perfect tense — 
 
 Na dsere, " I returned ;" na dsereni, " I have re- 
 turned ;" na don-, " I entered ;" na dbnni, " I have 
 entered ;" na kun, na dia nta mu dsa, " I am grown 
 up, I like to go home.'' 
 
 The only case, therefore, in which the choice between 
 the long and short forms appears to be doubtful, is in 
 
100 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 the present tense of intransitive verbs, not terminating 
 in a formative a: "I go/' e.y. maybe expressed by nta 
 and na ta ; "I return/' by ndsere and na dsere ; " I 
 come," by nna and na na. But even here the first form 
 appears to have more of a future, and the second more 
 of a perfect character. If, e. g.^ a man is met in the 
 act of going to a place, and replies to the question 
 whither he is going, " I go to, &c.," he may consider 
 his then condition in reference either to the starting- 
 point or to the end of his journey. In the first case, 
 his going may be said to have more of a perfect 
 character ; wherefore he would say, na ta ; in the second, 
 it may be said to have more of a future character, 
 wherefore he would say, nta. But in English both forms 
 would answer to, " I go.'' 
 h. As there is probably an etymological connexion between 
 the plural termination {nu) and the third person plural 
 of the personal pronoun (anu), there would be no posi- 
 tive error in considering under the head of plural 
 what, however, we best consider under this head. It is 
 the use of nu, (most probably = 'nw or anit,) when suf- 
 fixed to proper names. Thus used, it expresses pos- 
 session or dependency, just like the Greek ol rov, &c. 
 The predicate may then refer to both proper name and 
 those put in relation to it, or merely to the lattei' — 
 Na fo mfanuye, " I told it my father and those with 
 him ;" so Vaninufe ! " pursue Vani and those with 
 him ;" a bereni Dsara Gombanuye, " he had given 
 it up to Dshara Gomba's party :" I fanu na, " thy 
 father's people have come." The connexion in this 
 instance renders it clear that it cannot mean, " tliy 
 father and his people ;" but merely " thy fiither's 
 people." 
 c. It is striking liow the second person is used where we 
 would expect the third (quite similar to what we some- 
 times meet with in Hebrew, e.g. T]S!'i3. "T;^^=: " until thou. 
 
 I 
 
SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 101 
 
 comesV i.e. until one come ; or to a use of the English 
 you )— 
 
 Fembaro : momu kun kume ma mbe ifa ; musumu 
 
 - ^ - ^ ' 
 
 kun* koeke ma mbe ifa, " the demon said, If any 
 
 person do this thing, I shall kill him {lit thee); if any 
 
 woman do that thing, I shall kill her " (lit. thee) ; 
 
 dsanda-kira-mo kiinni fa nie, anu wereburo fere, ito 
 
 kewa, an'nifiri sundaro, anun' dsamba bu ima; ke 
 
 an' ta itawake, " when a leper dies here, they do 
 
 not inspect his (lit. thy) bowels :* he (lit. thou) is 
 
 left thus ; they throw him {lit. thee) into a teremite- 
 
 hill, and cover him (lit. thee) with leaves ; thus (or 
 
 then?) do they go and bury him (lit. thee)." 
 
 d. Pleonasm of the third person of the personal pronoun 
 is very common — 
 
 So dondo si-m5e a fera a dia-musie, an' ta kirafe 
 berebero, lit. " once the rich man, he with his fa- 
 vourite wife, they went on the way to take a walk," 
 i.e. " the rich man and his favourite wife went once, 
 &c.; am' moe gbi an'do : ko beremu, lit. " and all the 
 people, they said, (i. e. and all the people said) All 
 right ;" bori-ma-fennu anu ko gbere, " the things to 
 make medicine of are (lit. they are) a difficult mat- 
 ter ;" kono keremaba a na borero, " a very great 
 famine came (lit. it came) into the country." 
 
 e. But although the pleonasm of the personal pronoun in 
 its subjective capacity occurs frequently, its ellipsis is 
 scarcely less common, when it ought to be used in an 
 objective capacity — 
 
 Iwa ton dem mese, ifa, " thou art a young boy, do 
 thou kill him " (ifa for iafa) ; a na here amusieye, 
 areita, " he came, gave it to his wife, and said, 
 Cook it " (areita for aro i a ta) ; wumui fa, " let us 
 kill him " (for wumui a fa). 
 
 * A thing Jone in all ordinary cases, in order to ascertain whether the de- 
 ceased had practised witchcraft or not. 
 
102 syntax: of the parts of speech. 
 
 /. The personal pronoun is frequently used where, in 
 
 English, we should use a reflective or relative one — 
 
 A mo anda kura dondo bun" anuma, "and they 
 
 covered themselves with one cloth ;" an' danu ko, 
 
 " they washed themselves ;" mii nii miiye, " we 
 
 came by ourselves;" mun' ta si muye ! "let us go 
 
 and sit by ourselves !" hi' a kani-mie Kuiniwa sun- 
 
 dani, " and his silver sword which the queen liad 
 
 sent him," lit. " the queen had sent it to him ;" i 
 
 ma femme bi a be mbbro ! " do not take this thino- 
 
 which is in my hand," lit. " this thing, it is in my 
 
 hand." 
 
 </. The force of the juxta-position of ivu and mu before a 
 
 verb is very peculiar. They thus acquire a voluntative 
 
 or hortative force, and can be rendered into English by 
 
 " let us." 
 
 Wumu ta, " let us go ;" wumu kereke, " let us make 
 war ;" wiimu musiero bendo bi nu ! " let us take 
 there the women only." 
 
 These plural-forms are also used when they refer, 
 each to one person only, or one to one, and the other 
 to more than one : Vaniro, Siafa, wiim' Boa Kari fa, 
 " Vani said, Siafa, let us {viz. thou and I) kill Boa 
 Kari ;" an'do, Boa Kari, moa suye bi, wumu ta 
 dara ! " they said. Boa Kari, take our venison and 
 let us (viz. thou and w^e) go to town ;" an'do, kere- 
 raibira, wiimu ta mandsanu bara, " they said. War 
 has taken thee ; let us (sc. thou and we) go to the 
 chiefs' place." 
 h. The short forms of the pronouns, both personal and 
 possessive, have this peculiarity in the singular, that, 
 when employed in a sentence, they sound as if they 
 were suffixed to the preceding word, and not prefixed to 
 the following one, just as J of the wesled article in Ara- 
 bic, e.g. aro; mbe dikearo, "I shall no more weep," is 
 pronounced as if written arom be, &c.: ita ndia-mo- . 
 
SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 103 
 
 bara, go to my friend/' as if written itan dia, &c.; 
 aro nko, " he said, Give me/' as if written aron* ko ; 
 1 ma ndia, " thou dost not love me," as if written 
 iman dia ; wii fera mba na nie mbara, " thou earnest 
 here to me with my mother,'' as if written wu feram 
 ba na niem bara ; wumu taifabara, " let us go to thy 
 father." 
 i. The emphatic form of the personal pronoun is expressed 
 by here, which always immediately follows the sub- 
 ject; e.g. m5 were a bira keibere, "none can take 
 him, except thyself." Bere may then be immediately 
 followed either by the bare verb, e.g. Koraodo here na 
 nie, " the commodore himself came here ;" or the verb 
 with a corresponding pronoun at its head, e.g. mbere 
 nibe tana Saro'wa, " I myself shall be going to Sierra 
 Leone ;" mbere mbe ka, " I myself will not rise ;" 
 ibereweitoaro, " thou thyself wilt be left in it." 
 
 2. Possessive Pronouns. 
 
 a. The possessive pronouns regularly appear as prefixes of 
 the substantives which they define ; and it is only in 
 a few cases that small particles intervene between 
 them, e.g. mfa, "my father;" mba, "my mother;" na 
 den', "my child;" woa mie, "your sword;" ke awa, zi, 
 ton' kere-mo, " but he is a warrior." 
 
 h. It is also easy to define the province of the compound 
 form ; it is used when we would express the pronoun 
 with rather more than usual force or emphasis — 
 
 Amo anu tusa, aro : musie gbema, i ton dso ? Aro 
 n'ga ton Dsanga. Amo aro : musie firaa, i t5n dso? 
 Aro nga tom Man-guru, " and he asked them, and 
 said. White woman, what is thy name ? She said, 
 My name is Dshanga. And he said. Black woman, 
 what is thy name? She said. My name is Man- 
 guru;'' iwa tom mu dia-mo nie dara, "tltou hast 
 been our friend in this town. 
 
104 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 Here again the only difficulty exists in the choice 
 between the long and the short forms. Whether one 
 form is to be taken, or another, does not seem to 
 depend on phonetic, but on logical reasons. But I 
 am only able to make the following observations on 
 this subject — 
 
 The short form is used with words expressive of 
 family relation and friendship, and of any part of the 
 body : ndia-mo, " my favourite ;" mboe, " my friend f 
 rhfa, " my father ;" mba, " my mother f mmama, " my 
 grandmother ;" mmamada, " my grandfather ;" mbe, 
 " my uncle ;"" nnyomo, " my brother ;" mbira-kai, " my 
 father-in-law ;" mbira-musu, " my mother-in-law ;"" 
 nkun, " my head ;" ndsa, " my eye ;" nda, " my mouth ;' ' 
 nken', " my leg C nkuru, " my bone ;" mfara, " my 
 liver," &c. 
 
 The long form is used before words expressive of 
 common property : na musu, " my wife," na den, " my 
 child ;" na dson', " my slave ;" na duma, " my shirt ;" 
 na kura, " my cloth ;" na kene, " my house ;" na den- 
 de, " my canoe ;"" na sene, *' my farm ;*" na ni, " my 
 bullock ;" na mie, " my sword," &c. 
 
 But this long form is also used otherwise : na kai, 
 " my husband ;" moa mandsa, "our chief f nfi toro, 
 " my trovible," &c. 
 
 It must be remarked that the praxis of the language 
 distinguishes strictly between the use of the long and 
 the short forms. Words used with the one are scarcely 
 ever used with the other. A mistake in this respect 
 may entirely alter the meaning; e.g. mfa, "my 
 father ;" na fa, " my dead person ;" liiba, " my mo- 
 ther ;" nji ba, " my goat." 
 c. Sometimes the possessive pronoun conveys the sense 
 which we express by the preposition; for e.y. mii til 
 moa siiye fana, lit. "let us go to kill our beasts, i.r. 
 to kill beasts for ourselves ;" I kiinni kiire suudii nda, 
 
 I 
 
SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 105 
 
 adumameke, " as thou hast sent word to me, this is 
 its shirt,' i.e. "this is a shirt for it,' or, "in acknow- 
 ledgment of it." 
 
 But if a noun, thus qualified, is at the same time 
 followed by a verb substantive, we have to convey the 
 force of the possessive pronoun by the verb " to have :" 
 e.g. i kundo-kiri here, lit. "thy sense is not," i.e. "thou 
 hast no sense ;" na mie be nu, " my sword is there," 
 i.e. "I have a sword;" a fene kun ti nu, "if his thins: 
 is there," i. e. " if he has something." 
 
 d. Of special importance is the use of the possessive pro- 
 noun in supplying the want of a possessive case in the 
 noun : na fari a kira tara, lit. " I found the aligator 
 his path," i.e. " I found the aligator's path;' kai koro 
 a dene-terimu, " story of an old man his children," 
 i.e. "of an old mans children;" iton na dinu gbi a 
 moba, lit. " thou art all my children their great per- 
 son," i.e. "thou art the eldest of all my children;" moa 
 mo kurumba, " our people, very many," i. e. " very 
 many of our people ;" a boe dondo, " his friend, one," 
 i.e. "one of his friends." 
 
 With this mode of expressing the genitive-relation 
 we may compare in English the phrase of the Liturgy, 
 " for Jesus Christ his sake," and German provincialisms 
 like, " mein Freund sein Bruder," for, " meines Freun- 
 des Bruder." 
 
 e. The mere possessive pronoun is sometimes used where 
 we use the genitive of a relative pronoun, e.g. ds5 a 
 tieme, lit. "who his fowl is this ?" = " whose fowl is this?"" 
 na Panya-mo dondo bira, a ton D., lit. "I have caught 
 a Spaniard, his name is D.," i.e. "I have caught a 
 Spaniard whose name is D." 
 
 II. Reflective Pronouns — 
 
 The reflective pronoun is expressed by the addition of 
 ua or n-ga to the short form of the personal pronoun ; 
 
 p 
 
106 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 e.g. mo gbi rawanga dia, "everybody likes himself;" iia 
 n'ganga dia, " I love myself;" iwanga fere, " thou lookest 
 at thyself ;" moa muwan'ga nyau, " we dressed ourselves ; ^ 
 awanga nyau, " he dressed himself." 
 
 III. Demonstrative Pronouns — 
 
 1. me. — We have already stated that me has always the 
 character of a suffix. It may be remarked here, that, in 
 the praxis of the language, its proper demonstrative force 
 appears frequently so weakened, that it entirely corresponds 
 with the definite article of other languages : an'da nime gbi 
 fa, " they killed all the bullocks ;'' anMa dsa-femme gbi bi, 
 ** they took all the goods ;'' a mome gbi kere, " he called all 
 the people;" fem biri s5me niera, "of that thing the price 
 is a bullock." 
 
 It is striking, that, as the Vei expresses these different 
 degrees of demonstrative force by one and the same demon- 
 strative pronoun, so also in languages which now possess 
 different forms for them, it can frequently be shown that 
 they were originally the same, or, at least, that the articles 
 have developed themselves from demonstrative pronouns : 
 compare in English "the"" and "that,'' with the Anglo-Saxon 
 "Paet:" in Greek 6 and ovroq with the Sanscrit ^; the modern 
 articles, " le, il, el," with the Latin " ille." 
 
 In consequence of the decrease of the demonstrative force 
 originally expressed by me, it may also be appended to 
 nouns in the vocative, just as the article is sometimes used 
 in Hebrew, e.g. Jerem. vi. 19, \y^T} ^V12)Xp, " Hear, O earth!" 
 demme, ya kune ? " art thou awake, O child ?" musume ya 
 ko be kuma ? " woman, what is thy matter ?" kaime, ihbe 
 ma kama ? " oh man, what shall I do ?" 
 
 When a substantive is defined by one or more adjectives, 
 me is only suffixed to the last word, e.g. den kaima fareme, 
 " this dead boy ;" kai korobame, " this very old man." 
 
 2. Ke. — Whereas me is always a suflix, ke may be either 
 suffixed, or stand by itself; e.g. a musleke tiisa, "he asked 
 
SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 107 
 
 that woman ;" s5 birike, " on that same day ;" a kunni ke ma, 
 L "if he has done that;" an'da ke gbi a birani, '" they have 
 taken all this ;" wuni ke bira, " ye are to take that ;" 
 kenuwa t5a, " these were left ;" a ti kenu a mandsako, " he 
 has become the chief of those/' 
 
 Ke — ke is used for, " the one — the other, this — that " = 
 " every one, whoever '' (cf. Hebrew HT^n^ = " this — that ") ; 
 e.g. moeke kun don- kenna, an'na kura fera ; moeke kun don* 
 kenna, an' na kura dSndo, " if this man goes into the house, 
 he brings two cloths : if that man goes into the house, he 
 brings one cloth;" moeke we ata den'e bi, moeke we ata dene bi, 
 " this one takes his daughter, that one takes his daughter," 
 i. e. " every one takes his own daughter." 
 
 3. Biri has always the character of a suffix ; e.g. kaibiri, 
 " that same man ;" fembiri, " that same thing/' But by 
 prefixing to it the personal pronoun, third person singular, 
 it may be used as an independent word : abiri mfara sa, " the 
 same will cheer my heart ;" or it may qualify a succeeding 
 noun : abiri-banda, " at that same time." In the latter case, 
 zi may intervene between it and the noun : abiri, zi, banda, 
 " at that same time, however.'' When biri defines banda, 
 it has sometimes kari prefixed, instead of a; e.g. kambiri- 
 banda, " at that same time." 
 
 4. Mu is frequently used like the Hebrew ^'Ml, and its 
 original force must have been demonstrative, just as that of 
 b^^n.* When it corresponds with b^^H, it forms the subject 
 of a proposition, including the copula, and the word to which 
 it is affixed is the predicate; e.g. kaimu, "it is a man;" 
 dsommu, " it is a slave ;" mfamu ? " is it my father ?" fani- 
 amu, "it is a lie;" dsomu ? "who is it?" mbe keumu? 
 " what dream is it ?"" n"ga ma, kanmbamu, " it is not I, it 
 is God ;" kemo anyomo mani, " it is thus his brother has 
 acted ;" minamo anui fereke ? " where is it that they are 
 
 * Cf. the very interesting §^ 101 — 105 in the " Ausfiihrliches Lehrbuch 
 dev Hebi'feischen Sprache des alten Bimdcs von Heinrich Ewald." 
 
108 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 trading P" nkumu lini a foiye, " this is why I tell it 
 thee ;" awa demmu a tie, " his daughter was she (whom) 
 he had cut." 
 
 Nay, not only predicate and copula, but a whole proposi- 
 tion may be united in mu ; e.g. suromuni, "it has been by 
 nisfht ;" keuromu na sieke, " it was in a dream that I was 
 rich." 
 
 It is frequently the case that propositions, in which mu is 
 the grammatical subject, the word preceding it, its predicate, 
 and the one following, its complement, must be so rendered 
 in English that mu appears as a mere copula, and the word 
 following it as the subject. But as the latter is a mere com- 
 plement in Vei, it has regularly the suffix a {ra or da), which 
 is expressive of subordinate relations in a proposition (simi- 
 larly as sometimes 7 before infinitives in Hebrew) ; e.g. moe- 
 fira-boe-s6nomu dson tanera ? " are ten slaves the value of a 
 person's life ?" na demmu Gbanara, " Gbanga is my daugh- 
 ter ;" moa kere sandem' Bdpuru-monua, " the Bopuru people 
 are our hired warriors ;" abe a demmu Biranda, " Birang 
 was his uncle's son ;" mu bemu Buraima, " Ibrahim was our 
 uncle." 
 
 As in some other languages (e.g. Greek of, English "that," 
 German "der"), so also in Vei a demonstrative pronoun 
 is made to discharge the function of a relative. The fol- 
 lowing examples show this relative function of mu, and, at 
 the same time, illustrate its often peculiar position when dis- 
 charging that function : a be momunu afa an' na, " he and 
 the people who killed him are to come ;" momu tiinike atom 
 Mereba, " the name of the man who had gone was Mereba ;" 
 iwamuitom moba, " thou who art an adult ;" i kum'ma nda, 
 "the thing which thou didst to me;" wui demmu wuroake 
 nu'isu ma dseu, " the child which ye will beget is not to see 
 a woman ;" na keremii bera wii here aro, " ve are not in the 
 war which I have brought ;" an'da gborekeni femmu ma borl 
 ma, " they had sworn on something which was not a gree- 
 gree ;" ya komu ma ndse ko beremu, " the thing which thou 
 
SYNTAX OF PRONOUNS. 109 
 
 hast done to me is a good thing ;" Panya-momu gbi be nie, 
 wui anu here ! " give up all the Spaniards who are here !" 
 momu sendse ta birana, a mobiri fa wake, " as to the one 
 who went first to seize him, he killed that one ;" a na dsa- 
 femmu gbi dsau, ani a gbi pake ! " he is to pay for all those 
 goods of mine which he spoiled ;'' anui kun gbima wuiamu, 
 " every thing which they were doing was deceit." 
 
 Very peculiar, and inexpressible in English, is the conjunc- 
 tion of hi and kun' with the relative mu in one and the same 
 proposition : a mo kun ti kammiia, wu ma ma kerea, " in 
 whatever place his people may be, do not make war ;"" mo- 
 mu kunni a birani sagba, " whenever a man has captured 
 three ;" hi* a kaimu dia, an'ti kaibiri boro, " whatever man 
 she may love, in that same man's hand will she be left ;' ' hi' 
 momu musu ma toiboro, an'niko dsom fera, "in whosesoever 
 hand no woman is left, to him they will give two slaves." 
 
 IV. Interrogative Pronouns — 
 
 1. Ds5 : when connected with a verb as its subject, or 
 containing the copula, it is used as an independent word ; 
 but when predicate, it is suffixed to its subject : mo sagbame, 
 dso here aboa ? " who of these three surpassed the other .^" 
 dsoa kume gbere foiye ? " who told thee all these things ?" 
 dsomu? "who is it?" iton dso? "what is thy name?"" ifa- 
 dso ? " who is thy father ?" 
 
 2. Mbe is always used as an independent word : mbe dem- 
 mu ? Ando : kai-mo, " what child is it ? They said, A male ;" 
 mbemu? "what is it? what is the matter?" mbe mome ? 
 " what sort of person is this ?" mbe tieme ? " what fowl is 
 this ?'' 
 
 Mbe is also used in exclamations like our " what !" am' 
 dem musumaro : mbe ko bame ! " and the girl said. What a 
 great matter is this I'' 
 
 3. Mina has usually the character of a suffix ; but by pre- 
 fixing to it the third person singular of the personal pronoun 
 it may be used as an independent word : mandsa mina ? 
 
110 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 " which chief H" serie mina ? " which chief ?" tore mina ? 
 " which ear ?" koe mina ? " which thing ?" ita fo kaimeye ! 
 Aro amina? "go and tell the man. He said, Which one?" 
 ita na tiemera ! Arc : amina ? " go and fetch the fowl. He 
 saidr Which one ?" 
 
 4. Kama stands likewise after the noun to which it be- 
 longs, but may also be used alone : seri kama ? " how many 
 witnesses ?" mandsanui kama ? " how many are the chiefs .?" 
 serienui kama ? " how many are the witnesses ? mbe ma 
 kama ? " what shall I do ?'' 
 
 V. Reciprocal Pronoun — 
 
 Nyo is used both in the singular and plural : the latter 
 when referring to more than two persons, and the former 
 when either referring to two persons only, or when a greater 
 number are individualised, i.e. considered as two parties, two 
 divisions : anda nyo sua, " they saluted each other ;" mu 
 
 — '''' — 
 
 fera mboe moa ny5 dia, " I and my friend, we love each 
 other;" mui ma kama mui nyo dse ? " what shall w^e do that 
 we may see each other ?" an"" siiye gbi any5nu dsaro fere, 
 " and all the beasts looked into each other*'s face ;" moa 
 nyonu dia, " we love each other." 
 
 Here it may also be remarked, that, just as in Hebrew 
 V^. and U)'^^^, so, in Vei, ho, " friend," and 7no, " person,'' are 
 sometimes used instead of a reciprocal pronoun : mo ferame 
 dso ka'kere here ab5a ? " which of these two persons exceeds 
 the other in stealing ?" Mariad, a kaio, dsoa ko nyama ma- 
 boa ? " who has done w^rong to the other, Maria or her hus- 
 band ?" mo were md tie, " none will cut the other ;" mo 
 were mo fau, " none will kill the other.'' 
 
( 111 ) 
 
 §. 25. 
 
 SYNTAX OF ADJECTIVES. 
 
 Some remarks must he made on their collocation loith nounx, the 
 force of their repetition, and the manner in which their gradation 
 is expressed. 
 
 I. Adjectives always follow the nouns which they qualify: 
 mandsa ba, " a great chief ;" dem mese, " a little child f' den* 
 kaima, "a male child," i.e. "a boy:" dem musuma, "a fe- 
 male child," I. e. " a girl." 
 
 The adjective " fima," black, has the peculiarity of join- 
 ing itself to the substantive by means of the compositional 
 ro ; e.g. moro fima, "a black person, a negro." 
 
 The sign of the plural and other suffixes, logically be- 
 longing to a noun and its adjective, are generally added to 
 the latter only : dem musumanu, " girls ;" dem mesenu, 
 ** little children ;" mandsabanu, " great chiefs." 
 
 But if adjectives are the predicate of plural-nouns, they 
 uniformly appear in the singular form, and generally assume 
 the suffix mu : mandsanu koromu, " the chiefs are old ;" 
 moenu sandemu, " the people are hired." 
 
 II. Adjectives are frequently repeated once or oftener, in 
 order to express energy, emphasis, intensity : amo a buro- 
 dem here ndse, musu berebereberebere, " and he gave me 
 his daughter, a most beautiful woman ;" a dom berebere ta, 
 " she cooked very good rice ;" a kende kende, a mu fa, " he 
 was alive, he had not died f' ko korokorokoromu, " it is a 
 very old concern ;" wua den* kerema keremamenu, " these 
 your great children," 
 
 Sometimes the repetition of adjectives has a distributive 
 force : anun' suyeme tedon nu gbere dendendenden*, " they 
 there distributed all this meat little by little." 
 
 III. Adjectives do not undergo any change of form to 
 indicate gradation, but express it by additional words. 
 
112 SYNTAX OF ADJECTIVES. 
 
 The com'parative degree is expressed by the positive and 
 the verb here, " to surpass :" na kene kerema here itara, 
 lit. "my house is large, it surpasses thine," i.e. "my house 
 is larger than thine ;" i nyama berea konea, " thou art 
 longer than the stick ;" a fadia berebere, a berea den- kaima 
 sagbakenua, " his father loves him very much, more than 
 these three boys " (accus.) ; an da sam here nu a berea nania, 
 " they stopped there more than four years ;" sie kerema 
 berea nira, " a buffalo is larger than a bullock." 
 
 The superlative degree is expressed in a two-fold way : 
 first, by the positive and the verb here : idsirimasoa berea 
 moe gbia, " thou art the wisest of all men ;" ibori m5 gbia, 
 kenyomo berea, " fearest thou anybody, then fear thy brother 
 more,'' i.e. "fear thy brother most." Secondly, by a pos- 
 sessive pronoun and the positive degree : iwa ton denu a 
 mo ba, lit. "thy name is the children's great person," i.e. 
 " thou art the eldest of the children ;" wu nyomo domare ? lit. 
 where is your little brother?" i.e. " where is your vountj- 
 est brother ?" 
 
 §.26. 
 SYNTAX OF NUMERALS. 
 
 We must here illustrate the Numerrds' position in a proposition ; 
 the peculiar use of dondo, atid the indefinite Numerals; and the 
 mamier in which the want of ordinal, adverbial, and distributive 
 numbers is supplied. 
 
 I. The proper nature of the cardinals in Vei seems to be 
 that of adverbs ; but they may be also used as adjectives.* 
 There is therefore more liberty in the collocation of sub- 
 stantives and numerals than in that of substantives and 
 
 * In botli which ways the Hebrew niunerals are also used, according to 
 § 207 c. of H. Ewald's Lehrbuch. 
 
 I 
 
SYNTAX OF NUMERALS. 1 1 3 
 
 adjectives ; the numeral, viz., may either immediately follow 
 the noun which it qualifies, just as the adjective, or be sepa- 
 rated from it by verbs and adverbs : mo sag-ba berea, " three 
 men went on ;" nibe ko sasrba foave, " I shall tell him three 
 things ;"" amo anu nani na, "and they four came,"" ie. "and 
 all four of them came;'' amo anda kafa dondo bi, "and they 
 took one wing ;'' anda mo so nu sagba, "they sent three 
 persons there ;" an'da don ta kurumba, " they cooked very 
 much rice ;" Boa Kari, zi, a sam here suero sundondo, " Boa 
 Kari, however, had spent six years in the hole ;" am' man- 
 dsa ni fa a bo-mandsaye nani, " and the chief slaughtered 
 four bullocks for his fellow-chief;" so berea sagba, *' three 
 days passed ;"*' gba kunni ti amani sundondo, " if six sores 
 are upon him." 
 
 When we use numerals as substantives, (pronominally,) 
 they retain their adverbial or adjectival character in Vei by 
 being coupled with a personal pronoun of the third person : 
 momu ra bira sagba, ini a here fera, momu kunni abira s5ru, 
 ini abere sagba, momuni abira sumfera, ini abere nani, " the 
 person who captured three, is to give up two ; if one has 
 captured five, he is to give up three ; he who captures seven, 
 is to give up four ;" iwe a here dondo, " thou art to give up 
 
 one." 
 
 II. As in English the indefinite article and the numeral 
 one are etymologically identical, so in Vei the use of the 
 numeral dondo frequently fully corresponds to that of an 
 indefinite article : kai dondowa sira, amo a musu dondo gbau, 
 " there was a certain man, and he sought a wife ;" kai dondo 
 be sandsaro, ai buke, " there was a certain man in a town, 
 who was a hunter ;" kai dondomuni, amo a na nie Vei, 
 " there was a man, and he came here into Vei." 
 
 All the indefinite numerals generally follow the noun after the 
 manner of adjectiv^es, and, when used alone, require the third 
 person of the personal pronoun before them, as will be seen 
 from the following instances — 
 
 Q 
 
114 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 1. Ghi: Na denu gbi dse, "I have seen all the children f 
 1 buri mo gbi ? " fearest thou anybody ?" nima ko gbi fo 
 aye, " I have not told him any thing ;" mma don* gbi tau, 
 " I have not cooked any rice ;" m5 gbi be nu, " there were 
 not any people there." 
 
 It must be especially remembered, that when gbi is con- 
 nected with the pronouns me, mu, kp, it always folloirs them : 
 ke gbi, " all this ;" an'ni kumu gbi mana were, " whatever 
 thing they were doing to-day ;"" am'femme gbi here, " he is 
 to give up all these things ;" a gbi basarime, " all this to- 
 gether." 
 
 2. Hart: Wu hari, " ye all/' or, " all of you ;" moenu hari, 
 " all people ;" femme hari, " this whole thing ]"' kome hari, 
 " this whole concern." 
 
 3. Gbere: Wu gbere, "ye all," or, "all of you;" gburume 
 gbere be nu, "all these weals are there." 
 
 4. Pfine : Dende peneme ? " are these all the vessels ?" 
 a peneme, " this is all ;" moenu peneme ? " are these all the 
 people .^" a s6n"e peneme ? " is this its whole value .^" 
 
 5. Bdhai : Kaienu babaini to nu, " the men are left there 
 alone ;" ko nyama babaiwaweim.a, "only evil will be on thee." 
 
 6. Mande : it has the peculiarity of joining itself to 
 nouns by means of the compositional ro : moro mande, " ano- 
 ther person ;" moen'do mande, " other people ;" mandsaro 
 mande, "another chief;'' mandsan'do mande, "other chiefs;" 
 fendo mande, " another thing ;" aro mande, " another one." 
 
 7. Ben or gben' : it likewise joins itself to nouns by means 
 of ro: Boa Kairo ben ta firaro, " Boa Kari went alone into 
 the forest ;" a siiye dondo gbem fa, " he killed only one 
 animal ;" kira be dondd ben', " the sickness was only one," 
 i. e. " remained the same ;" ke ndo bem man, " but not I 
 alone ;" arc benga ma inyomo fa, " not he alone has killed 
 thy brother;" a tie kaima dondo benga ta nu, " he met only 
 one single cock there." 
 
 III. ). The Ordinal Nnmbers, after the first, are expressed 
 
SYNTAX OF NUMERALS. 115 
 
 by the Cardinal ones and the verb na, " to come," as will be 
 seen from the following examples : anu kia sagba, an' nani 
 na, amo an 'da bawara bira, lit. " they slept thrice, and four 
 times came, and they caught a sheep," i.e. " they waited three 
 days, and on the fourth they killed a sheep ;" s5 fera a sagba 
 na, mun' s5 duma, lit. " two days, thi'ee came ( = it came to 
 three), we rose up,"" i. e. " on the third day we rose up ;" 
 an'do s5 sagba, am'bere anani na, mu na, lit. "three days, 
 they may pass, four come, we come," i. e. " we shall come 
 after three days, on the fourth." 
 
 2. The Cardinal Numbers are very frequently used as 
 adverbs : a kia fera, " he slept twice ;" anu kia sagba, " they 
 slept thrice ;" a kia kiraro tan*, " he slept ten days in the 
 sickness," i. e. " the sickness lasted ten days." 
 
 Besides this, the nouns so, " day, time," and ki, "time" 
 ( = sleep ?), are sometimes used in connexion with the Cardi- 
 nals : amo a bundani abira-musieye ki nani, " and he bowed 
 four times to his mother-in-law ;" a pere ta Saro ki sagba, 
 "he also went three times to Sierra Leone;" a ma ki nani, 
 " he did it four times ;" anu kia nu so fera, " they slept there 
 twice." 
 
 3. The want of distinct Distributive Numerals is made up by 
 the repetition of the Cardinals : anuwe a makewa gbere dondo 
 dondo dondo, " they are all doing this, one by one f mie 
 mese mese be a gbi boro, an'ni kore tiawa, dondo dondo 
 dondo, " very small knives are in the hands of all of them, 
 that they may cut the rice one by one." 
 
 Dondo — dondo is also used like our " one — another :" kere- 
 mandsa dondo ton Nyan'gbe, a dondo ton Zoru, a dondo ton* 
 Gbato, a dondo ton* Korigbe, " the name of one war-chief was 
 Ngangbe, the name of another Zoru, the name of another 
 Gbato, the name of another Koriglie." 
 
116 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 §. 27. 
 SYNTAX OF VERBS. 
 
 Some remarks may he offered on the tise of the suffix a in con- 
 nexion ivith Verbs, on the use of tenses and moods, on cei'tain 
 peculiarities of some Verbs, and on the use of the Auxiliary Verbs. 
 
 I. Verbal forms in a — 
 
 It has already been stated, that, by the addition of a or ra, 
 intransitive verbs can frequently be known from transitive 
 ones (§. 8. II.) ; that the former are coupled with the short, 
 and the latter with the long form of the personal pronouns 
 (§. 24. I. 1. a.). Here it must be added, that when the sub- 
 ject is not a pronoun, but a noun, it takes the suffix a when- 
 ever a pronoun in its stead would have to appear in the long 
 form ; and it is without a whenever the pronoun in its stead 
 would have to be short. This observation is of importance 
 in understanding the nature of a when suffixed to nouns. 
 When we read Dsdni a Vei-monu ghi kere, we are inclined to 
 look upon a as the third person of the personal pronoun, and 
 to translate, " John, he called the Vei people ;" but if we re- 
 member, that, by substituting, e.g., the first person of the 
 personal pronoun for Dsdni, the form is to be nd and not n, 
 then we must change our view, and look on the final a of 
 Dsdnid as a formative affix, and not as a pleonastic pronoun ; 
 and this, because the corresponding na cannot be a composi- 
 tion of n + the third person of the personal pronoun. The 
 following are instances of this formative a after nouns : ptuma 
 mu so niou, " gentlemen have sent us here ;" terea dsl bam- 
 ba, " the sun has declined very much f ya sundara ya dene 
 fa, " thy guest has murdered thy daughter ;" kciiera b.wara 
 fa, " the man had killed a sheep ;" sunamera ngbasi, " tliis 
 rain beat me;'' na deiiea, mbe ma ya tie.^^ "what has my 
 daughter done that thou hast wounded her.^" a irbia dsi 
 tie, " all crossed the river ;" dsoa foro wuni ttl, " who ha^ 
 
SYNTAX OF VERBS. 117 
 
 told you to go ?'' m5e gbia kundunii, " all people war- 
 danced." 
 
 Compare with these instances the corresponding forms of 
 personal pronouns : moa gore bira, " we took the palisade ;'' 
 an'da ta bi, " they took fire ;" moa sandsa bo, ** we took the 
 town." 
 
 This a is also, but very rarely, suffixed to the object pre- 
 ceding its verb : an'da mome gbia kereni, " they have called 
 all the people f Buraima dsa-femme gbia don', " Ibrahim has 
 consumed all the goods ;" anu banda dommea donda, *' they 
 had finished eating: the rice." 
 
 After verbs which are neuter, or only intransitive, a is 
 added to express the past tense, but the subjects of these 
 verbs are usually without it : amo a gbi dsira, " and all came 
 down ;" amo anu daua, " and they consented ;*" amo a buria, 
 " and he ran away f ' anu kia gbu, " they slept the whole 
 night;" arau sama gbea, "and the morning da^vned." 
 
 Sometimes, however, it happens that an intransitive verb 
 is without a in the past tense also, and that this suffix is 
 added to the subject, or that both subject and intransitive 
 verb have it : a gbia buri, " they have all run away ;" inyo- 
 moa fa nie, " thy brother has died here ;" a den*ga boa nie, 
 " his son came from hence ;" anu gbia sira kan dondo, " they 
 sat all in one place." 
 
 The preceding groups of examples may show that it is 
 always the same formative a, whether it be annexed to the 
 subject, or object, or verb, and that in all cases it is used of 
 tvhat has actually taken place ; but that it is attached to the 
 subject when an object and transitive verb immediately follow, 
 and to the verb when no object intervenes between it and 
 the subject. This identity of a after noun and verb also 
 shows how easily it may have been used pleonastically, as 
 would appear from some of the above instances. Whenever 
 no actual fact is stated, i.e. in many interrogative and condi- 
 tional, and in all voluntative, imperative, and negative pro- 
 positions, neither subject nor object take the suffix a; e.g. 
 
118 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 wumun"' si kan dondo, " let us sit in one place ;" wumu 
 dsere, " let us return ;" \vu si gbe, wu ma firi kereo, " sit 
 ye quietly, do not throw yourselves into the war f mu kum 
 ban' a boa, " when we have finished taking it out ;" hi" a ma 
 baru, "if he did not recover;'' wu kun dau, "if ye consent;'' 
 dseredsa. Hima dsere, " return to thy home. If thou do 
 not return — ;" nta .^ " shall I go ?" ndsere ? " shall I return .^" 
 dsa-fem here mboro, nto ako, " there are no goods in my 
 hand to give him ;" an'do, Mu ma dau, " they said, We will 
 not consent." 
 
 But notwithstanding all that has hei'e been said, it is not 
 improbable that, in some instances, the a after a subject is a 
 pleonastic pronoun. 
 
 II. 1. The remarks just preceding have an immediate bear- 
 ing on the tenses, inasmuch as they have shown that the 
 suffix a is used whenever any thing is stated that has ac- 
 tually taken place, or really come to pass, i.e. whenever tve 
 have to use in its stead a past tense, or sometimes a present. 
 
 The sort of past time expressed by the suffixes ni and ui 
 has been stated §. 22. I. and II. 
 
 To express very emphatically that something has already 
 fully come to pass, or is completed at the time of speaking, 
 the verb ban', " to have done, to have finished," is often used ; 
 6.(7. i fara sa, ya bam B5a Kari fara, "thou art glad that 
 thou hast not killed Boa Kari ;" an'da ban- kere bera muma, 
 mun' ta sa duma ? " they have already thrust war upon us, 
 and should we now go and surrender.^" 
 
 2. The same forms which are generally expressive of 
 either past or future may sometimes need to be translated 
 by the present tense, e.g. na ta = " I went, I go ;" nta = " I will 
 go, I go." 
 
 But if any thing is to be strikingly represented as pre- 
 sent, the verb, the substantive, and the participle are joined, 
 just as in English : mbe tfina, " I am going," i.q. mbe tayero, 
 "I am in (the act of) going;" mbe kikena, "I am sleeping,". 
 
SYNTAX OF VERBS. 119 
 
 i.q. mbe kiro, "I am in (a state of) sleeping;" mbe fen 
 donna, " I am eating ;" but : mbe fen dondo, " I am eating 
 again." 
 
 3. The future, as has been stated, is sometimes without 
 distinguishing characteristic; e.g. i kuru nta, "be silent, I 
 will go ;"" but, generally, it is expressed, as in English, by 
 an auxiliary verb. The auxiliaries thus used are he and na ; 
 he seems to indicate a nearer and more definite, but na a 
 more distant and indefinite future, which we often express 
 by our hy-and-hye — 
 
 Mbe idene baru sina, " I shall cure thy child to-morrow ;" 
 mbe tara, " I shall bring it ;" mbe fawai, " I shall die ;" ka ! 
 mbe ta, " up ! I shall go ;" mbe a kunga tia, " I shall wound 
 his head ;" anu na torowa dsea, lit. " they come to experience 
 trouble," i.e. "they will experience trouble;" ina dsa-fen* 
 kurumba dsea, lit. " thou comest to see very great riches," 
 i.e. "thou wilt get very great riches ;" konobawai na bera, 
 lit. "a great famine is coming to happen," i.e. "a great 
 famine is going to happen ;" a ma na dsau, lit. " lest it come 
 and spoil," i. e. " lest it spoil by and bye ;" anui na ta, lit. 
 "they will come to go," i.e. "they will go by and bye;" 
 kum' be ndaro, lini nafo, " that I may then tell the word 
 that is in ray mouth ;" anu ma nanu fa, lit. " lest they go 
 and kill them," i.e. "lest they should kill them by and bye." 
 
 III. Moods— 
 
 1. Imperative. — When several imperatives follow each other, 
 the first only usually is coupled with a pronoun and the other 
 are without it ; e. g. areina nko kani dsare siim fera, na n'ko 
 kani gbema siimfera, na n'ko barawara siimfera, na n'ko nie 
 dsare siimfera, " he said. Go thou and give me seven gold 
 pieces, and give me seven silver pieces, and give me seven 
 sheep, and give me seven red bullocks ;" areita Morenuko, 
 " he said. Go and give them to the Mores." 
 
 •2. Infinitive. — When the infinitive is joined with " koa," it 
 corresponds to our infinitive with " to," or "in order to," 
 
120 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 and also to our participle with " in behalf of," " on account of ;" 
 e.g. mu na kerewakekoa, " we come in order to make war;'" 
 ifara sa na dsekoa, " thou art glad on account of my seeing," 
 i.e. " on account of seeing me." 
 
 Often a finite verb is used in Vei where we should use 
 an infinitive, e. g. na dia ntoml.oke, lit. " I like that I play," 
 i.e. "I like to play;" amo ano anu kere, auun' na, lit. "and 
 they called them they should come," i.e. "and they called 
 them to come ;" na dia nsande don", " I like that I enter the 
 sand," i.e. " I like to enter the sand :" n'gurua mbe ta, lit. 
 " I want that I go,'" i.e. " I want to go f na foiye ndo : Isoke ! 
 lit. "I told thee: Work f i.e. "I told thee to work ;" a fo 
 ndse aro nna, "he commanded me that I should come," i.e. 
 " he commanded me to come." 
 
 3. Participle. — It has already been shown (§ 22. XI. 2. and 
 XII. 2.) that verbs with the suffixes a and na correspond to 
 our present participle, and it now only remains to be said, 
 that forms in na frequently also take the suffix iva, e.g. mbe 
 tanawa, " I am going ;" mbe sokena, " I am working ;'' rnbe 
 fen donna, " I am eating ;" mbe kanba furenawa, " I am 
 
 o 
 
 praymg. 
 
 Transitive verbs with the suffix re correspond to our 
 past or passive participle, e.g. nyie sande, "a bought fish;" 
 duma nyiare, " a made shirt ;" sene faire, " a sown farm ;" 
 sani tere or san" tere, " a broken bottle ;" kon tiere, " a cut 
 tree ;" kai sere, " the said man ;" gbun* kumma bunde, " a 
 covered bowl ;" dsji-biinde, "eye-covered," i.e. "blind." 
 
 IV. 1. The construction of certain transitive verbs witli 
 TO is peculiar, where we would expect a simple objective. 
 In some instances it makes up for w^hat we express by the 
 junction of certain prepositions with verbs. 
 Ban' : l ban* aro ? ** dost thou refuse it ?" 
 Ben' : anda nyoro ben-, " they met each other." 
 Don' : an'da gbiro darv, " they heard all ;'' mu mfvro dan', 
 " we did not hear it." 
 
SYNTAX OF VERBS. - 121 
 
 m Dsau : mbe sokero dsawa, " I shall spoil the work ;" na 
 ya sokero dsau, " I have spoiled thy work." 
 Dsira : anu kunni aro dsira, " when they have shown it." 
 Fere : i komero fere muye, " do thou investigate the 
 
 matter for us " (cf. " look into, in-vestigate "). 
 Fira : amo a dsaro fira, " and he wiped his face ;" an'da 
 
 sandsaro fira, " they swept the town.'' 
 Fo : ai ko dondoero fo, " he was speaking only one word," 
 
 (i e. " he was not double tongued "). 
 Fure : a gborero fure, " she unfolded the hide f anun' 
 
 kuraro fure, " they unfold cloths." 
 Ka : an'da kundo ka, " they opened the head,'' i.e. " they 
 
 informed." 
 Ko : miisiea daro ko, " the woman washed the pot out." 
 Nyenye : an'da muro nyenyou, " they have scattered us." 
 Nyia: an'da sandsaro nyia berebere, "they made the town 
 
 exceedingly good." 
 Suma : mum' faro suma, " let us try my father.'" 
 Tie : amo an'daro tie, " and they cut it up." 
 The verbs /amn*, "to turn, metamorphose," and ti, "to be- 
 come," are always construed with ho : i faran kundeko, " turn 
 into a bird ;" am' mirinya faranda moe fimako, " and the 
 boa changed into a black person ;" a ti mandsako, " he be- 
 came a chief." 
 
 2. By the repetition of verbs, not however of frequent 
 occurrence, an emphasis is expressed which we have gene- 
 rally to convey by adverbs : moenu tea-tea, " the people dis- 
 persed all about," or " entirely, altogether ;" atatabera, " he 
 went on quickly, and fell ;" areitaita Ndore bira ! " he said, 
 Go, go, and catch Ndore !" 
 
 But sometimes the meaning itself is modified by repetition, 
 e.g. here, " to pass, pass on;" bere-bere, "to go about, walk 
 about." 
 
 3. Special attention has to be directed to the manner in 
 which the notions of " fetching, bringing, carrying," are 
 expressed — 
 
 R 
 
122 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 Na tawara bi na nko, lit. " take my pipe, come, give it me,'' 
 i. e. " fetch, or bring, my pipe ;" itaina keria, lit. " go and 
 (then) come with the eggs," i.e. "fetch the eggs f itaro 
 ina wuru-susu-dsia, lit. " go again and come with baboon- 
 milk,'' i.e. "fetch baboon-milk again;" ana tan'da den- 
 dero, Hf. "they went wdth them into the vessel," i.e. 
 " they carried them into the vessel ;"" a ta Buroma, koro 
 tona mandsaye, lit. "he went to Buroma, to leave rice 
 for the chief," i.e. "he carried rice to Buroma for the 
 chief;" mu dsirara, lit. "we went down with him," i.e. 
 " we carried him down ;" iteina na denea, lit. " go and 
 (then) come with my child," i. e. " fetch my child ;" 
 ita dsie boro koina nko, lit. " go, draw some water, 
 come, give it me," i.e. "draw and bring some water 
 for me." 
 4. The verb ro is of the most frequent occurrence, and 
 regularly follows the " verba sentiendi et declarandi " when 
 their contents is explained (comp. the use of "Tbi^^y and oti). 
 It usually repeats the subject of the preceding verb, assuming 
 a corresponding pronoun, and is only occasionally separated 
 from it by an intervening adverb, but it generally follow^s it 
 immediately. In English it may be rendered by the parti- 
 ciple " saying," or by a mere infinitive, or the conjunction 
 " that," or, in writing, by mere interpunction — 
 
 Fo : a fo aye aro : sama kiin' gbewi, " he said to him, 
 When the morning has dawned ;" wu na fo muye, 
 wuro, mum' mo basaroa, " ye come and tell us that we 
 must again add somebody;" na fo wuye kerima, ndo: 
 wu be na tirinero, " I have told you lately that ye are 
 not (concerned) in my struggle ;" ini a foa moenuye, 
 iro, na miisume dia, " thou tellest the people I like 
 the woman;" iwere a fo afaye, iro, ya denea fa, "thou 
 dost not tell her father, saying. Thy daughter has 
 died." Sometimes ro is affixed to fo without repeating 
 the subject : wii kum foro : wu we a fawa, " if ye say 
 that ye will not kill him;" i kum foro : suamu, "if 
 
SYNTAX OF VERBS. 123 
 
 thou say, He is a wizard ;" aforo : mbe kai-wore maro, 
 " she said, I will no more perform my duty as wife." 
 Kure fin : amo a kure firi arc: Fa* Manu, areina so tie- 
 da, "and he shouted, saying, Fa Manu, come and 
 stand on the fording-place." 
 Kure hon : amo a kure bon* aro, ntawi, *' and he informed 
 them, saying, I went," or, " and he informed them that 
 he had gone ;" an'da kure bon* an'do : anda mu gbaiwake, 
 " they gave information that they had repelled us/' 
 Dau : am' More-kaie daua, aro, e', " and the Muhammadan 
 replied, saying, Yes ;"" musieni dau, aro, na a diau, 
 " the woman consents, saying, I love him ;" wurea dau 
 aro, na dsimu, " the baboon answered. It is my water." 
 A'ere : a kunnikere aro, rnba, " when she calls thee, say- 
 ing, My mother ;*" awe a bo mandsanu kere, aro, wu 
 na, "he then calls all his fellow-chiefs to come;" na a 
 kerewi ndo : an'na, " I have called him to come." 
 So : moa so muro : ya mu diake, " we know that thou 
 lovest us ;" ini a so ero : tonyamu, " thou knowest that 
 it is true ;" a soaro, a famu, " he knew that it was 
 his father ;" anu ma so an'do, nyanamu, " they did not 
 know that it was a ghost;" sundanu ma so an'do ke 
 afa, " the strangers did not know that he had died." 
 Tusa : an'da Maria tusa ando, ya den* kaima fareme 
 dia ? " they asked Maria, Dost thou love this dead 
 boy?" amo an'da tusa ando, kai mbemu? "and they 
 asked him, Man, what is the matter ?" an'da ntusa 
 an'do : iwa mandsa-dene fa ? " they asked me. Hast thou 
 killed the gentleman's daughter ?" 
 Iro, which is also used after verbs not belonging to the 
 verba sentiendi, has generally to be rendered by, " as, as if, 
 like" (cf. also § 24. I. 1, c) : dsoakoariro Boa Kari ? lit. " who 
 speaks ? thou sayest (it is) Boa Kari," i. e. " who speaks like 
 Boa Kari?" kaime bero mfa, lit. "this man is, thou sayest 
 (he is) my father," i. e. " this man is like my father ;" Poro- 
 mo be iro miisu gbandawau, " an European is like an un- 
 
124 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 married woman ;" aniii konowa de berebere, iro, gbengbe, 
 lit. " they plait sticks very nicely, thou say est (it is for) a 
 bed," i. e. " as if making a bed." 
 
 The verb ro is also used for our " think, imagine, be of 
 opinion :"* musie ta kando suie bina ; a wara dse ; aro, 
 suiemu, " the woman went up stairs to fetch soap ; she saw 
 a mat and thought it was the soap ;' mbemu, den'e ? lido 
 nna sinke, iwe nkerea keren*, " what is the matter, child ? 
 I thought I would make my game, and thou art now calling 
 me constantly ;" amo a bunda ma' ma kaieye, aro ke a kun 
 kaie bira, " and he began to growl against the man, thinking 
 that he might seize the man ;" kurua kun na 'ro abira, aro, 
 dem mese were mbira, " when a warrior came, thinking to 
 seize him, he said, A little boy shall not seize me." 
 
 The pleonasm of ro is very extravagant, attributable to 
 negligence of the speaker, especially when obliged to speak 
 slowly : a faro aro, " his father said ;" aro : mma moro mjin- 
 de dse, ke Ghana, aro: a na kura gbe fera, aro: a na na de- 
 newakoa, aro : nga, zi, ndo ben", " she said, I have not seen 
 any body but Ghana ; he came with two white cloths ; he 
 came on account of my daughter ; but I alone," &c. 
 
 5. The verb to, " to leave, be left," is also frequently used 
 in order to express ideas which we convey in a different 
 manner ; e.g. na ta mboe to kirafe, lit. " I went and (then) 
 left my friend on the way," i.e. " I accompanied my friend 
 a distance." 
 
 Frequently its force must be expressed in English by an 
 adverb ; e.g., by 
 
 " Before :" a toaniwe Bumbu berea, amo an'nii, ///. " they 
 had still been left to deliver up Bumbu, and they came," 
 i.c. "before they had delivered up Bumbu, they came;" 
 1 ke dom, mun' to diambo sa, lit. " put this on, that we 
 may be left to hold a conversation," i.e. "put this on 
 
 * Cf. the same power of '^blf^7, according to H. Ewald's " Ausfiihrliches 
 Lehrbuch der Ilebrieischen Sprache," § 280. d. 
 
SYNTAX OF VERBS. 125 
 
 before we hold a conversation ;" mu nyo dse, an' to gore 
 so, lit. " we will see each other, that he may be left to 
 erect a palisade," i.e. " we will see each other before 
 . he erects a palisade ;" moe boro ki firaro s5ru, amo 
 an' toa buranda, lit. " some people slept five times in 
 the forest, and they were left to come out," i. e. " some 
 people were five days before they came out of the 
 forest.'' 
 
 " Then, at that time :" amo a toaro, am' Wo'yeweremani 
 gbandia, lit. " and they were left in it, and there was 
 fever about Woyewere," i.e. "at that time Woyewere 
 got fev^er;" a toaro, an' den* kfiima kunda, lit. "he was 
 left in it, and the boy was grown up," i e. " then the 
 boy was grown up." 
 
 " Still :" anu toa tayenawa, am' difi bera, lit. " they were 
 left walking, and darkness fell," i. e. " when they were 
 still walking, darkness fell ;" sai toa nu, am' na fo, 
 lit. "early morning was left there, and I said," i.e. 
 " when it was still early morning, I said." 
 
 6. For the use of na to express ordinal numbers vid. §. 26. III. ; 
 and that of here to express gradation of adjectives vid. §. 25. 3. 
 Here, however, it may be remarked, that the verb ko, " to 
 give," always takes the person to whom something is given 
 as direct object before it, causing the thing given to follow as 
 indirect object ; and also that the verb bun, " to cover," treats 
 the thing with which is covered as direct object, causing the 
 thing covered to follow with the postposition ma; e.g. — 
 
 Wui mu k5a mbe ? Amo an'do, mui wu koa dsou sun- 
 sagba, " what will ye give us ? And they said. We will 
 give you eight slaves ;" ya nko ara, " thou hast given 
 her to me ;" liko borie ! " give me the medicine !" mbe 
 iko koro, " I shall give thee rice." Anun' kura bun ama, 
 " they cover him with cloth ;" anun' wara bun ama, 
 " they cover him with a mat ;" anun' kura bum fama, 
 " they cover the dead with cloths." 
 
126 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 In like manner, the Veis do not' say, *' to fill a ves- 
 sel with something,"" but " to fill something into a ves- 
 sel ;" not " a vessel fills itself with something,"" but 
 "something fills a vessel;" e.g. a ra musume gbi fa 
 dendero, " he filled the canoe with all his wives ;" dsie 
 da fa gba, " the pot quite filled itself with water ;" dsie- 
 wa faro gba*, " it quite filled itself again with water."" 
 
 V. The Vei language has two verbs substantive (cf. in Ara- 
 
 bic ^ and (j«jJ) and two auxiliary verbs which closely cor- 
 respond to each other, viz. be and bere, ive and irere. Two 
 of them, viz. be and ive are positive ; and two, viz. bere 
 and icere are negative. The meaning of be is " to be ;" of 
 bere, " to be not ;" of we, " will, may, be ;"'"' of icere, " do 
 not, will not, may not, be not."" Some examples may illus- 
 trate this — 
 
 Be: i fa be nu ? A be nu, " is thy father there ? He is ;"'"' 
 a ton kom' be borero, " it is the news w'hicli is in the 
 country;" anu be sink ena, "they were playing at sing ;"" 
 a be afe, " she was behind him ;" a be we boro, " he 
 was still in the country ;"'"' hi" bewe nie karo sagba, " if 
 thou wilt still be here in three months ;"" a denu be 
 mo-bande, " his children were twenty."" 
 
 Bere, or contracted into be: a den do : dsi bere, "his boy 
 said, There is no water;"" a bere mu boro, "it is not in 
 our hand ;" ko be mu bara, " there is no word in our 
 place," i.e. "we have nothing to say;" wu bere aro, 
 "ye are not in it;" koro bere, "there w^as no rice;" 
 kere a be kerero, " as to war, it was not in the war," 
 i.e. "as to the war, it was a light one, scarcely worth 
 speaking of." 
 
 JFe: awe mfarai, " he is killing me ;" awe ngbjisia, " he is 
 flogging mc ;" aro a muslewe toa nu, " he said, his wife 
 is to be left there ;" hi kerewe banda, ani banda, " if tlie 
 war is to be finished, be it finished ;"" mandsa we a Siiir, 
 
I 
 
 SYNTAX OF VERBS. 127 
 
 " the chief had bought him ;" i we nkureanawa kei'ima, 
 "thou hast been fooling me before;"" terevve bera, "the 
 sun was setting ;" a we ntusanawawi, " he has been 
 asking me." 
 Tf^ere, or contracted into ue : iwere a dse ? " dost thou 
 not see it ?" na banda birau, awere bera, " I hold the sky- 
 so that it cannot fall f' mo were a bira keibere, " none 
 may seize him but thyself;" awere tie don, "she did 
 not eat fowls ;" bori nyama werefa, " an evil greegree 
 may not kill thee ;" kere we na, " war will not come ;" 
 a we ta sokena, " they did not go to work ;" awe toei- 
 boro, " she will not be left in thy hand ;" a we kun 
 tay'a, " he could not walk."" 
 From phonetic reasons, however, n'ue and n'lvere become 
 mbe and inhere; and a preceding o, u, &c., might also change 
 a following h into ic. Hence we sometimes meet he and here 
 where the above statements lead us to expect we and ivere, 
 and vice versa — 
 
 Mbe nana, tae bike, mbe sena mu dsa, " I was cominsT, 
 had taken a journey, was ascending to our home ;" 
 mbe fawai, " I shall die ;" mbe Idene baru sina, " I 
 shall cure thy child to-morrow;'' rnbe tara, "I shall 
 bring it ;" mbere nie donda, " I shall not eat the fish ;" 
 rnbe don donda, or mbe don donna, " I shall not eat 
 rice ;" musu a were nkurea, mbere dau, " a woman 
 shall not fool me, I will not consent ;" mbe ko gbi fo 
 iye, " I shall not tell thee any thing ;" mbe kun ta nu, 
 " I shall not go there ;'' mbe nau, I cannot come ;" 
 kono were ama, "hunger was not on him," i.e. "he 
 was not hungry." 
 The verb ti, " to become, to be," is also used as verb sub- 
 stantive, but continues to be construed with ko: san da ti 
 dem meseko, " the deer is very small ;" wu na ti mu seriko, 
 "come ye and be our witnesses T mfa ti mandsako, "my father 
 is a chief ;" i faran'ti kanmbaro benda, " thy heart be only 
 with God !" 
 
1 28 - SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 §. 28. 
 SYNTAX OF ADVERBS. 
 
 Here ue have to illustrate peculiarities of Adverbs — their position, 
 their connexion with verbs, and their repetition. 
 
 I. 1. Adv^erbs generally take their 'position immediately after 
 the verb — 
 
 Dendee na sen-, " the vessel is coming slowly ;" i kome 
 
 ma keren", " thou doest this thing continually f anu ta 
 
 gbe, " they went on a little ;" a sira ten", " he sat 
 
 erect ;" wu were ka duma sa, " ye must not get up 
 
 suddenly." 
 
 But, they may, as in most languages, change this position 
 
 from rhetorical reasons: mbe fuawa ka duma sina sama, "earlv 
 
 will I rise to-morrow morning.'" 
 
 2. There are some adverbs, however, which take a diffe- 
 rent position, and never change it : kun', umn', wen, and ma, 
 invariably take their place between the subject and the verb : 
 Akum mo, ani a don*, " when it is done he eats it ;"" a kum 
 bera taro i gbasi, " when it falls into the fire, whip it ;" 
 suye mesenu kun na dasakena, ai anu bira, " when the 
 little animals came to feed, he was catching them;" soke- 
 banda wun* ke, anu ta senekena, " when the work-time 
 comes they make farms ;"" mo wun na niewe dserero, 
 ** when one has come hither (sc. into the Sheol) he re- 
 turns no more ;"" sama wunni gfbe anu done ta kiirumba, 
 "when the morning had dawned they cooked much rice;" 
 mbem fa somu, i ma nsa suero, " do not lay me in the 
 hole on the day when I die ;" mben* wiireke, mbe iko 
 fen* kurumba, " when I have given birth I will give thee 
 very many things ;" a ma kure fi nu, " he did not reply ;" 
 i makere, " do not call him !" mnui dan, " I do not hear 
 it;" ifima so, "I do not know it;" i miibira tonyara, 
 " do not take it for true !" i 'nu bp anum' ma bawa sa, 
 " beg them not to light.'' 
 
» SYNTAX OF ADVERBS. 129 
 
 Note. — When ma is not followed by a verb, it has just the 
 opposite force of mu; e.g. faniama, t5nyamu, "it is not 
 a lie, it is truth ;" moro mandemau, mo faremu, " it 
 was no other person, it was the dead person,"" i.e. "it 
 was none other but the dead person." 
 
 3. Be and ti are always suffixed either to the substantive 
 or verb : mandsare ?" " where is the chief ?" denere ? 
 " where is the child ?" moa tare da-sakena, ai mu bira, " when 
 we went to feed he was catching us f ' na dsi tiere gben, i 
 kene-daro fure, " untie the house-door when I have crossed 
 the water f ' hi" wu dawati ke wu mo bo ! " if ye really con- 
 sent, then select somebody !" 
 
 4. Ka always takes its place before the subject: nkono 
 nie ka nta na, " wait for me here till I return ;" i sue sen- 
 ka ikeara mu dsa-dara, " dig a hole till it reaches our town." 
 
 5. As Jia always precedes the subject, so kdma, ghen; and 
 gbd', follow the predicate : riibe ta kama ? " how shall I go ?"" 
 mbe koeke ma kama ? " how shall I do this thing: ?" anMa 
 binda gben, " they burnt him up entirely ;'' a tara gbem 
 mandsawe fen dondo, " he found just then that the chief 
 was eating;" an' toawa fona gben, am' More buranda, 
 " they had just left off speaking, then the More came f' 
 anu terea kiria gben', " they had spent the whole day in ty- 
 ing ;" a dsira gben', " he had quite descended ;" mu kea nu 
 gben', " we had quite arrived there ;" amo a fen don gba', 
 ** and he ate the thing thoroughly," i.e. " he ate it up ;" a den' 
 kaima fareme tefo gba*, " she embraced the dead boy most 
 ardently ;" a kori-den don gbai, " he ate the young leopards 
 wholly ;" a fare gba', " it was quite full ;" i da tan gba", 
 " shut it well ;" wa dse were gba , " ye see this very day ;" 
 mbere mfa tusa gba, "I shall not ask my father at all;" 
 ai mie momani gba , " it remains about a person a good 
 while." 
 
 II. The majority of adverbs may come into connexion with 
 as great a variety of verbs as is the case in other languages. 
 
 s 
 
130 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPKECH. 
 
 But there are some, especially those in which there is an 
 onomatopoetical element, which are connected with certain 
 verbs only — 
 
 Ghurmc is imitative of the report of fire-arms, and therefore 
 only follows the words huhe and dubdke, e.g. amo a dii 
 ba soso, amo awake gburun, "he loaded a cannon and 
 fired it, so that it went hang."'' 
 
 U and ivu are imitative of the noise of the sea and other 
 flowing water, as seen from the passage, amo a koie 
 dse, ai ma: 0, "and he saw the sea, it was making 
 u."" They can therefore only follow verbs denoting 
 the flowing of water : am' dsie dsira u, " and the 
 water gushed down ii," i.e. wdth a tremendous noise; 
 amo anoa dsi ke daro wu, " and they put water into 
 the pot, wu," i.e. so that it produced a noise. 
 
 Popo connects itself only with so : amo a mie ra buro so 
 popo, " and he stuck the sword right into her bowels." 
 
 Pu only follows te : amo a sandsa te pu, " and he divided 
 the town throughout,'' i.e. from one end to the other. 
 
 Burun' is used only with huW : a dsa-bunde biirun, " he 
 was stone blind." 
 
 Sunsun occurs only after dsa : a dsa siinsun, "it is red 
 like crimson, or, red like fire." 
 
 III. Certain adverbs are frequently repeated, and their 
 force increases with the number of repetitions — 
 
 IHri : a kla sua-koewa ma piri-piri, " he spent the whole 
 
 night in nothing but witchery ;" anui ki tombokea piri- 
 
 -piri-piri, " they spent the whole night in nothing but 
 
 playing." 
 Pa : amo a kori pji-pa-pa, " and he twirled round and 
 
 round and round." 
 Gborv : an' ta koari gbon-gbon-gbon", " he goes and speaks 
 
 on a very long time." 
 Pere : mfara sa berebereborc, " I am exceedingly glad." 
 Sama : sama gbea, sfima-sama, am' mu' ka dunia, "the. 
 
SYNTAX OF POSTPOSITIONS. 131 
 
 morning dawned very early, then we rose up ;" sama 
 kunni gbe, sama-sama-sama, rausienu gbi na, " when 
 the morn has dawned, exceedingly early all the women 
 come." 
 Ka: amu na bo ka, "and I begged awhile, or a little 
 while ;" a diewake ka-ka, " he wept a good while ;" anu 
 sa ka-ka-ka, " they sat a long while ;" ami tiawa Tiiso 
 kakakaka, "they were in Tuso a very long time;" amo 
 a sa kakakakakaka, " and he lay an enormous length of 
 time." 
 
 §. 29. 
 SYNTAX OF POSTPOSITIONS. 
 
 Postpositions, as indicated by their name, always follow the noun, and 
 this in the capacity of suffixes; hut their use is often avoided 
 when ice use prepositions. 
 
 I. Postpositions suffixed — (Cf. also §. 25. IX. and §. 10. II.) 
 
 Fe ■ a be afe, " she was with him;" a sira kirafe, "he sat 
 by the road." 
 
 Koro : a be gbengbekoro, " it is under the bed ;" anu 
 burandara kem bakoro, " they brought him under a 
 large house." It is often used to form proper names 
 of towns and villages, e.g. Bandakoro, Pakai-koro, Duru- 
 koro, Turo-koro ; from banda, " a cotton-tree ;'' pakai, 
 " a pawpaw ;" Duru, the Vei name of the St. Paul's 
 river at Monrovia ; tiiro, " a cola-tree." 
 
 31a : a ka du'ma kanarama, " he rose up from the box ;" 
 abe masama, " it is on the table f mbe tawa so 
 nanima, " I shall go on four days," i. e. " after four 
 days ;" an'da tirinke araa, " they fought over him," i.e. 
 " on his account, or in his behalf." It is likewise fre- 
 quently used to form proper names of towns and vil- 
 lages, e.g. Bomma, Gindema, Buroma ; from, bon-. "a 
 hill ;" ginde, " a small kind of fish ;" buro, " mud." 
 
132 SYNTAX OF THE PAllTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 Mani: a be mmani, "it is with me;" anu we ku' imani, 
 " they will be powerless near thee f asa konomani, " it 
 lay along the stick/' 
 
 Ye: this postposition supplies the want of a dative case : 
 i bori ma ndse, " make medicine for me ;"" wu kere 
 bera ndse, " make ye war in my stead ;" a fo aye, " he 
 said to her ;" a ma den' kaimaye, " it appeared to the 
 boy f dsara ma' maye, " the lion made a growl against 
 him ;" mii na muye, " we returned by ourselves/' 
 
 II. Instances of the omission of postpositions where we 
 use prepositions — 
 
 " With :" Panya-moenu a basare an5a dsonenu, lit. " the 
 Spaniards mixed as to their slaves," i. e. " the Spaniards 
 with their slaves ;" a here mu boro, lit. " it is not in 
 our hand," i. e. " it is not with us ; a boani Buse, mo 
 kurumba, dsa-fen'e kunkuru, lit. "he had come from 
 Buse: very many people! very many goods," i.e. "he 
 liad come from Buse wdth very many people and 
 goods ;" anda famewa ma, dsafene kunkuru, lit. " they 
 made this funeral-feast : many goods," i. e. " with many 
 goods." 
 
 "To:" mu ta Denebere, " we went to Denebere ;" mu dsira 
 Mina, " we went down to Mina ;" anu sere dara, " thev 
 went up to town." 
 
 " In, at :" kan dondo, " in one place ;" a sirani gba', Poro- 
 dsa-fen", kando-dsa-fen, dsone kunkuru, " he was very 
 rich in European goods, in up-land-goods, and in slaves;" 
 mu na Mina dserema, " we came to Mina in the even- 
 ing ;"" am' koe banda so biri, " and the matter was 
 finished the same day." 
 
 "For:" dsa-fene berea wu sjigba, Hi. "the goods surpass 
 you three, i.e. "are too many for you." 
 
( 133 ) 
 
 §. 30. 
 SYNTAX OF COXJUNCTIOXS. 
 
 Their use, and the manner how they are often avoided have here to he 
 
 illustrated. 
 
 I. 1. The conjunctions he and /era seem to be quite identical 
 iu force. The only difference that may exist between them 
 is perhaps this, that he is simply expressive of addition, and 
 /era with the adjunct idea that no more than two things are 
 joined. The use of both is confined to the connecting of words 
 which form the subject of a proposition. Both of them have 
 the peculiarity of changing the singular of a pronoun, to 
 which they join another word, into the plural. (Except we 
 account for it by assuming an ellipsis, so that, e.g., mu be 
 mfa would stand for mu, mbe mfa, "we, I and my father") — 
 
 A be a, " he and she T' kama be siivenu ta sokena " au 
 elephant and (other) animals went to work ;" mii be 
 ■ aniimu, an 'da mu wuru Dsoni, " it is I and they, whom 
 
 P they begat at Dshoni ;" a feramusie, " he with his 
 
 wufe ;" pakenna feramusie, " the spider and his wife ;" 
 tie fera pakenna na, " the fowls came with the spider ;'' 
 Boa Kari fera Siafa ka duma, " Boa Kari and Siafa 
 rose up f' wu fe rainy 6mo keremanu, " thou and thy 
 elder brothers ;" wu feranu kun ta firaro, *' when thou 
 goest with them into the forest ;" mu feraiba dsa- 
 bundemu, " I and thy mother are blind ;" mu fera 
 mbo-den" kaimanu, " I and my comrades ;"" mu ferara, 
 mu ma ko ma, " I and she, we did not do any thing ;" 
 ka fera musie a terimu, " tale of a serpent and a wo- 
 man." 
 
 The uncertainty thus arising as to whether a pronoun 
 preceding he and fera is to be translated into English by a 
 singular or a plural is in some measure removed by adding 
 the plural termination to the word after he and /era when the 
 
134 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 latter is to be the case. But of course, if such a noun has 
 a phiral termination already, the ambiguity remains : mu 
 be nifanu, " we and my father," or " I and my fathers ;" but, 
 mu be mfa, " I and my father ;" \vu be mfanu, " ye and my 
 father," or " thou and my fathers ;" but, wu be mfn, " thou 
 and my father ;" wu fera wu bouu, " ye and your friends." | 
 (Here the ambiguity is removed by the number of the pos- 
 sessive pronoun, which clearly shows that the phrase cannot 
 also mean " thou and fee") 
 
 2. The conjunction hi has either a mere copulative or a 
 conditional force. In the first case it connects words which 
 are generally part of the predicate ; in the second case it 
 stands before the subject, and subordinates one proposition 
 to another. 
 
 a. Aro, wu nko kan-kiri-gbasa, hi' bira-b5ro-gbasa, hi* 
 fita-gbasa, hi' tungbe, hi' te-bira, " she said. Give me a 
 neckcloth, and a pocket-handkerchief, and a silk hat, 
 and a walking stick, and an umbrella ;" an'' kaiea More- 
 moe tusa, aro, mbe fennumu ? Amo a fo aye, aro, 
 dsara-susu-dsi, hi' kori-susu-dsi, hi* fari-keri, hi' ko- 
 randsa-keri, hi' mirinya-kende, hi' paburonu, " and the 
 man asked the More-person, What are these things ? 
 And he said to him, Lion's milk, and leopard's milk, 
 and alligator's eggs, and eagle eggs, and a living Boa 
 and sparrows." 
 
 b. Wunf 'faro suma ! hi' a mu dia miini a so, hi' a ma 
 mu dia, muni a so, " let us try my father : if he love 
 us, we shall know it ; if he do not love us, we shall 
 know it ;" hi' ko ama ivvere a fo ndse ? " if something 
 happened to him wilt thou not toll me ?" 
 
 When many words are to be joined in the above manner, 
 the conjunction is sometimes omitted before the last words ; 
 and when ]ii renders a proposition conditional, the following 
 principal proposition is sometimes introduced by ke — 
 
 a. S6-fennnu gbi be sandsaro, iiu'ti bawarako, hi" ba, hi' ni, 
 tie, nyarenu, "all the living creatures which were in 
 
SYNTAX OF CONJUNCTIONS. 135 
 
 the town, they were sheep, and goats, and bullocks, 
 fowls, cats." 
 b. Hi" dsirima ma soni, ke dsara i don'gakeni, " if thou 
 liadst not been wise, then the lion would certainly have 
 devoured thee ;" hi' ma ndia, ke mbeifawa, " if thou do 
 not love me, then I shall kill thee." 
 
 3. Zi has a moderate adversative force, corresponding to 
 the Latin autem and Greek §e, and always takes its position 
 immediately after the subject — 
 
 X'ga, Boa Kari, zi, ndo, " but I, Boa Kari, said ;" a kumu 
 n'ga, zi, na ya sokero dsau, " but I have therefore spoiled 
 thy work ;" musie, zi, ro, " but the woman said ;" moa, 
 zi, mu dserea, " but as for us, we returned." 
 
 4. A climax, and not simple addition, is expressed by the 
 conjunction pere, which always directly follows the word to 
 which it more immediately belongs — 
 
 A ma gbasi pere kerema, "he did not even flog him much f 
 anda mpere mbira, "they caught me also ;" a pere ta, 
 " he also went ;" a pere mani gbandire, " about him 
 also was sickness ;" mu ra tau pere kirafeou, " we even 
 buried him on the way," anda bum pere bukeaniia, "they 
 even began to fire at them ;" a ma dsam moe dondo 
 pereau, " he did not take leave even of one person." 
 
 5. — 0, generally after e and i, u — u, generally after a, 
 and ou — ou are always suffixed to those words which they 
 are to put into a closer relation to each other. Their force 
 is copulative, and this, so as to express a fuller co-ordination 
 or equality by reconciling an antithesis, in much the same 
 way as we use both — and: 
 
 Moa buye gbio m5a mie gbio, " both all our muskets and 
 all our swords ;" n'gau, wobau, mu dsa-bunde, " both I 
 and your mother, we are blind ;" anyomoeniia nau, a 
 nyomo musumanua nau, " both his brothers and his 
 sisters came ;" a bau, afau, anu be nu, anu dsa, " both 
 his mother and his father were there in their home;" 
 a musuou, a deuuou, abanuou, bawaranuou, tienuou, amo 
 
136 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 anoa gbi bini, "as for his wife, his' children, his goats, 
 the sheep, the fowls, they have taken them all ;" ifa kofo 
 iyeo, a ma kofo iyeo, na kuna be nu, " whether thy 
 father has told thee any thing, or whether he has not 
 told thee any thing, I do not care." 
 
 6. When hun and kunni are conjunctions, they take their 
 place after the subject, just as when they are adverbs, and 
 the following principal proposition is often introduced by he : 
 kaimu, zi, akun' wuru na demmea, ai a bo-kaie gbi sandiwake, 
 " but if any one want my daughter, he must throw down all 
 his comrades ;" i kiim mu gbbre-niina dsewi, hi'wa bi, keibere, 
 " if thou sawest the place where we hid our skins, and if thou 
 hast taken them, then give them iipf mo dondo kun* ko fo, 
 i mabira tonyara, " if (only) one man says any thing, do not 
 take it for true ;*" mu kaienu kun tiwi s5ru, ke na dau mum' 
 Boa Kari fa, " if we had been five men, then would I consent 
 to kill Boa Kari ;"" miisie nyomo kaima kun ti, an'ni ako, afa 
 nyomo kun ti, an'ni ako, " if the woman have a brother, they 
 are to give it him ; if she have a father's brother, they are 
 to give it him ;" keikunni a fo iro, ya denua be nu, keitau, 
 " but as thou savest that thou hast children, therefore gro ;" 
 ya den" kunn' ekere, ita nu dse, "as thy child calls thee, go 
 there and see;" kanba kunni a bo mbbro, mbe kanba fiirla, 
 ani nko aro mande, " as God has taken her out of my hand, 
 I shall beg God to give me another."" 
 
 7. The conjunctions, gha, le, hema, always stand before 
 the subject — 
 
 Gha : mui wu tail nu, gba, zi, miii wu firi faro ? ya mina 
 
 dia ? " shall we bury you there (or in German the full 
 
 force of </6a, zi, can be expressed by oder, aber, not 
 
 in English), or shall we throw you into the fire ? which 
 
 dost thou like ?" 
 
 Ae, a = "then :" aro, Hi' ma bi mbegbasiwa. Boa Karlio, 
 
 Ke irgbasi, " He said. If thou do not take it, I 
 
 shall flog thee. Boa Kari said, Then flog me ;" 
 
 aro, Koemii nnu wu kerena. Amo anMo, ke wu 
 
SYNTAX OF CONJUNCTIONS. 137 
 
 mu ta, " he said, Therefore I come to call you. And 
 they said, Then let us go." 
 b = "that, so that :"" aro ke a kun' kaie bira, "he thought 
 that he could catch the man ;" \va taye kama firaro, 
 ke wu nyomoro, awere dono donda ? " how did ye 
 fare in the forest, for your brother to say. He will 
 not eat rice ;" musie ma so ke pakennamii, " the 
 woman did not know that it was the spider ;" a ma 
 so ke Warahaula a be tere-dsie, " he did not know 
 that Warahaula was under the sun." 
 c = " whether:" i ta nu dse ke koa maidsa-kiiro, "go 
 there, and see whether something has happened in 
 thy house." 
 c?="but:" ke denu toa mboro, abiria mfara sa, "but 
 children are left to me, the same will cheer me ;" 
 ke moe boro ma dau, "but some people did not 
 consent."' 
 Bema : amo an' da musie here kamaye, an'do, bema iwa 
 torn mandsaba, " and they gave the woman to the 
 elephant, and said, Because thou art a great gentle- 
 man ;" aro mu fua were ta, bema mboenu kurumba, 
 anui na basa nda were, " he said. Let us go early to- 
 day, because many of my friends will come and help 
 me to-day ;" amo ando, mu wa fawau, bema Buraima 
 wa Poromomunio, " and they said, We will kill him, 
 because he has been Ibrahim's European." 
 8. Amu (often am'), Jcomu (often kumu), sSmu (sometimes 
 sdmu), and Mnmu, are properly each a whole proposition : a 
 mu = " it was," komu == " it is the reason," somu = " it was 
 the time," kirimu = " it is, or was, the way ;" but they are 
 now used quite like our conjunctions — 
 
 a. Amu, as may be expected from its proper nature, con- 
 nects propositions only, and, like -^ conversive in He- 
 brew, presents what follows as a consequence or con- 
 tinuation of what has preceded. If translated into 
 English, two such propositions are often connected by 
 
 t 
 
138 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 " when, then:"" awa dokea, amo a fa, " he shot him, and, 
 (or, so that) he died.'" Am' Boa Kari-faro, Boa Kari, 
 areima ko gbi ma firaro, am' Vanieikiri ? " and Boa 
 Kari's father said, Boa Kari, didst thou not do any 
 thing in the forest, that Vani tied thee ?'' amo anda 
 kere bi, amo anda na m5e gbi bira, " and they took up 
 the war, and they caught all my people f' Poro-moe 
 banda fene soa duma, amo afo mandsaye, " when the 
 European had landed the things, he told the chief;" 
 anu banda dsi tiara, amo anu na da, " when they had 
 crossed the river, they went to town." 
 
 b. Komu or Icumu : komu mo kun ti dara, " therefore, if 
 people are in the town ;" komu mbe ta mbawa kerena, 
 " therefore I go to call my mother ;" a kumu moa moe 
 gbi kere, " therefore have we called all the people ;" 
 a kumu anda ntusa, an'do, iwa mandsa-dene fa ? 
 " therefore they asked me. Hast thou killed the chiefs 
 daughter;" nkomu mbe ta, "therefore I shall go,'' lit. 
 "it is my reason (that) I shall go." 
 
 c. Somu or sdmu ; it is generally followed by zi : samii, 
 
 zi, anui kon' gbi ma wuiamu, " but whatever they were 
 doing was conceit ;" aro, ya sundara ya dene fa ; na 
 a tara a boa fana, wurle be miemani gbi. Somii, zi, 
 kaierabawarawa fa, " she said. Thy visitor has killed 
 thy daughter. I met him when he came out from kill- 
 ing her ; blood was all about his knife. But the man 
 had killed his sheep." 
 (1. Kirtmu : amo an'da Maria tusa an'do : ya den* kaima 
 fareme dia? Mariaro : kirimu pere mbe soro, "and 
 they asked Maria, Dost thou love this dead boy ?* 
 Maria said. Even as I am standing," i.e. "as I live;" 
 kirimu mandsai gbaro kema suro, a ma gbaro, " the 
 chief did not grunt, as he had been before grunting 
 by night." 
 
 Kirimu — kemu, means, " as much, so much, as many 
 as, so many :" dene kiinni ti kirimu, kemu anui turie 
 
SYNTAX OF CONJUNCTIONS. 139 
 
 magbimani, "as many girls as there are apply grease 
 all about them ;" gbune a kirimu kemuidone ta, " cook 
 as much rice, as there are bowls." 
 
 II. The use of conjunctions is sometimes avoided where 
 we have it in English, as will be seen from the following 
 instances — 
 
 " Till :" na tusake kaka nkanyawa, lit. " I asked a long 
 time, I was tired/' i. e. " I asked a long time, till I was 
 tired ;" moe gbi ra fo aye, anu ka'yawa, lit. " all the 
 people told it her, they were tired," i. e. " till they were 
 tired." 
 
 '' Whether — or," " if — or :" Mariaro, wui mu ke soero, ko 
 here, wui mu firi taro, ko here, " Maria said, If ye are 
 putting us into the hole, all right ; or if ye are throw- 
 ing us into the fire, all right." 
 
 " If :" nkere-fure here ; na dinem fa, lit. " I give up the 
 snail-shells ; my child must die," i.e. " if I give up," &c. ; 
 ta boadaro a duma binda, lit " fire proceeds out of his 
 mouth, and it burns the ground," i.e. "if fire proceeds out 
 of," &c. 
 
 " That :" areima kama, ya kori-susu-dsie bo ? " he said. 
 What didst thou do that thou gottest the leopard's 
 milk ?" a mbe ma yakiri firaro ? " what has he done 
 that thou boundest him in the forest ?" wu na korera, 
 mbe a dse, " bring the rice that I may see it." 
 
 " None — but :" anu ma moro mande wuru, an'da Seria 
 wuru, lit. " they did not beget another, they begat 
 Seri," i.e. "they begat none other but Seri " mu 
 meikere koro mandea, moa moenuata kerima Masa- 
 gbara, lit. " we did not call thee on account of another 
 thing : our people went lately to Masagbara," i. e. " we 
 did not call thee on account of any thing else, but be- 
 cause our people," &c. 
 
 " But, only, except :" mfa ma mu dia, ke Boa Kari, lit. 
 "my father does not love us, but Boa Kari," i.e. "my 
 
140 SYNTAX OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 father loves only Boa Kari ;" ke fern bere anu wuru- 
 moeiiu-boro, mma fo tie kaima dondo, lit. " but his 
 parents had not any thing, I do not (also) say one 
 cock," i. e. " but his parents had not any thing but a 
 cock ;" mo we don nu, mmafo pakenna, lit. " none en- 
 ters there, I do not say the spider," i. e. " none enters 
 there but the spider ;" biindo-san-dende bero, mmafo 
 ds6n-san-dende, lit. " there were no more vessels to buy 
 camwood, I do not also say vessels to buy slaves," i. e. 
 " there were no more any vessels to buy camwood, but 
 only slave-vessels/ 
 
 §. 31. 
 
 SYNTAX OF INTERJECTIONS. 
 
 In the Vei language Interjections are used to supply the icant of a 
 Vocative Case; hut besides this, they are used as in other languages. 
 
 I. In calling any one, especially when some exertion of the 
 voice is required, the conjunctions e or o are frequently an- 
 nexed at the end of the name, and sounded very long ; 
 e.g. kaie ! " O man !" mfae, or mfao! " my father !" mandsae, 
 &r mandsao ! " O chief T' miisie, or musieo ! " O woman !" 
 dsonee, or dson'eo I "O slave!" denuye, or denuo, "O chil- 
 dren !" 
 
 The same practice seems to prevail in other African lan- 
 guages, and, like many other peculiarities, is sometimes 
 transferred to the English language also by the common 
 people in Sierra Leone. It is not unfrequent to hear them 
 shouting out words like these : ** sister-6, comeo !" i. e. " come, 
 O sister!" "brother-o, st6pe-6 I" i.e. "stop, O brother!" 
 
 II. In the instances which have come under my notice, 
 the various interjections were used in the following manner — 
 
 £ as an expression of surprise and astonishment ; or, asto- 
 nishment and disapprobation; or, surprise and grief; 
 or, surprise and approbation. 
 
SYNTAX OF INTERJECTIONS. 141 
 
 A and dya as an expression of surprise and grief. 
 
 Ea as an expression of joy and admiration, and some- 
 times of grief. 
 
 Eio as an expression of pleasure, joy, and rapture. 
 
 Ko as an expression of surprise and dislike. 
 
 Kuo and ydmbaS as an expression of disappointment, grief, 
 and sorrow. 
 
 O as an expression of surprise or grief, and the wish to 
 call on somebody. Thus it is used in the very fre- 
 quent exclamation, 5 kanmba ! i.e. "O God !*" 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULAEY. 
 
 [Abbreviations : s. substantive, v. verb, a. adjective, ad. adverb, 
 cory. conjunction, pr. pronoun.] 
 
 A. 
 
 A> pron. " he, she, it, they ; his, her, its, their." 
 Amu, conj. " and, then." It often drops the u, and before a 
 often changes it into o; e.g. amo anu, " and they." 
 Anu, pr. " they, their." 
 
 B. 
 
 Ba, a. "great, big, large, bulky ;" e.g. miisu ba, "a great 
 woman," also the head wife in polygamy ; boi dem 
 ba, " head servant ;" fern ba, " a great thing, a ghost, 
 the devil." 
 Ba, ad. " much, very." 
 
 Bamba, " very much." 
 Ba, s. " mother." 
 Ba d5ma, " aunt." 
 W6nye-ba, " the queen of a large kind of black ants," Its 
 
 bite is considered fatal. 
 Kisi-ba, " the queen of the termites." 
 Kumu-ba, " the queen of a bee-hive." 
 Ba, s. " goat." 
 
 Ba kaima, " buck." 
 Ba dori, or ba den, " kid." 
 Ba, or baa, or bawa, s. " boat." 
 
 Ba-du, a house with a roof of the form of an upset boat. 
 Ba, s. also kura-de-ba, the tripod on which the weaving ap- 
 paratus is suspended. 
 
144 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Babai, a. " all, nothing but ;" a fania babai fo, ** he spoke no- 
 thing but lies." 
 Baden, s. a kind of cloth manufactured by the natives alter- 
 nating with square spots of white and black. 
 Bafa s. " shed, hut.^' 
 Bamba, a. " very big, very corpulent, very handsome." 
 
 Na musieni bamba, i. q. " my wife has been very hand- 
 some." 
 
 Barabi, s. a temporary grave in the house or kitchen, where 
 corpses are laid, enveloped all over in many bandao-es 
 of cloth, from two weeks to one year, before all the 
 relatives can be convened for the final burial, and 
 all be procured that is required for the funeral-feast. 
 The bambi is only about two feet deep and two or 
 three wide. 
 Bana, s. " plaintain." 
 
 Poro-bana, lit. "white mans plantain," i.e. "banana." 
 Banda, s. " sky, cloud, air ; time, season." 
 Nu-banda, " at that time, in those days." 
 Nie-banda, " at the present time, now." 
 Banda bera, lit. "the sky fell." i.e. "it became cloudy, 
 
 lowering." 
 "Time, as opposed to eternity; this world, the earth;" 
 e.g. a departed spirit, when asked at his arrival in 
 the infernal regions, " i boa mina ?" answers, " mboa 
 bandawa," " I come from the earth." 
 Banda, s. " cotton-tree." 
 
 Banda-fumu, " cotton of the cotton-free." It is of a silky 
 quality, and different horn fdnde fumu. 
 Banda, v. " to finish, be finished." 
 
 Ban, V. " to finish, complete, end ; to be finished, completed, 
 
 ended; bring to an end, cause to cease, stop;" e.g. 
 
 a ds6n-san-kde ban, " he stopped the slave-trade." 
 
 c. Ro, " to refuse, reject ;" e.g. i ma ban tiro ! " do tliou not 
 
 refuse it!" a ban kore gbiro, "he refused all the rice." 
 
 Kundo-ban, " perplexity, confusion." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 145 
 
 Ban*, s. " bamboo-tree." 
 
 Ban-gbe, s. " bamboo wine ;" it is gained by tapping the 
 tree in such a way that it dies within a twelvemonth 
 after. 
 Ban'giiru, s. a bamboo stick ; banguru-gbengbe, " a bed- 
 stead made of bamboo sticks" (wuru, in Mende, means 
 " stick ;'" but in Vei it is not used by itself). 
 Bana, .s. a ring of twisted bamboo bark, about the thickness 
 of a finger, worn by males round their heads, and 
 by females round their necks, as a sign of mourning 
 for near relatives. 
 Ban'a, s. a building with only three sides walled up, of which 
 description their kitchens generally are. 
 Si-bana, " town-house." 
 Wunde-bana, " kitchen." 
 Bana, s. a country harp with seven cords, played with the 
 
 fingers. Na bana sin-, " I play the harp." 
 Bao, s. "opposite side of a water" {irepa^). 
 Koi-bao, " beyond the sea." 
 
 Dsi-bao, " on the other side of the water or river." 
 Nu-bao, " the opposite bank ;" nie-bao, " bank on this 
 side." 
 Bara, s. " navel, umbellicum." 
 
 Bara-dsuru, "navel-string." 
 Bara, s. " place ; large open place, yard." 
 Baramboron*, or babon% s. " pitcher, jug." 
 Baran*, s. " fence." 
 
 Baran* kiri, " to make a fence." 
 Baran', v. "to lath, fit up with laths." 
 
 Baran-kon', " rafter, lath. ' 
 Barawara, bawara, and barawa, s. " sheep." 
 Barawara kaima, " ram." 
 Barawara dori, or barawara den% " lamb."' 
 Bari, s. " thatch, roof." 
 
 Bari, s. " meeting, congregation, assembly." 
 Bari, r. "to flatter ;" e.g. i ma mbari ! "do not flatter me!" 
 
 u 
 
146 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Baru, V. " to save, cure, heal ; to recover, get well ; to escape 
 (e.g. an animal), to get clear (e.g. in a law-suit); to 
 help, to oblige ;" e.g. an ta mu baru nira ! " may he 
 go and help or oblige us with a bullock." 
 Baru-mo, s. " healer, Saviour." 
 Basa, V. " to add, mix with." 
 
 c. a. " to assist, help ;" e.g. i basa nda ! " assist me !" 
 Basi, s. a yellow country cloth, worn as a sign of mourning. 
 Batata, s. " locust, grasshopper." 
 Bawa, s. " quarrel, dispute, contest." 
 
 Bawa sa, " to quarrel, to contend." 
 Ben*, i;. "to meet;" e.g. m5a nyoro ben-, "we met each other." 
 " To fit, to suit ;"'*' e.g. dumame ben 'da, or, more generally, 
 diimame benda mmani, " the shirt fits me." 
 Ben", V. " to deny, refuse ;" e.g. ya mbem fen demmea ? 
 
 " wilt thou deny me this little thing ?" 
 Be, s. " uncle." 
 
 Be-den, " nephew ;" be-dem musuma, " niece." 
 Bore-be-den", a sort of prime-minister, next in dignity to 
 the king, and himself the chief of a town. 
 Bende, s. a sort of scaffold, consistingr of four forked sticks 
 rammed into the ground, with cross sticks laid upon 
 them, for the purpose of drying something on it, 
 either in the sun or over a fire. Sometimes they 
 make it large, and cover it with a thatch, when it 
 serves them as a barn for their rice, similar to our 
 stacks. In this case bende is synonymous with biinclu. 
 Bende, part. pass, of ben, " to meet." 
 
 Kum-bende, " whole ;" e.g. a ma na kum-bendea, " he did 
 not bring the whole ;" liko gbasa kum-bende, " give me 
 a whole cassada." 
 Bere, s. " self." 
 
 Mbere, " myself ;'' nga mbere, " I myself." " Honour, re- 
 gard, respect ;" e.g. a bere bere, " he has no honour," i.e. 
 " is not respected ;" na ibere so, or na i bere si, "I 
 respect thee" (cf. the use of Til3 in Hebrew). 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 147 
 
 Bere, s. " voluptuousness, fornication, adultery." 
 Bere ma, "to commit fornication or adultery." 
 Bere-kai, " whoremonger, adulterer."" 
 Bere-musu, " harlot, concubine, adultress." 
 
 Bere, s. a strip of cloth about two inches broad, worn by 
 girls from about their eighth year up to their mar- 
 riage, to cover their shame, and hanging down be- 
 fore and behind to about half a foot from the 
 ground. It is therefore identical with a mark of 
 virginity ; and bere-mo means " a virgin." 
 
 Bere and bere, " fine, good." 
 
 Bere ma and bere nyia, " to treat well ;" e.g. an'da dene 
 bere ma, " they treated the child well." 
 
 Berema, or generally contracted into bema, conj. " because." 
 
 Beri, s. a religious rite, at which the males receive their 
 national mark on their backs, and a new name. At 
 the same time they are instructed on certain sub- 
 jects, perhaps of a sexual nature, which they keep 
 strictly secret, for death is threatened if a man re- 
 veals the beri secrets to a woman, or to one not 
 initiated ; or if, on the other hand, a woman reveals 
 the sande secrets to a man. It seems probable 
 to me, that originally the beri rite was identical 
 with that of circumcision ; but at present the males 
 are circumcised in infancy, and in the beri only 
 those with whom it has been neglected in an earlier 
 age, which is not frequently the case. Hence, also, 
 it doubtless comes, that to undergo the beri rite is 
 expressed by beri fa. To go through the rite of the 
 common beri, only requires a few months, whereas, 
 in what is called the dancing beri, they have to be 
 several years. Hence, also, only a few go through 
 the latter. There seems to be no law as to what 
 age the youths have to enter the beri, but they do 
 so generally when they arrive at puberty, or during 
 the first few years after. 
 
148 VEl-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Beri-fira is the place in the forest where the beri ceremonies 
 
 are performed. 
 Beri-mo, " one gone through the beri rite." 
 Beri-tamba, " the national mark across the back." 
 Beri-nyana, beri-demon, or beri-devil, i.e. a masked man 
 who acts the part of a being from the unseen world, 
 and who makes the tamba. In the sande rite, the same 
 is called /em6a. 
 Beri-wusa, name or title of beri youths during the time 
 they have their beri dances. 
 Bendera, s. " flag, banner." 
 
 Na bendera sere, " I hoist a flag." 
 Bene, s. "arrow." 
 
 Benero-dserare, lit. "a fried arrow," i.e. "a poisoned one." 
 Bera, v. "to fall;" e.g. a bera duma, "it fell down." 
 "To set;" e.g. terea bera, "the sun set." 
 "To happen" (cf. incidental, and Germ, einf alien); e.g. kone 
 
 bera, " a famine happened." 
 "To let fall, drop, lay;" e.g. korandsa kerie bera, "the 
 
 eagle laid eggs." 
 " To cause to fall, to throw ;" e.g. wii kun kere bera, " when 
 ye throw or make war." 
 Bere, v. "to pass, pass on, pass through, go on, pass by, to 
 pass or spend time ;" e. g. na sam fera bere, " I spent 
 two years." 
 "To pass, deliver up, give to;" e.g. na kungo berea ndia- 
 
 moye, "I passed the cup to my friends." 
 c. Ra, " to surpass ;" e.g. mbereira, " I surpass thee." 
 c. Ko, " to go over to a party, go on one's side." 
 Berebere, v. " to walk about, take a walk." 
 Bi, V. " to take, take away, take up." 
 Bimbiri, s. " ladder, steps, stairs." 
 
 Bimbiri nyia, or sie, or ma, " to make a ladder." 
 Bina, s. "horn." 
 Binda, s. " spoon." 
 
 Kom-binda, " wooden-spoon." 
 
r 
 
 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 149 
 
 Kimdu-binda, " iron-spoon. ' 
 Kani-binda, " silver-spoon."" 
 Binda, v. " to burn ;" e. g. an'da sandsa gbi binda, " they burnt 
 the whole town." 
 " To roast ;" e.g. na tie binda, " I roast a fowl,"" 
 Bini, s. " porcupine." 
 
 Bini-sura, " its quills." 
 Bin or bine, s. " grass, weeds." 
 
 Bira, v. " to take, accept, seize ; catch, overtake ; affect ;"" e. g. 
 
 borie ma gboro bira, " the medicine did not affect 
 
 the skin."" 
 
 c. Ma, " to rely on;" e. g. na bira kanmbama, " I rely on God." 
 
 c. Man'a, "to dispute, quarrel;" e.g. an terea ma* birana, 
 
 " they disputed the whole day."" 
 Gbe-birare, lit. "wine-caught," i.e. "drunk." 
 Bii'a-kai, " father-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law."'"' 
 Bira, s. "booty, spoil, prey" (i.e. "something taken in war"). 
 
 Bira-mo, " a captive." 
 Bira, s. " fathom,"" a measure reaching from one end of the 
 
 extended arms to the other. 
 Biri, s. " winged termites,"" considered a delicious food when 
 
 fried in palm-oil. 
 Biri, pr. " same, self-same, that." 
 Bo, s. " dung, manure, excrement.' 
 Bo-dsuru, " rectum, last intestine." 
 Boke or buke, " to pass a motion." 
 Ni-bo, " cow dung."" 
 Bo, s. " friend, fellow, companion, comrade, lover." 
 Bo, V. " to come from, go out, issue, proceed, arise from." 
 "To rise;" e.g. tere bo, "the sun rises;" mu danama-soe 
 
 gbi bo, " we shall rise on the last day." 
 " To leak ;"' dendei b9, " the canoe leaks." 
 " Put off," used of all sorts of cloths. 
 " Take out, bring out, bring forth, put forth, take in war ;"" 
 
 e.g. an' ta sandsa bo, " they went and took the town." 
 " Take out of, choose, select." 
 
150 ' VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Bo, s. " palaver-sauce/" a kind of soup made of meat, plants, 
 palm-oil, spices, and water. Any plant used for pa- 
 laver-sauce. 
 B6-don-, "palaver-sauce rice," i.e. "rice on which palaver 
 sauce is poured." 
 Boda, s. " pitcher, jug, cup." 
 Boi, s. "hut, shed, without walls, resting merely on posts." 
 
 ^ Boi-den-, " servant," as opposed to " slave." 
 Boni, s. name or title of girls whilst in the sande bush. 
 Bon-, V. " pour out, spill," used of fluids and substances like 
 dust ; also, 
 Kure bon-, "to deliver a message, give information." 
 "Rush or fall upon;" e.g. kuruanda bon moenuma, "the 
 
 warriors fell upon the people.'' 
 " Upset, capsize ;" dendea bon-, " the vessel capsized." 
 Boro, s. "palm-cabbage." 
 
 Na boro fa, " I cut palm-cabbage." 
 Boro, s. " side." ad. " aside." 
 B6r9, s. " bag made of mats or rough cloth." 
 
 Kundo-boro, "cap." 
 Boro and boro, " some ;" e.g. mo boro, " some people." 
 Bosi, s. " cocco," a bulbous plant. 
 
 A woman soon after her confinement, as Ndore told me, 
 musumu kun- wuruke nle nama, atom bosi. This is 
 owing to the circumstance that the food of females lately 
 confined is prepared chiefly from coccos. Sometimes 
 they are called bosi so long as they are suckling. 
 Botu, s. "foreskin of men." 
 
 Botu tie, " to circumcise." 
 Bou, s. " fishing with a net.'' 
 
 Bou-dsara, " fishing-net ;» bou-mo, "seiner." 
 Bowo and bo, v. " to beg, entreat, supplicate." 
 Boya, s. " beard." 
 
 Boya, V. "to be vexed, irritated, angry ; to be raging, to be mad." 
 Boya, s. (from b9, "friend?") "affinity, kindred; relatives, family." 
 Bondo. s. " a large kind of guinea-fowls." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 151 
 
 Boro, s. " arm, hand, power." 
 B6ro-dsaro, s. " wrist." 
 Boro-dori, " finger." 
 Boro-dori kumba, "thumb." 
 Boro-dori a te, " middle-finger.'' 
 Boro dori boro, " little finger." 
 Boro-fira-gbasa, " pocket-handkerchief." 
 Fen-dom-boro, lit. " something-eat-hand," i.e. " right-hand." 
 Mara-boro, " left-hand." 
 
 Boro be fen* koro, " to be pleased with something." 
 Boro ka, " to let go, let fall, give up ; to despatch, to send ;" 
 
 e.g. a boro ka moa, "he sent a man." 
 Boro don, " lit. " to put the hand in," viz. into another 
 man's hand, i.e. "to shake hands;" e.g. a boro dom 
 panu-boro, " he shook hands with the gentlemen." 
 Boro gbasi, "to clap the hands." 
 Be boro, "to own, have, possess." 
 Boro, s. " mud, dirt ; land, country," 
 Boti, V. " to squeeze, twist, wring." 
 Bu, s. " side f bufe, " alongside." 
 Bu, s. " belly, bowels, inside, womb." 
 Bu bi, " to become pregnant." 
 
 Bu-fa, lit. " belly-filled," i. e. " satisfied," used even of men- 
 tal satisfaction. 
 Buma, " pregnancy." 
 
 Musu be bumaro, " the woman is with child." 
 Bumare, " pregnant ; tliick, swollen." 
 
 Koro bumare, " swollen, germinating rice." 
 Bu, s. " gun." 
 
 Bu-fun, " gunpowder." 
 
 Bu-kendi, " trigger." 
 
 Bu-sen, "flint" (cf. Germ. Flintenstein). 
 
 Bu-woro-mo and bu-k9-kundu, " ramrod." 
 
 Bu-kara, "the largest spring in a gun." 
 
 Buke, V. " to fire a gun, to shoot." 
 
 Buke-mo, " marksman, hunter." 
 
152 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Bu, s. "sack, bag." 
 
 Bu-gbara, " socks, stockings." 
 Bumbara, a. " whole, entire, undivided." 
 Bumbo, s. " small-pox." 
 
 Bumbora mbira, " I have got the small-pox." 
 Buna, a. " whole, entire, undivided." 
 Bunda, v. " to bow down, begin." 
 Bundo, s. " camwood." 
 
 Bundu, s. i.q. bana, a shed or house, consisting only of 
 threB walls, wdth the fourth side open. 
 Bun', V. "bow down, stoop down, begin; to bend;" e.g. na 
 bun" koaria, " I began to speak." 
 c. Mani, " to attack ;" e.g. wa den na bunda, mmani, " your 
 youths came to attack me." 
 Bun', V. " to cover, to shut " (perhaps identical with the pre- 
 ceding through the idea, " to bend something upon 
 something else" = " to cover"). 
 Bunde, " shut ;" dsa-bunde, " blind." 
 Bmr, V. "to shoot." 
 
 Bun', s. " a bunch or cluster of palm-nuts, such as they grow- 
 on the tree." 
 Bun", V. " to plait, to braid ;" e.g. anun' kumme bum berebere, 
 
 "they plait the hair very well." 
 Bungbo, s. "a very small canoe." 
 Buo, V. "to whip, to flog." 
 Bura, s. " ashes." 
 
 Buran, v. "go out, go through, go to, reach to, arrive at." 
 Buranda. v. id. 
 Bori, s. "medicine, greegree, poison." 
 
 Bori-mo, or bori-ma-mo, "physician, doctor, charmer." 
 Bori, V. "to use medicine, treat with medicine." 
 Buri, V. "to run away." 
 
 " To shun, avoid, fear, be afraid of." 
 Bu, V. " to move." 
 
 Buru, a. " unripe, immature," used of plants that bear in 
 the ground. 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 153 
 
 Buru, s. " trumpet, horn." It is made of the horns of cattle 
 and deer, is open at either end, and has a hole, large 
 enough to put the mouth in, about one-fourth its 
 whole length from the thin end. The sound is very- 
 deep and mournful, and by putting the finger before 
 the opening at the thin end a modulation of the 
 sound is effected. 
 
 D. 
 
 Da, s. " mouth, brim, opening." 
 
 Koie-da und dsie-da, " landing-place." 
 
 Tie-da, " ford, fording-place." 
 
 Kene-da, "the opening for a house door." 
 
 Ken'e-daro-gbengbere, " the house door itself." 
 
 Kira-da, " the beginning or end of a way." 
 
 Kunda-da, "the opening of a pot," i.e. that which is co- 
 vered by the cover. 
 
 Mie-da, " edge of a sword or knife." 
 . Da-gboro-kummana, " upper lip." 
 
 Da-gboro-korona, " under lip." 
 
 Da-firi, s. " stomach." 
 
 Da-ka, v. " to open ;" e.g. na na gbore da-ka, " I open my 
 book." 
 
 Da-tau, V. "to shut;" e.g. na na gbore da-tau, "I shut my 
 book." 
 
 Da-sa V. " to sharpen, to strop." 
 Da-sa-fen*, " a strop." 
 Kundsi-da-sa-fen', " a razor strop." 
 Da, s. " friend, one's equal in age." 
 Da, s. " shoulder," i. q. dapo. 
 Da and dara, s. " town." 
 Da, rarely dara, s. " feast, banquet." 
 Dada, s. " a mud wall round a town." 
 Danya, s. " manille, bracelet." 
 Dan', V. " to hear ;" e. g. na i kure dan', " I hear thy voice." 
 
 " Hear, obey ;" e.g. ifa dan' ! " obey thy father !" 
 
 X 
 
154 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 "Feel ;" e.g. na ra kunya dan*, " I feel' its stench.'' i.e. " I 
 smell it." 
 Dan*, V. " to count." 
 
 Dana and danana, s. " end ;" e.g. kira-dana be pon, "the end 
 of the way is far distant ;" danama-so, " the last 
 dav." 
 Dana, v. " to be done, be ended, be over ;" e. g. ds6n-san-kde 
 a dana, " slave-trade is at an end." 
 "To stop;" e.g. ima dana nie ! "do not stop here !" 
 "To end, to finish;''"' e.g. Kiiini a ds6n-san*-kde dana, "the 
 queen has put an end to the slave-trade." 
 Daoro, da-koro, or da-woro, that part under the arm which is 
 
 opposite the shoulder. 
 Dapo, s. " shoulder." 
 
 Dara, s. often contracted into da, "town, home;'' e.g. na ta 
 dara, " I went to town, I w^ent home." 
 Dara-sandsa, " town, home," 
 Dara, s. a large flat brass pan in which the natives boil sea- 
 water in order to gain salt. 
 Da-sake, v. " to feed, support, sustain." 
 
 Da-sake, s. "food;" e.g. woa dasakemei, "this is your food." 
 Dason* and dasb', v. " to gather, collect, heap up." 
 Dau, V. " to consent, agree ; to answer, reply ; to confess." 
 De, V. " to plait, twist, weave ;" e.g. na kendsa de, " I plait a 
 hamper with some palm branches." 
 Na kura de, " I weave cloth." 
 Kura-de-mo, "a weaver." 
 De, s. a trap for catching birds and small animals, consisting 
 
 in a bent stick and a loop. 
 De, s. sometimes dere, " flour " prepared by soaking rice about 
 half an hour, then, after it has been dried, pounding 
 it in a mortar. 
 De-fu", s. " rice-flour." 
 Dende, s. " canoe, vessel." 
 
 Dende denda, " the vessel rides at anchor." 
 Kiirii-dende, " Krii canoe." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 155 
 
 Bomu-dende, " country canoe." 
 Kere-dende, " man-of-war." 
 
 Kere-dende-mandsa, " Captain of a man-of-war." 
 Sisi-dende, " steamer." 
 Fere-dende, " merchant-vessel." 
 Den', s. a kind of gourd before it is cut into two, used by the 
 
 natives as kitchen utensils ; a calabash. 
 Den', V. " to hang, be suspended ; e.g. ai dendo komma, " it is 
 hano;insr on a tree." 
 "To float, to swim;" e.g. ke hi' suama, an' den dsiema ; a 
 kun den", ke fa beremu, " but if she has not been a 
 witch, it (sc. her spleen) will float on the water ; if it float, 
 then is she a good dead (was good whilst alive, and not 
 a witch)." 
 " To hang, to suspend ;" e.g. na na buye den kon'koro, " I 
 hanged my gun under a tree ;" kaie awan'ga den', " the 
 man hanged himself." 
 Dere, s. " rice-pancake," 
 Dere, s. " the common bat." 
 Deri, s. " art, work of art, ingenious article." 
 Deri-mo, " artificer, artist, mechanic." 
 Kon-deri-mo, "a carpenter." 
 Dei'dei', s. " fit, paroxysm." 
 Demu, s. a company of men to work in turn each other's 
 
 farms gratuitously. 
 Dendori, dondori, and dundori, s. " infant, baby." 
 Den', a. " small, little ;" e.g. dende den', " a small canoe ;" den 
 tuni, " diminutively small ;" e. g. sese dentimi, " a di- 
 minutively small switch," 
 Den', ad. "a little;" e.g. na a gbasi den', "I whipped him a little." 
 "Minutely, exactly, distinctly, clearly;" e.^. na ya bere- 
 moe dse den, " I saw thy paramour distinctly." 
 Den', s. " a little one, a child." 
 Den' kaima, " boy." 
 Dem musuma, " daughter." 
 Dem mese, "small, little ones, little children." 
 
156 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Buro-den", " natural child." 
 
 Buro-den- kaima, " a natural son." 
 Dene, s. " calf of the leg." 
 Dera, s. a large lizard with a red head. 
 Di, s. " blaze, flame." 
 
 Ta-di, " flame of fire." 
 Di, s. " diligence, laboriousness." 
 
 Di, V. "to be diligent, laborious;" e.g. kaime di, "this man 
 is diligent." 
 
 Di-mo, " a diligent man." 
 Di s. " cry, weeping, lamentation ;" e.g. na a di-kure dan, " I 
 
 heard the voice of his weeping." 
 Di, V. " to squeeze, press upon," 
 Di, a. "right ;" e.g. a dimu, "it is right." 
 DI, V. " to be right ;" e. g. a di ma, a dsarimu, " he is not 
 
 right, he is wrong." 
 Di, s. " right ;" e.g. a kimni Kari ko dia, " when he has given 
 
 Kari right." 
 Dia, s. "right;" e.gr, an'da nko diara, " they gave me right;" 
 anu mako diara, anoa dsariake, " thev did not ffive 
 him right, they gave him wn'ong." 
 Dia, V. "to love, to like ;" e.g. kanmba mu dia, "God loves lis." 
 Dia, s. " love." 
 
 Dia-mo, " friend, favourite, lover." 
 
 Dia-musii, " favourite wife." 
 
 Dia-dene, "favourite child." 
 Diambo, s. " discourse, conversation, talk ; narrative, tale." 
 
 Diambo sa, " to hold a conversation." 
 Didi, s. the common small red or black ants. 
 Difi, s. " darkness, night." 
 
 Difi bera, " darkness came." 
 Dike, V. " to weep, cry, lament ;" e.g. i ma dike ! " do not cry." 
 Dindi, s. the black conical hill of termites. 
 Din, s. (English) " ring, finger-ring." 
 
 Kani gbema-din*, " silver ring." 
 
 Kani dsarc-din-, "gold ring." 
 
VET-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 157 
 
 Din", s. " shark." 
 
 Din"ga, a. "overgrown, grown too big," used merely of cassada. 
 
 Gbasa-dinga, or merely din"ga, " overgrown cassadas." 
 Do, s. a float of rafters for conveying people across a river. 
 Do, V. " to be little, be small ;" e.g. na dene do, " my child is 
 little." 
 
 " To make small, diminish, humble.'*' 
 
 Do-kai, " brother." 
 
 Do-musu, " sister." 
 Dogbo, V. "to soak, soften in water." 
 
 Dogbu, V. "wither;" e.g. ya bimmu ti a dogbu, " the grass 
 which thou hast cut is withered." It is also used of 
 the gradual disappearance of svv^ellings. 
 Doma, a. " small, little." 
 
 Den d5ma, "a little child." 
 
 Nyomo doma, " a younger brother." 
 Dombo, s. " sugar-plum," a sort of small, very sweet plums, 
 
 growing wild. 
 Dondima, s. "nail." 
 Dondo, " one." 
 Dondori, ad. " at once," 
 Don-, V. " to eat, devour." 
 
 Doin-fen', " food." 
 Don', s. " cooked rice." 
 
 Da-don", " feast-rice," i.e. rice served in a feast. 
 Don, s. " song ;" e.g. ya d6n"e ma nyi, " thy song is not fine." 
 
 Dom bo, "to sing;" e.g. mbe kun dom boa, "I cannot sing." 
 Dongbo, s. " crowd, multitude." 
 
 " Swarm ;" e.g. kumu-d6n"gbo, " a swarm of bees." 
 Dora, s. " anchor.'' 
 
 Na dora firi, " I cast anchor." 
 Dori, s. hook for catching fish. 
 
 Dori-firi-mo, " a fisher with hooks." 
 Dori, a. " young, immature ;" e.g. den dori, " an infant." 
 
 Gbasa-dori, " a voung, immature cassada." 
 Doso, s. " ghost, spectre." 
 
158 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Doya, V, " to make small, lessen, diminish ; humble.'' 
 Doya, s. " smallness, scarcity." 
 Dsa, s. eye. 
 
 Dsa-tere, "eye-broken, one-eyed." 
 Dsa-tere-mo, " a one-eyed person." 
 Dsa-bunde, " eye-covered, blind." 
 Dsa-bum-mo and mo dsa-biinde, " a blind person." 
 Dsa-timba, s. " eyelash, the hair on the edge of the eyelid." 
 Dsa-foro, "eyelid.'' 
 Dsa-fen, " goods, wares, furnitm'e." 
 
 c. Muni, "to be giddy;" e.g. ndsa muni, "I am giddy, 
 
 whirling." 
 
 Dsa, V. " to be red, yellow, loathsome, disgusting, tiresome ; 
 
 be hard, difficult, severe, dangerous ;" e.g. koe a dsa, 
 
 " the matter is hard ;" a kira dsa, " his sickness is 
 
 dangerous." 
 
 "To make red, yellow, to blacken," i.e. "to defame;" e.g. 
 
 a ndsa, " he blackened me." 
 " To hate, despise ;" e.g. an'da nyo dsa, " they hated each 
 other." 
 Dsa-mo, " enemy." 
 Dsa, s. "home ;" e.g. anu tanu dsa, "they went to their home." 
 Dsa, s. title of a married woman who possesses some property, 
 corresponding to "pa" with men, "Mrs., lady;" 
 e.g. am' femba dsa dia, " and the devil loved the lady." 
 Dsafa, V. " to slander ;" e.g. Setani awa Dsuba dsafa kanba- 
 
 bara, " Satan slandered Job with God." 
 Dsafa, s. "slander, tale-bearing;" e.g. dsafa amanyi, "slander 
 is not good." 
 Dsafa-mo, s. " a slanderer, tale-bearer." 
 Dsaia, s. " mangrove." Also proper name of the Gallinas 
 
 country, on account of its many mangroves. 
 Dsake, v. "to divine, soothsay, 'prophesy." 
 Dsamba, s. " leaf." 
 Dsambi, s. " wild yam." 
 Dsanda, s. " palm branch." 
 
^ VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. . 159 
 
 Dsanda, v. " to take leave ; send away, despatch." 
 Dsanda-kira, s. " leprosy." 
 
 Dsau-dsan, s. a sort of bell, consisting of a thin curved iron 
 plate with iron rings on it, which, when shaken, make 
 a rattling noise. 
 Dsan', a. " long, tall ; deep ; far." 
 Dsan', V. " be far, be distant." 
 
 Dsan', u. "take leave, bid good bye; send away, despatch." 
 Dsara, s. " lion." Frequently used to form proper names of 
 
 men; e.g. Dsara Kari, Dsara Berekore, &c. 
 Dsara, s. " seine." 
 
 Bou-dsara, " a fishing-net." 
 Dsara-sa-mo, " a fisher with a seine, a seiner." 
 Dsara, s. or sa-dsara, "hammock;" e.g. an ta nda dsararo, 
 
 " they carried me in a hammock." 
 Dsare, a. " red." 
 
 Turu-dsare, " palm-oil." 
 
 Koro dsare, " rice-flour," which is gained by first parching 
 and then pounding rice. 
 Dsari, a. " wrong ;" e.g. ndsarimu, " I am wrong." 
 Dsari, v. " to find wrong, pronounce wrong or guilty ;" e. g. 
 
 an'da i dsari, " they found thee guilty." 
 Dsari, s. " wrong ;" e.g. na na dsaria so, " I know my wrong." 
 Dsau, a. " spoiled, wretched, miserable ; poor, needy ; bad." 
 Dsau, V. "to be ruined, destroyed;" e.g. nnyomo dsau, "my 
 brother is ruined," i.e. "has lost his fortune;" mu 
 dsa dsau, " our home is destroyed." 
 " To ruin, destroy ;" komewe ndsaua, " this matter will 
 ruin me ;" an' da sandsa dsau, " they destroyed the 
 town." 
 Dsau, s. " ruin, misery, destitution, wretchedness ; badness ;" 
 e.g. ifarama dsau, lit. "on thy heart is badness," i.e. 
 " thou hast a bad heart." 
 Dsau-mo, " a poor, destitute man." 
 Dsaure, " spoiled,'' said of things and children. 
 Dsei, .9. " tear.' 
 
 (I , 11 
 
160 VEI-ENGLISH YOCABULARY. 
 
 Dsere, s. "baldness;" e.g.dsere be a kimdo, "he has a bald head." 
 
 Dsere-mo, " a bald-headed person." 
 Dse, V, "to see, perceive." 
 
 " Fmd, get, acquire, gain;" e.g. a dsa-fen- kurumba dse, 
 "he" acquired very much good;" a ma gboro dse, "lie 
 did not gain his health." 
 Dsembe, v. " to examine, investigate ;" e.g. i na, moa dene 
 
 dsembe, " come and examine our child." 
 Dsende ! an expression which demands the watchword in time 
 of war. Perhaps it stands for dso'i'e = dsonde = dsende, 
 " who is there ?" At any rate it seems to express 
 some such question, as I found it followed in the con- 
 text by amo an'do, moanumu, " and they said, It is we." 
 The watchword in war is generally a chiefs name. 
 Dsere, v. "go back, return;" e.g. i dsere, "return!" 
 " Bring or carry back ; take away after a meal." 
 c. Gbaro, "to drive back, repel;" e.g. anManu dsere gbaro, 
 " they drove them back." 
 Dsere, s. " hallooing, shouting." 
 Dsere tie, " to halloo." 
 
 Dsere-wo, " fun, joke, play ;" e.g. dsere-wo ke ma, " that 
 was no joke," i.e. no easy thing. 
 Dserema, s. " evening " (perhaps from dsere, " seen," and 
 
 ma, not;. 
 Dseri, s. " a crier, herald." 
 
 Dseri-mo, dseri-kai, " crier, herald." 
 Dsese, s. " warp, in weaving." 
 Dsi, s. " water." 
 Dsi-s6, " a well." 
 
 Dsi-kere, "thirst;" e.g. dsi-kere mma, "I am thirsty." 
 Dsie bira, lit. "to catch the water," i.e. to swim. 
 Susu-dsi, " breast-water," i.e. milk ; na siisu-dsie bo, or na 
 
 susu-dsie bbti, " I milk." 
 K6i-dsi, " sea- water, salt-water." 
 Kondse-dsi, "juice within a cocoa-nut." 
 K6ne-dsi, " juice of a tree," 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. Ifil 
 
 Dsi, V. "to descend, go down, come down, move down, flow 
 down." 
 
 Dsi, s. "going down, descent, setting." 
 Tere-dsi, " west." 
 
 Dsi, s. a sort of drum beaten between the legfs. 
 
 Dsi and dsiri, s. "key." 
 
 Dsifa, s. " breast pocket.'' 
 
 Dsina, s. " spectre, ghost, spirit, apparition.'" The word is pro- 
 bably derived from dsi, " water," and na, " to come," 
 as the Veis tell many stories of ghosts coming out 
 of the water, where there is one of their chief 
 residences, the other being on the top of Cape 
 Mount. 
 
 Dsindera, s. " window." 
 
 Dsindera-gbengbere, "a shutter.'' 
 
 Dsira, v. "to show, explain; teach, instruct ;'' e.g. a gboro 
 dsirara, " he taught him the book." 
 "To report" (cf. German anzeigen); e.g. na a dsira man- 
 dsanda, " I reported it to the chiefs." 
 
 Dsiri-mo, s. " a counsellor of the chiefs" (from dsira, " to 
 show"). 
 
 Dsiri, s. " swelling ; reliance, dependence, trust, confidence ]" 
 e.g. i dsirin'ti kanmbama, " put thy trust in God." 
 
 Dsiri, V. "to swell;" e.g. a borea dsiri, "his hand swelled." 
 
 Dsiri or dsiyi, often contracted into dsi, s. "key." 
 
 Dsiron", a. "blue, green." 
 
 Dso or dso ? '* who .^" 
 
 • • • 
 
 Dso or dsowo, s. " sweet potato." 
 
 Dsombo, s. cassada farm after the rice is taken awav from 
 it. The Veis frequently sow rice in their cassada 
 farms immediately after having planted the cassa- 
 das, so that rice and cassadas grow tosrether. But 
 when the rice has become ripe it is cut out from 
 between the cassada sticks, and these are after- 
 wards suffered to grow to maturity in what is then 
 called dsombo. 
 
162 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Dsondo, v. " to shove, push, push forward ; rend off, cast off." 
 
 Dsondsa, " slavery.'' 
 
 Dsonga, s. " rivalry, emulation, contention." 
 
 Dsonga tie, "to contend for pre-eminence;" e.g. anui 
 dsonga tie nyonura, " they contended with each other 
 who should be the first." 
 Dsoro, s. a ball-shaped bell, with little stones inside to make 
 
 a noise. 
 Dsorowo, s. "chain;" e.g. wu ta ke dsorowero ! "go and put 
 him in chains !" 
 Kani-dsorowo, " brass or gold chain." 
 Dsoro wo-ken, "house where chained prisoners are confined.'' 
 Dsuru, s. " string, cord, rope." 
 
 Dsuru-gbara, " a string of beads." 
 
 Tiri-dsuru, string of beads worn by females round their 
 waists. 
 Doma and duma, s. an upper garment of males, of the form 
 of a shirt, without sleeves and collar, but generallv 
 provided with a breast pocket ; hence, also, a com- 
 mon European shirt. 
 Dondo, s. a hand-net suspended on a stick, of an oblong shape, 
 with a greatest diameter of from four to eight feet, 
 and a lesser of from three to five feet. It is generally 
 used by women. 
 Dondo, s. " wart." 
 Don, V. "to bear;" used only of plants that bear in the ground, 
 
 as cassada, groundnut, potato. 
 Don, V. " to enter, go in, come in ;" e.g. na don kenero, " I 
 entered the house." 
 " To put on," used of coats, waistcoats, shirts, trousers ; 
 
 hence, dom-fen, " apparel." 
 "Offend, hurt;" e.g. a ken ga don, "his foot hurt him." 
 " Put in ;" e.g. a ra dom* bundu sandero, " he put her into 
 
 a liouse in the sands, 
 c. Koro, "give in return, give for, pay for;" e.g. mandsti 
 dsa-fen kiirumba don some Jikoro, " the chief paid very 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 163 
 
 much for this horse ;" wu kun na fondse, kurameke, 
 
 na wa don' akoro, "as ye have come and told it me, I 
 
 give this cloth in return/' 
 
 c. Boro, " to shake hands :"' but, boro dom fen- koro, " to 
 
 be pleased with something." 
 
 Dona, s. "nut," nearly of the size of a walnut, but with a 
 
 kernel like that of a hazel-nut. 
 Dongo, s. " chamelion." 
 Dora, V. "to be sour." 
 Bu, " house." 
 
 Ba-dii, a house roofed in the shape of an upset boat. 
 Kuude-du, " bird's nest." 
 Dii so, "to erect, to build a house." 
 Du, V. " to bend ;" e.g. na sese dii, " I bent a switch." 
 
 Dure, "bent, bowed down;" e.g. mo kore dure, "an old 
 bent person." 
 Du, s. the goods which a widower gives to his father-in-law, 
 that the children whom he had by his deceased wife 
 may stop with him, and that his father-in-law may 
 give him another of his daughters for a wife. If 
 the widower does not give the du, the children of his 
 departed wife will all leave him and go to their mo- 
 ther's father. 
 Dua, s. " gun, cannon." 
 
 Dua-kondse, " cannon-ball." 
 Duake, " to fire a cannon." 
 
 Diiake-kunde, s. " turkey," doubtless from the similarity of 
 its cry with the report of guns. 
 Dua, s. " ink," gained from the leaves of certain plants that 
 
 are called dua dsdmba. 
 Dua, only used in connexion w'itli fen* : dua-fen, " meat." 
 Dua and duake, v. " to pray, praise, bless." It is generally 
 followed by kdnmbdye, and said to have been intro- 
 duced by the Mandingoes. 
 Duamba, s. title of a beri boy whilst he is in the beri bush and 
 wearing the duamba cap, a period varying from two 
 
164 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 or three months to so many years. The dudmha is 
 in the heri what the honi is in the sande. 
 Diife, V. " to extinguish, blow out, put out." 
 Duma, s. " soil, earth, ground, bottom." 
 
 " Land," as opposed to " water ;" e.g. moe boro berea duhia, 
 
 " some people passed by land." 
 S6-duma, " to land, go ashore, put ashore." 
 Dumam' be, " at the present time." 
 Duma, ad. " down." 
 Dumare, a. " earthen." 
 Dumare, s. " earthenware, earthen vessel." 
 
 Dsi-dumare, " an earthen water-pitcher." 
 Dumbai, s. a preparation of cassadas, which are first boiled, 
 
 then cut into small pieces and beaten in a mortar. 
 Dundi, s. or dundi-dsi, " a small creek, a brook " (perhaps from 
 
 dori). 
 Duro, s. " chest, breast." 
 Diiru, s. " fog, mist, haze ; dew." 
 
 Diiru-k^ro kerema, a month nearly corresponding to our 
 January. It is very hazy during that time, on account 
 of the harmadan wind. 
 Duru-karo d5ma, a month nearly equal to our February. 
 Duru, V. "to steam ;" e.g. na nganga duru, "I steamed myself." 
 
 " To suffocate, smother, stifle." 
 Duwo, s. "language;" e.g. Vei-duwo, " Vei language." 
 
 E. 
 
 E ! interj. " oh, ah I" (cf. German je /) 
 
 Ea ! interj. " oh !" e.g. ea na den, "oh, my child !" 
 
 Eio ! interj. "oh !" (cf. German ei .') 
 
 F. 
 
 Fa, s. " father." This word is generally used in addressing 
 people, either alone, like our "Sir," e.g. mfa, "my 
 father," or followed by the proper name, like our 
 " Mr.," e.g. mfa Kari, " my father Kari." To dis- 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 165 
 
 tinguish the natural father, he is called wuru-fa; 
 e.g. n'giiru-fa, or mburii-fa, " my natural father," 
 properly, " my parental father." 
 Fa, a. "full." 
 
 Da-fa, '* quite full, full up to the brim," 
 Fa, V. "to be full;" e.g. na kunda afa, "my pot is full." 
 
 " To fill ;" e. g. ita na kunda fa ! " go and fill my pot !" 
 Fa, V. "to die, expire;" e.g. mfa afa, "my father has died." 
 " To kill, murder, slaughter ;" e.g. a nie fa, " he killed a cow." 
 " Spend time ;" e. g. ya karo kama fa nu ? " how many 
 
 months didst thou spend there .^" 
 " To cut ;" e.g. a kone fa, " he cut a tree." 
 Fa, s. " death ;" e. g. fa-ko, fa-wo, " mourning intelligence." 
 Sheol, abode of the departed spirits, supposed to be in the 
 bowels of the earth, to which a way leads through the 
 water; e.g. mu mamadanu gbi be faro, "all our fore- 
 fathers are in the sheol;" ya na faroi, kira bero nie, 
 an' to dsere, " thou hast come into the sheol : there is no 
 more any way here by which thou mightest go back." 
 " Funeral-feast," which generally lasts from three to six 
 days, but those of rich people one or two months ; e. g. anu 
 fa ma, " they make a funeral-feast ;" anun' ta tomboke 
 faro, " they may go and play at the funeral-feast." 
 Fa, a. "dead;" s. "dead person, corpse;" e.g. wu ke ke fa 
 
 mani, " put this round the corpse." 
 Fadsaro, s. " forehead." 
 
 Fai, s. generally, kundo-bo-fai, s. " comb, dressing-comb.'' 
 Fai and fei, v. to scratch the ground with a hoe, so as to cover 
 the seed which is sown ; e.g. na koro fai, "I plant rice." 
 Fana, s. " place where one dies ; death-bed." 
 Fana, v. " to become lean, thin." 
 Fani, s. " grass field, green, meadow." 
 Fani, s. " lie." 
 
 Fani, v. " to lie ;" e.g. i fani, " thou liest." 
 Fania, s. "lie ;" e.g. iraa fania fo, "do not tell lies." 
 Fania-kira, " a pretended sickness." 
 
166 VEI-ENGL[SH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Fara, s. " bamboo-band,''"' i.e. the outer hard part of the bam- 
 boo split off from the inner marrowy part, and used 
 as a band. 
 Fara sunda and fara bira, " to send and to accept a bamboo- 
 band."" This is a symbolical act connected with the mar- 
 riage of widows. If a man leaves wives behind him at 
 his death, any one of his relatives who wants to marry 
 one of them takes such a bamboo-band, about four to 
 eight inches long, and sends it to the woman as a sign 
 that he wants to marry her. By accepting the band 
 ( =fdra bira) she expresses her consent to his wish ; by 
 returning it to him (fara dsere,fara ma bira) her refusal. 
 Fara mare, s. " a lighted torch, a flambeau." 
 Fara, s. " liver,"" and, in a metaphorical sense, " heart."" 
 
 Fara gbere, " courage ;" a fara gbere gba', " he has much 
 
 courage." 
 Faramani-ko, "heart's desire, wish" (cf. German Herzens 
 
 verliegen). 
 Fara sa, " to be glad, pleased, satisfied, cheered ;" also, " to 
 
 please, to satisfy, to cheer." 
 Fara dsau, "to be excited, vexed, angry." 
 Fara kuru, " be haughty, proud ; obstinate, stubborn." 
 Fara so, " to trust, rely ;"" e.g. na mfara so kanmbara, " I 
 trust in God, rely on God." 
 Fara, s. "image, likeness;'' e.g. a fara wuru, "he begat his 
 
 likeness," i.e. a child like himself. 
 Fara, s. " handle, heft." 
 
 Kari-fara, " handle of a hoe." 
 Kundsi-fara, " haft of a razor." 
 Faranda, v. "to change, exchange;" e.g. mandsa ra dsou gbi 
 faran dsa-fenda, " the chief exchanged all his slaves for 
 goods." 
 " To turn something, metamorphose, be transformed." It 
 is then construed with ro or kd; e.g. d faranda kondo, 
 and a faranda konko, " he turned or became a stick." 
 Faran, v. i.q. faranda. 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 167 
 
 Fcare, a. " filled, full." 
 
 Da-fare, " full up to the brim, quite full.' 
 Fare, a. " dead, killed.'"' 
 Fari, s. " alligator." 
 Fari, s. the cleaned place in a forest where the beri and sande 
 
 ceremonies are performed. 
 Fasi, s. " brass kettle." 
 
 Fe, I'. " blow, make wind, kindle ;" e.g. ta fe, " to kindle a fire.'' 
 " Blow, play ;" e.g. na buru fe, " I blow the horn ;" na k5ro 
 fe, "I play the flute." 
 Fe, postpos. " after, along." 
 
 So mofe, " to follow somebody ;" e. g. i s5a mufe, " thou 
 followedst us ;" a taye a bufe, " he walked along its 
 side," i. e. " alongside it." 
 Kirafe, " after, "' i. e. " in, on, along the way," it being al- 
 ways before us in walking. 
 Borofe, " after," i. e. " in, about the country," as the coun- 
 try can be considered in travelling to be always before 
 the traveller, cf. Gen. xiii. 9. xx. 15. 
 Fe is often coupled with nydma and dsarv; e.g. na dike 
 ya koa fe nyama, " I wept on thy account for a long 
 time." 
 Fe-dson, " a slave who follows his master." 
 Fe-wiiru, " a dog which follows his master," 
 Fedsaro, s. " forehead." 
 
 Fen, s. "tail;" e.g. so-fene, nie-fene, kunde-fene. 
 Fen, only in the connexion fen-gbe, s. " white baft, baft." 
 
 Fen-gbe fima, " blue baft." 
 Feo, s. " asthma." 
 Fere, v. " behold, look at, see." 
 
 c. Ro, " look after, examine ;" e.g. a pfuruaro fere, " he 
 
 looked after the trap." 
 Kumma fere, v. " to superintend." 
 Kumma fere-mo, s. " superintendant. 
 Ferea, v., Lq- fere. 
 
168 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Feren', v. " to lick ;" e. g. wuriea dene feren-, " the dog licked 
 
 the child." 
 Fen-, s. " thing/' 
 
 Femba, " great thing, devil." 
 D6m-feri', " food." 
 Dom-fen, " apparel." 
 Dsa-fen, good property. 
 
 S6-fen-, and wuri-fen, " living thing, animal."" 
 Fira-bo-fen, " living creature, animal." 
 Fen-tara, " apparition, spectre." 
 Fera, "two.'' 
 Feranden, s. " twin." 
 Fere, s. " trade." 
 
 Fere-dende, " trading-canoe, merchant-vessel." 
 Fereke, " to trade ; to gain," e. g. by gambling. 
 Fereke-mo, " trader." 
 Fere, s. "whistling;" e.gr. na ya ferero dan*, "I heard thy 
 whistling." 
 Ferefe, v. " to whistle." 
 Fi, s. " darkness." 
 
 Fi-tiri, lit. "darkness-waist, darkness midst," i.e. "twilight, 
 
 dusk." 
 Fima, a. "dark, black." 
 
 Flare, s. " thank." This word used with regard to God and 
 man ; se only with regard to man." 
 Finda, v. " to be black ;" e.g. mfinda, " I am black." 
 Findo, s. " coal." 
 
 Fin*, V. "to make black, to blacken;" e.g. i na kba fin*, 
 "blacken my shoes." 
 " To blacken ;" e. g. i fin am' fin, " blacken it, and it will 
 be black." 
 Fira, s. " forest, bush, wood." 
 
 Firaro-suye, " wild animals, venison." 
 Fem bo moye fira, " to bring forth something to one as a 
 forest," sc. in which every one can go where he likes, 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 16.9 
 
 i.e. "to invite one, or bid him welcome to something, 
 offer it him/' 
 Fira, v. " to wipe, wipe off." It is construed variously ; e. g. 
 I damani fira ! " wipe thy mouth !" 
 I masama fira ! ** wipe the table !" 
 I gban'ero fira ! " wipe the bowl !" 
 Boro-fira-gbasa, pocket-handkerchief."" 
 Fira, s. " wind, breeze, breath."" 
 
 Fira bo, "to draw breath, to breathe, to rest." 
 Fira bans " to expire, to die." 
 Fira-bp, s. " breath, life, soul."'"' 
 Fira bam mo-buro, " one is out of breath."" 
 Wuraro— fira, "land breeze." 
 Koiro-fira, " sea breeze."" 
 Firi, a. " bare, plain," only joined to dmr, kende, and nyoro ; 
 e.g. dom-firi, "plain rice,"" i.e. rice without sauce or 
 meat." 
 Firi, j;. "to throw away, cast off, fling, put;" e.g. a sem firi 
 mma, " he threw a stone at me C na mboro firi dsi- 
 faro, " I put my hand into my pocket." 
 " Leap, jump into ;" properly, " to thrown oneself into ;"" e.g. 
 
 na firi gone buro, " I jumped into the stockade."" 
 "To ship," with and without a follow^ing dendero; e.g. liima 
 dsom firiwe nie, " I did not ship slaves here." 
 Firia, v. "get in, go in, embark;" e.g. moe gbi firia dendero, 
 " all people embarked in the vessel." 
 Mfiria kiro, " I sunk into a sleep."" 
 Fita, " silk." 
 
 Fita-gbara, " silk hat, beaver hat." 
 Fita-gbasa, " a (black) silk kerchief." 
 Fita-kura, " black silk.'' 
 Fo, ad. " truly, certainly, really, indeed." 
 Fo, V. "to escape;" e.g. na fo, "I escaped;" a fora korie- 
 
 boro, " he escaped from the leopard."" 
 Fo, ad. "clean, quite, completely." 
 
 z 
 
170 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Fo, V. " to tell, say to, speak." 
 
 Ko-fo, " to speak a case," i. e. to examine it, deliberate, 
 judge on it. 
 F6, V. "to plunder, spoil ;" e.g. kere-moen'da sandsa fo, "the 
 warriors plundered the town." 
 Fom-foro, " spoil, prey, booty ;" e.g. an'da fom-forome gbi 
 bo anu boro, " they took all the spoil out of their hand." 
 Fona, s. " accident, casualty f e.g. m mama kasarawa, f5na- 
 mu, " I did not do it intentionally, it is an accident." 
 Fono, V. " to vomit." 
 
 Foro, a. "empty, void, bare;" e.g. kiinda foro, "an empty 
 
 pot ;" kum foro, "an empty head ; ko foro, "an empty, 
 
 nonsensical word ;" kai foro, " a destitute, poor man ;" 
 
 kem foro, " barefooted ;" kundo foro, " bareheaded." 
 
 F5ro, s. " vexation, grief;" e.g. f5re be nda, " I have grief." 
 
 "Anger, vengeance;"" e.g. fore bo, "to revenge;" e.g. mbe 
 
 na f5re bo ama, "I shall revenge myself on him." 
 Na mfa fore bo, " I revenged my father." 
 Foroforo, s. " lights, lungs." 
 
 Forowo, s. a wreathed silver-ring, worn by females as an or- 
 nament round their necks, wrists, or ankles. 
 Foro, s. "shell;" e.g. tie-keri-foro, "egg-shells;" genderi-foro, 
 ground-nut shells." 
 " Bark ;" e.g. kom-foro, " bark of a tree." 
 "Chaff; e.gr. koro-foro, " chaff of rice." 
 Fu, s. " blossom, flower ;" e.g. kone-fu, " blossoms of a tree C 
 
 banda-fu, " cotton blossoms." 
 Fu, s. the greenish substance in stagnant water-pools ; also, 
 
 such pools themselves. 
 Fua, V. " be, go, come early, timely, soon ;" e.g. mbe fua sina, 
 " I shall go early to-morrow." 
 A ma fua dsea, " he did not find it soon." 
 Hi* ma fuil borla, "if thou art not timely in using medicine." 
 Fua, V. " to twist," e. g. a rope. 
 Fui, s. " pus, matter of a sore.'' 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. l7l 
 
 Fiimu, s. " powder, dust ; an undressed, disorderly stuff'," as, 
 e.g., unspun cotton. 
 Tawa-fumu and ta-fumu, " snuff"." 
 Na ta-fumu sa, " I take snuff"." 
 Banda-fumu, cotton from the cotton-tree. 
 Fande-fumu, the common undressed cotton. 
 Bam-fumu, a confused mass of the thin, inner bark of a 
 
 bamboo-tree, used for making mats, &c. 
 Gbema-fumu, the same of palm-trees. 
 Fiinde, s. " mushroom." 
 Fuudo, s. a sort of bats. 
 
 Fiira V. "to bore ;" e.g. i ma ntore furau, " do not bore my 
 ear through." 
 " Prick, pierce, break open," said of sores. 
 Fure, V. " ask, beg." 
 Fure, V. " unloose, untie, open." 
 
 Na buyero fure, " I levelled the gun.'' 
 Furu, s. " shuttle." 
 Fdru-fande, " woof." 
 
 G. 
 
 Ga, V. " to be covetous, stingy, niggardly, avaricious." 
 Ga, s. " stinginess, covetousness." 
 
 Ga-mo, " a niggard." 
 Gana and gara, s. "strength, power, force;" e.g. i ma ga- 
 nara, " do it by force." 
 I gara ma, " exert thyself." 
 Gana and gara, a. "strong;" e.g. kai gana, "a strong man." 
 
 Na a bo gana, " I took it as strong," i. e. by force. 
 Gana and gara, v. " to be strong." 
 Gawiri and garawiri, s. a disease in the jaw, which, when not 
 
 cured, will distort the mouth on one side. 
 Ge-, 6'. a deer, as large as a pony, striped white and red, 
 with ribbed horns, three feet in length, of which 
 they make a musical instrument called hwru, w^hich 
 gives a very deep and melancholy sound. 
 
172 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Gene, " circle, ring/' 
 
 Tomboke-gene, " dancing place, play ground."" 
 Sin-gene, the ring in which the circular dance, with sing- 
 ing, is performed. 
 Gene, s. " cricket, a chirping insect.'' 
 Genderi, s. " ground-nut." 
 
 Genderie turn, " to plant ground-nuts."" 
 Gene, s. " shell."" 
 
 Koiro-gene, " sea-shells." 
 Dsiro-gene, " fresh-water shells." 
 Geren'ere, s. " saw."" 
 
 Na k6n*e tie geren'erera, " I sawed a stick." 
 Gba, ad. " always, constantly." 
 
 Gba, s. " track, trace;" e.g. na korie-gba dse, " I saw the track 
 of a leopard." 
 Mie-gba, " the scar from a knife." 
 Ta-gba, " scar from fire." 
 Gba, s. " a small sore." 
 
 Gba*, s. " debt ;" e.g. ya gba* gbe mma, " I owe thee a debt ;" 
 na gba" gbeima, "thou owest me a debt;" nko na 
 gbara, "give," i.e. "pay me my debt."" 
 Gba' firi, "to trust, to lend;" e.g. ya gba' firi mma, "thou 
 
 didst lend me." 
 " Guilt, crime, fault ;" e.g. hi* a gbaniu, hi' a gbama, " wiie- 
 ther he have any guilt, or whether he have no guilt." 
 Gbafa, s. a small leather bag, generally used as a depository for 
 charms, and worn by the natives about their bodies. 
 Gbai s. a wild red plum, about as large as a fowl's egg. 
 Gbai, V. " to drive, to chase, to hunt." 
 Gbamanden", s. " bell, clock." 
 
 Fari-bamanden, " alligator"'s bell," i.e. a small egg which the 
 alligator lays on the top of others, and which is said to 
 give a sound, when taken, like a bell, at which the alligator 
 comes to defend her eufss. 
 Ghana, $. a feast in connexion with the beri rite. 
 
 Gbana bo, " to make or give this feast." Bo is thus used, 
 
VEI- ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 17 
 
 o 
 
 it would seem, because the dishes are prepared in town, 
 and then carried out into the beri bush, where the feast- 
 ing takes place. 
 Gbanda, a. " having nothing, having no partner in life, being 
 single" (cf. the German ledig). 
 Kai gbanda, " a bachelor." 
 Musu gbanda, " spinster." 
 Gbanda, ad. " for nothing, without cause, without pay ;" e. g. 
 anoa ngbasi gbanda, " they whipped me for nothing ;" 
 nko femmea gbanda, "give methis thing gratuitously." 
 Gbandi, a. "warm, hot;" e.g. dsi gbandi, "hot water." 
 Gbandi, v. "to warm, make hot;" e.g. a dsie gbandi, "she 
 
 warmed the water." 
 Gbandi, s. " heat, steam, vapour, perspiration." 
 Na gbandi boa nda, " I perspire." 
 A gbandie fira, " he %^'iped off his perspiration." 
 Gbandia is the hostile reply to the question dstnde ? in war. 
 Gbandsa, a. " naked." 
 Gbanya, s. " tongs, pincers." 
 Gban-, s. " sugar-cane." 
 Gban, s. " bamboo-tree." 
 Gban, s. "jaw." 
 
 Gban-kuru, "jaw-bone." 
 Gbanakesi or gba'kesi, s. " a wasp." 
 
 Gbanara, s. a kind of tliin reed, used by the natives for the shafts 
 of their arrows, and by the Mahommedans for pens. 
 Gbangba, s. " broom," viz. a rough one, used out of doors. 
 Gbangba, v. "to strike,- to drive;" e.g. na dondema gbangba 
 kene-daro-gbengberero, " I drove a nail into the 
 house-door." 
 " To nail ;" e.g. kanmba ra gbangba duma, " God had 
 nailed him on the ground." 
 Gbangban, s. " copper." 
 Gban-gbe, s. " bamboo-wine." 
 
 Gbangbe kinya or kinyare, " sweet bamboo-wine." 
 Gbangbe dora or dorare, " fermented bamboo-wine." 
 
174 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY, 
 
 Gban'guri, s. " branch of a bamboo-tree." In Mende wuri 
 means " tree," but in Vei it is only retained in the 
 word (jhan'guri. 
 Gbao, s. "braces;" e.g. a gbao ke, "he put on braces," 
 Gbara, used only in the connexion koasi gbara, " a string of coral 
 
 beads ;" dsuru gbara, " a string of common beads," 
 Gbara, v. " to be near :" construed variously ; e.g. a, gbara 
 firara, or a gbara firamani, or a gbara fira-dara, " it 
 is close to the forest." 
 "To draw near, go near, approach;" e.g. mu gbara nu, 
 " we went near there ;" anu gbara nda, " they came 
 near me.'' 
 Fo is often added to it to express emphasis : a gbara ken- 
 
 na fo, " it is quite close to the house." 
 Gbara-mo, s. "a relative;" e.g. a fa gbara-monu, "her fa- 
 ther's relatives." 
 Gbara, v. "to dry;" trans, and intr., e.g. mbe na kura gbara, 
 " I will dry my clothes ;" mbe gbara sana, " I shall 
 soon be dry." 
 Gbara, s. " a large kind of mats." 
 Gbara, s. " hat ;" gbara si, " to put on a hat." 
 Kefe-gbara, " straw hat." 
 Fita-gbara, " silk or beaver hat." 
 Gbara gbanda, s. " thunder." 
 
 Gbare, s. a cloth, four or five yards in length, worn by men 
 only. It is put over the left shoulder, so as to hang 
 down in front nearly to the ground; then the part 
 hanging down the back is drawn under the right 
 arm across the breast, and thrown again over the left 
 shoulder, so that it hangs down behind as far as it 
 does in front, leaving the right arm uncovered and free 
 for action. This, together with a pair of breeches, 
 constitutes the dress of a common man. 
 Gbare, a. " dried," for gbdrare from gbara ; e. g. kon -gbo gbsire 
 
 " dried fruit." 
 Gbtiro, V. " to sigh, moan, grunt ; cry, halloo, call." 
 
VET-ENGLISH VOCABULARY, 175 
 
 Gbar5, s. " hind-part, seat." 
 
 Gbaru, V. "to halloo, shout, hoot;" e.g. anui gbaru kundema, 
 
 " they halloo at the birds." 
 Gbasa, s. " handkerchief." 
 
 Pasiro-gbasa, or boro fira gbasa, o7- bira-boro-gbasa, "pocket- 
 handkerchief." 
 Kan-gbasa, or kan-kiri-gbasa, " neckcloth.'' 
 Gbasa, s. " cassada." 
 
 Gbasi, V. " to beat, flog, whip ]"' e.g. i ma n'gbasi, " do not 
 whip me." 
 " To hammer, prepare by beating ;" e. g. andanoa bene 
 
 gbasi, " they made their arrows." 
 "To strike;" e.g. na ta gbasi, " I struck fire." 
 Gbati, "difficulty, perplexity;" e.g. ya ndon gbatiero, "thou 
 
 hast brought me into difficulty." 
 Gbati, V. "to hold, hold fast." 
 
 c. Mani, " stick to, keep to ; e.g. ima gbati kaimemani, " do 
 not keep to this man." 
 Gbatire, a. " to be held fast, be in need ;" e. g. ngbatiremu 
 
 femme akoa, " I am in need of this thing.'' 
 Gbau, s. " braces," for keeping up clothes ; " straps," for carry- 
 ing a load on the back. 
 Gbau, V. " to seek, to look for." 
 Gbawa, s. the instrument with which, in weaving, the woof is 
 
 beaten into the warp. 
 Gbe, a. " quiet." 
 Gbe, s. " whiteness." 
 
 " Dust, dirt ;" e.g. anu kummai gbe, " they are dirty." 
 Gbema, a. " white." 
 Gbe, V. "to white, to be light, day;" e.g. sama gbea, "the 
 
 morning was light, had dawned." 
 Gbe, s. " intoxicating liquor, rum, wine." 
 Gbe-kbro, " a rum-barrel, a barrel of rum." 
 Gbe-birare, "rum-caught," i.e. drunk. 
 Gbe ra mbira, "rum has caught me," i.e. "I am drunk." 
 Gban-gbe, " bamboo-wine." 
 
176 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Ds6-gbe, " palm- wine." 
 
 Gbe-dsi, or merely gbe, is the name for presents in general, 
 and especially for the dowry which the bridegroom has 
 to give to the parents of his bride ; doubtless, because 
 rum is the most essential part of it. But it does not 
 mean merely rum : Ndore says somewhere : Kura ton 
 nie-gbe-dsi, duma ton' gbe-dsi, bu-fun ton* gbe-dsi, tawa 
 ton* gbe-dsi, dsa-fen" gbiro ton* gbe-dsi, i.e. "Clothes are 
 white water here, shirts are white water, gunpowder is 
 white water, tobacco is white water, all goods are called 
 white water." Hence they can couple don with cjhedsi 
 or ghe; e.g. anu were anoa gbe don*, "they would not 
 eat," i.e. "accept, spend, their rum," i.e. "their dowry, 
 gift, present." 
 Gbene, s. a species of fresh-water fish. 
 Gbende, s. a tree stripped of the bark, a post. 
 Gbendse, s. small crushed rice, or the small pieces which 
 break from rice when beaten for the purpose of re- 
 moving the chaff. 
 Gbeni, s. the common lizard. 
 Gbene, s. " chair.'' 
 
 Gbengben', s. a kind of drum. 
 Gbere, a. "hard;" e.g. sen* a gbere, "the stone is hard."" 
 " Fast, fixed ;" e.g. dura gbere, " the anchor is fast :" often 
 followed by den'; e.g. dsurie gbere den-, "the rope was 
 quite fast." 
 " Difficult ;" e. g. ko gbere, " a difficult case.'' 
 "Illiberal, hard;" e.g. kaie a gbare, "the man is hard." 
 Gbere, a. " all ;" e. g. karmba m5 gbere ma, " God has made 
 
 all men. 
 Gbereka and gberika, " centipede." 
 Gberen", s. " shin-bone." 
 
 Gbere, /or gberere, a. " hard ;" e.g. semme gbere, mbe kun- a 
 tea, " this stone is hard, I cannot break it." 
 Tere gbere, " hot sun ;" e.g. (xnw. be terc gbtnebania, " they 
 were in the very hot sun." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 177 
 
 Gbese, V. "to move, to remove;" e.g. I gbese nu, " move yon- 
 der !" i gbese nie, "draw hither!" i samme gbese, 
 ''remove this stone !" tere gbese, "the sun passes the 
 meridian" i.e. "a little after noon." 
 
 Gbese, s. the child born next to twins. 
 
 Gbei, ad. " wholly, entirely." 
 
 Gbengbe, s. " bedstead, country-bed.*" 
 
 Gbengbe, s. "frog." This word is pronounced, with fuller 
 and higher vowels, nearer to i than the preceding 
 word. 
 
 Gbengbere, s. " plank, board." 
 
 Gbere, ad. " no, not." 
 
 Gberima, s. " water-deer." An amphibious animal, about half 
 the size of a goat, living in sweet water, and often 
 coming out to graze on the land : said to sleep with 
 open eyes. 
 
 Gbesa, s. " scorpion.'' 
 
 Gbi, a. "all, any." 
 
 Gbine-gbine, s. an insect much like a wasp, but of a dark brown 
 colour, making its cells of earth, and fixing' them 
 against a wall or tree, a hornet. 
 
 Gbirin, v. "to pile up, to heap up;" e.g. na kore gbirin", " I 
 heaped up rice." 
 "Coil up," said of serpents ; e.g. mirinya be gbirindo, " the 
 Boa was coiling himself up." 
 
 Gbo, V. " to bear fruit," used only of plants which bear above 
 the ground, as trees, corn, &c. 
 
 Gbo, s. " seed, fruit." It is often used to express diminutive- 
 ness or fewness ; e.g. den' kaima-gb9 dondo pere ma 
 ta nu, "even not one seed of a boy," i.e. "even not 
 a single boy went there." 
 
 Gbo, s. " lock." 
 
 Gbo, s. " a large sore." 
 
 Gbofo, s. a single bush or shrub. 
 
 Gbofu, s. " biscuit, bread ;" often, gbofu gbare, " dried bread." 
 
 Gbogba, s. " a scar." 
 
 ■2 A 
 
178 , VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Gbogbara, s. " socks, stockings." 
 
 Gb5gbara ke, *' to put on socks or stockings." 
 Gbogbo, s. " hammer." 
 
 Gbondo, s. " palm-soup," i. e. the watery part which is left in 
 boiling palm-oil after skimming off the proper oil. It is 
 eaten by the natives like soup to their rice or cassadas. 
 Gbon', s. " monkey, ape." 
 Gbori s. ** bowl, basin."" 
 
 Dsaro-ko-gbori, " washing-basin." 
 Gbori, V. " to pound, crush, mash." 
 
 Gbori, V. "to be even, smooth f e.g. duma gborie, " the ground 
 is even." 
 "To make even ;" e.g. i sene gbori, "even the farm." 
 Gb5ro, s. or more usually, den' gboro, " first-born." 
 Gboro, s. wood growing where the primitive forest is cut down; 
 
 " secondary forest," as opposed to wura. 
 Gboru or duye-gboru, s. " gable end of a house." 
 Gbosogbo or ken'-gbosogbo, " the ankle-bone." 
 Gbotoro, a. " rough, coarse," said of the skin in leprosy. 
 Gbouru, V. "to thrive;" e.g. kmo a dene gbourua, "and lier 
 
 child throve." 
 Gbowo, or contracted into gbo, s. a large sore boil. 
 Gbon'gbon, s. " ocro." 
 
 Gboru, s. " pompion, pomkin, a kind of melon." 
 Gboro, s. " oath" (cf. b6ro = " hand," and Arabic 'Ljx^=rnanus 
 dextra et juramentum). 
 Gboroke, v. " to take an oath, to swear." 
 Gboro, s. " skin, hide." 
 
 N'gboro gborema, " I am unwell ;" ngboro gboremu, " I 
 
 am well." 
 "Book, paper" (cf. Latin membr ana =" memhrnne, skin and 
 
 parchment"); kanmba-gboro, "the book of God." 
 Gboro gbema, " white or blank paper" 
 Gbore nyei, lit. "to speckle paper,'' i.e. to write. 
 Gb^ro, 5. "health;" e.g. a ma gboro dse, "he did not see," 
 i.e. "regain health." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 179 
 
 Gboroa, s. one who has not gone through the beri rite, one 
 
 who is not a heri-mo. 
 Gboroa, s. " foolishness, madness, insanity." 
 Gboroa wa bira, " he has become insane." 
 Gboroa-mo, " fool, madman, insane person." 
 Gboti, V. " to stop, close up, obstruct, stuff." 
 Toro-gboti, " ear-stopped," i.e. deaf. 
 Toro-gboti-mo, " a deaf person." 
 Gboto-moenu, certain doctors, originally come from the inte- 
 rior, and professing to cure long-standing diseases. 
 Gbotu, s. " tadpole." 
 Gbu, V. " to ball, form into balls." 
 Gbu, ad. " all night." 
 Gbii, s. "heart," viz. the bodily organ, not the metaphysical 
 
 heart. 
 Gbun, s. " bowl." To be in the " bowl of a town or country'' 
 
 is as much as to be chief of a town or king over a 
 
 country. 
 Gbun,-tere, " bowl pieces," also a disease of the spine. 
 Gburo, V. " to shave ;" e.g. mu we mu kune gburo, mui mu 
 
 boyawa gbiiro, "we do not shave our heads, we 
 
 shave our beards." 
 Gburu, s. " boil," e.g., from falling; "wale," from stripes. 
 Gere, s. " hawk." 
 Gesa, " glow-worm." 
 
 Gini, s. a paste or pitch made from bees' cells. 
 Gini, s. a house of a conical shape. 
 Giro, ad. " in future, hereafter ;" e.g. mbe i pawa giro, " I 
 
 shall pay thee in future." 
 Gisa, s. a wild plum, much like the golden plum, eaten either 
 
 raw or boiled and fried. The Mahommedans do not 
 
 eat it, believing it to be the fruit forbidden to our 
 
 first parents. 
 Gisi, V. "to smear, besmear;" e.g. an'ni a gisi ama, "they 
 
 smear it on him." 
 Go, .9. "musk-cat, cive-tcat." 
 
180 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Gogo*, s. " crow, a bird." 
 
 Gono, or goro, and goro, s. "palisade, stockade, barricade." 
 
 Guru, V. " to break out, escape, start off, run away ;" e. g. 
 
 a guriia burikea, " he broke out and run away." 
 Giiriiwe s. a large kind of spiders. 
 
 Gusu, s. a large grey deer of the size of a cow, with two 
 straight horns about a foot in length. 
 
 H. 
 
 Haie, or heye, or he, ad. " there, thither." It was doubtless 
 originally a demonstrative pronoun, and is identical 
 with corresponding Indo-European and Semitic roots. 
 
 He'ye, but generally contracted into he-,, " the place where one 
 is ; here.'' 
 
 He ! " hear !'' It is of frequent use, especially in public 
 speeches, and may be considered as an adverb, or as 
 a verb occurring only in the imperative. 
 
 Hi-, conj. " and, if." 
 
 Ho ! interj. " O !" 
 
 H9U ! interj. " O ! ah !" (cf. Latin heu, eheu.) 
 
 Hu hu- s. owl." 
 
 I. 
 
 I, pr. " thou, thee, thy." 
 Iwa, pr. " thou, thy.'' 
 
 K. 
 
 Ka, V. "to open," trans, and intr. ; e.g. i boro ka, "open thy 
 hand ;" a dsa ka, " his eyes opened themselves." Of 
 many things of which we say that themselves open, 
 or are opened, the Veis say that their mouths open, 
 or are opened ; e.g. fuye a daka, " the flower opens 
 itself;" kanara da ka, "to open a box," e.g. ken- 
 eda ka, " to open a door ; gbore-da ka, " to open a 
 book," &c. 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 181 
 
 Kundo ka, " to let know, to inform ;" e.g. an'da mandsa a 
 
 kundo ka, " they informed the chief." 
 Boro ka, or ra, " let go, let fall ; despatch, send f e.g. na 
 
 mboro ka na miera, " I let my knife drop out of my 
 
 hand ;" a boro ka marekanua, " he sent angels." 
 Ka, c. mani, " to depart, separate from, leave one another ;" 
 
 e.g. anu ka nyo mani, " they separated from each other." 
 Ka, c. ko, "cease to support, forsake one;" e.g. i kunni a 
 
 fa, mu we kaiko, " when thou wilt have killed him, we 
 
 will not forsake thee." 
 Ka, V. " to take off, take away." 
 
 Da ka, " to have nothing to do with, not to meddle with ;" 
 
 e.g. an' da ka birama, "he must have nothing to do 
 
 with booty. 
 Ka, V. " to sell." 
 
 Ka, ad.. " up to, to, unto ; till, until." 
 
 Ka, s. " snake, serpent." There are different names for the 
 different kinds of serpents ; e.g. 
 Dsamba kura-ka, " green leaf-snake ;" commonly called, 
 
 "green horse-whip," 
 Bovo, s. commonly " brown horse-whip." 
 Koasa, s. a yellow serpent, often as thick as an arm, from 
 
 four to five feet long, which makes a rattling noise 
 
 when he darts on his prey. 
 Nyimi, s. the black serpent, which is so much dreaded : 
 
 sometimes it is of the thickness of an arm, and six feet 
 
 Ions:. 
 Ndovo gbore (in the Mende language, ndovo, " frog ;" gbore, 
 
 " to swallow) : it is of the thickness of a thumb, and 
 
 one foot in length, with a speckled skin. 
 Tumbu, s- a brown serpent, one yard in length, often as 
 
 thick as a man's thigh, with two teeth in the lower jaw, 
 
 which project about two inches through corresponding 
 
 holes in the upper lip : it can fling itself more than 
 
 fifty paces. The natives of the Gallinas say of this 
 
182 VEI-ENGL[SH VOCABULARY. 
 
 serpent — and I received the same statement respecting 
 a serpent from a native of Gazir, in Bornu, who never 
 in his life has seen the Gallinas — that whereas all others 
 lay eggs, this one is viviparous, and this only once in 
 her life, when the young ones come out of every 
 part of her body, under great agonies, followed by her 
 death. 
 Mirinya, s. the Boa, swallowing deer and bullocks. 
 Bowi, s. a fresh-water serpent, of a black colour, as thick 
 as a mans arm, six feet in length, and living on fish. 
 Ka, V. generally ka duma, " to rise, get up, stand ; to under- 
 stand "(.^). 
 Ka ! ad. " up !^^ 
 Kabande, s. " instruction, information ; narration ; history ; 
 
 story." 
 Kafa, s. "wing." 
 
 Kafa, V. " to cheat, defraud, deceive." 
 Kafa, s. " deceit, fraud." 
 
 Kafa-kirafe, " in the ways of deceit." 
 Kai, s. " man," viz. as opposed to woman. 
 
 Kai-woro & kai-koro, s. " connubial duty of a wife." 
 Kaiworo dsau, " to commit adultery," as said of a woman. 
 Kaia, s. " fish-trap," made by putting sticks across a creek, 
 leaving only a small opening, into which a round 
 basket of bamboo-sticks, from three to six feet long, 
 is fixed, which is wide at the brim and narrow at the 
 end. Its mouth being always set against the current 
 of the water, the fish run into it with such force that 
 they cannot get out. 
 Kaiba, s. a man is thus addressed who is younger than the 
 speaker, and whose name he does not know or wish 
 to repeat. 
 Kaima, a. " male." 
 
 Den kaima, " a boy." 
 Dem musuma, " a girl." 
 
P VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 183 
 
 Tie kaima, "a cock." 
 
 " Manly, courageous, useful ;" e.g. mo-kaima, "a courageous 
 
 and useful person."" 
 "Superior, valuable, precious;" e.g. duma kaima, kura 
 kaima, tebira kaima." 
 Ka ke, v. " to steal." 
 
 Ka-ke-kai, ka-ke-musu, or ka-ke-mo, s. " a thief." 
 Kama, s. " elephant." 
 
 Firaro-kama, s. "land-elephant." 
 Koro-kama, s. " sea-elephant." 
 Kama-nyin-, s. "ivory." 
 Kama, pron. " how much ? which ? what ?" (cf. Heb. HQI), id.) 
 Kama, ad. " how." 
 Kamba, s. "grave;" e.g. ma mfa ke kambaro, "we interred 
 
 my father." 
 Kambi, s. name of the common Guinea-fowl. 
 Kana, s. " guana." 
 
 Kan'ba, i.q. kanmba and karmba, "God.'' 
 Kandi, s. a sort of wild pepper, generally called " bush-pepper, 
 
 bush-spice." 
 Kando, ad. " up, on top, above ; up stairs ; in the up-land, in 
 
 the interior." 
 Kani, s. " metal." 
 
 Kani gbema, " silver." 
 Kani dsare, " gold." 
 Kania, s. " gonorrhoea." 
 Kanu, V. " to swallow ;" e.g. na kuru kanu, " I swallowed a 
 
 bone." 
 Kanya, v. " to be unsuccessful, to be unable ; to give up ;" 
 
 e.g. na kanya komera, " I gave up this case." 
 Kanya, s. "wax." 
 
 Kan-, s. "neck, throat; top, upper part; highland," i.e. "interior." 
 Koi kando, " on the high sea." 
 " Back of a cutting instrument ;" e.g. kuto-kan', " the back 
 
 of a knife." 
 Kan-go for kan-ko, s. " neck." 
 
184 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 KaiT, s. " place;" e.g. kan'ba be kan gbiwa, "'God is everywhere." 
 
 "Land," as opposed to "water;" e.g. amu nserea kamma, 
 
 " and I went on land ;" i gboro siinda kamma, " send a 
 
 letter ashore/' 
 
 Kana, s. often contracted into ka*, "dishonesty, theft; imposition, 
 
 fraud ; sordidness, meanness, covetousness." 
 Kan'a, s. "thief; marten, a kind of weasel." 
 Kanara, s. " box, chest, trunk, portmanteau." 
 Kan-gbasa, s. " neckcloth." 
 
 Kara, s. a pad for the head when carrying a load. 
 Kara, s. " a bow." 
 
 Kara-kon", that part of a bow which produces the spring 
 
 power. 
 Kara-pondi, " string of a bow." 
 Kara or karan*, v. "to learn." 
 
 Kara, v. " to mind, attend to," e.g. nkara na sokera, " I mind 
 my work ;" nkara kira-moera, " I attend to a sick 
 man." 
 Kara or karara, s. a close fence in the forest, about four feet 
 high, and of different lengths, provided with holes, 
 in which traps are set to catch animals, as deer, 
 wild hogs, &c., when they want to go through the 
 holes. 
 Na kara sandsa, " I set such a trap." 
 Karare, a. " learned, cunning." 
 Kare, a. " opened." 
 
 Duma kare, lit. " the ground is opened," i.e. " it is light, 
 it is day." 
 Kari, s. a mild sort of itch. 
 
 Kari ra mbira and kari boa nda, *' I got the itch, I have 
 the itch." 
 Kari, v. "to break, break in two, break off;" e.g. na kone kari, 
 " I broke a stick ;" na dombo boro kari, " I plucked 
 some plums." 
 Tere-kari, s. " daybreak." 
 Kari, *•. "hoe." 
 
t 
 
 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 185 
 
 Karo, s. " moon ; lunar month, month. 
 
 The following are the names of the months : — 
 
 1. B5 or ken-gbato-bororo-karo, lit. " foot-track-in-the- 
 ground-leaving month, i. e. " month in which the 
 foot leaves a track in the ground/' it being the 
 first month after the rains, corresponding to our No- 
 vember. 
 
 2. Duru-karo doma, i.e. "the little-haze month," or kima- 
 karo doma, i. e. " the little-cold month," because then 
 the hazy and cool harmadan wind begins to blow ; 
 answering to our December. 
 
 3. Duru-karo kerema, i. e. " the great-haze month,'' or 
 kima-karo kerema, i.e. "the great-cold month," be- 
 cause then the hazy and cool harmadan winds have 
 fully set in; answering to our January. 
 
 4. Banda-buru, answering to our February. 
 
 5. Vo or Vauo, answering to our March. 
 
 6. Fiiru, answering to our April. 
 
 7. G5ru, answering to our May. 
 
 8. Gbero-karo or Gberewo-karoi answerinsr to our June. 
 
 9. Narua, answering to our July. 
 
 10. Kondere, answering to our August. 
 
 11. Sara, answering to our September. 
 
 12. Garu or Gariiro, answering to our October. 
 Karmba, kaimiba, or kan'ba, " God ;" perhaps it is derived 
 
 from DH, " Ham," and ba, " great ;" cf. Ammon of 
 the Libyan desert, but especially the Indian Charma 
 and Greek Hermes; also the names for God in the 
 Bulanda, Nalu, and Padsar languages, Hdla, Chdlang, 
 and KZdang ; and, according to Dr. Prichard's re- 
 searches, those of the Berber and Guanehe languages, 
 M^Kurn and Acoran. It may here be remarked, that 
 karmba or kanmha sounds like a foreign word in Vei, 
 there being not a single instance more in the whole 
 language where three consonants meet without an 
 intervening vowel. 
 
 2b 
 
186 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Kasara, s. " purpose, intention ;" e. g. na kasara nyi, " my in- 
 tention is good.*" 
 "Wilfulness, naughtiness;" e.^. ai kasa-diwakea, "she is 
 crying from naughtiness." 
 • Kasara, a7 " wilful, idle, lazy." 
 
 Kasi and kase, s. "rust;" e.g. na mie, kasi be a raani, "my 
 knife is rusty.'' 
 " Blame, fault ;" e.g. bema kasi beremani, "because thou 
 
 art not blameable." 
 Kasi firi, " to blame, find fault with ; accuse ; to fine ; e.g. 
 an'da kasiwa firi ama, " they blamed him." 
 Kaiiru, s. " crab." 
 Ke, pr. " that, this."" 
 Ke, ad. "there, then." 
 Ke, conj. " then ; but." 
 Ke, V. " to put in, lay in, pour in." 
 
 " To put on," said of socks, shoes, braces ; e.g. sl k5a ke, 
 "he put on shoes." 
 Kende, a. " alive, living ;'" e. g. fen' kende, " a living thing." 
 Na kunde, fare ma, a kendemu,, "' my bird is not dead, it 
 is alive." 
 Kende and kendi, s. also ta~kende, " fire-coal, burning-coal, 
 
 live-coal." 
 Kendsi, s. "nail of fingers and toes ; claws of birds and beasts.'' 
 KendsT, " bamboo-nut." 
 Kenye and ke'ye, s. " sand, sand-beach." 
 
 Kenye sa, lit " to lay sand," i. e. to make figures in the sand 
 for the purpose of ascertaining futurity, to augur by 
 means of sand;" e.g. an"da ke'yewa sa, Jimo a nyia, 
 " they augured from sand, and it was favourable." 
 Kenye-mo, " an augur by sand." 
 Kenye, v. " to hatch." 
 Kere, ad., i.q. ke, "there, then." 
 Kere, conj., i.q. ke, "but, yet, however." 
 Kere, .s. " war, warriors." 
 
 Si-kere, the warriors whilst occupying a town or country. 
 
r 
 
 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 187 
 
 that they have taken. It also signifies the place itself that 
 L is thus occupied, and then answers to our " seat of war." 
 
 Kere bera, "to throw," i.e. "bring, make war." 
 Kere-kondse, lit. " war-ball," i.e. those captives whom the 
 warriors have to give up to the chiefs. They are al- 
 ways a certain proportion of the whole number of cap- 
 tives, generally one-half, or one-third, or still fewer. It 
 is intended as a remuneration for the ammunition with 
 which the chiefs have to provide the warriors. Hence 
 they also say bu-kondse, " gun-ball," instead of kerSII^ 
 kondse. 
 Kerenyo, s. " combatant, enemy." 
 Kerei ? ad. ** so ? indeed .^" 
 Kerima or kerema, and often contracted into keima, keima, and 
 
 kema, ad. " before, lately, some time ago." 
 Keri-keri, s. the common itch. 
 
 Ke, V. "reach, come to, arrive at;" e.g. a kea mu bara, "he 
 came to us." 
 " Arrive at an age, become f' e.g. a kea musiiro, " she ar- 
 rived at womanhood, became a woman." 
 "Refer to, relate to, concern, interest;" e.g. fa-kome anke 
 
 wa, " this mourning intelligence concerns you." 
 "Communicate, relate;" e.g. mdndsa kome ke kuruaniia, 
 " the chief communicated the matter to the warriors.'' 
 Kefe, s. " pine apple." 
 
 Kefe-gbara, " straw hat." 
 Kembu and kimbu, s. " charcoal." 
 Kende, s. " guinea-corn." 
 
 Kendsa, s. a hamper about three feet long and one wide, made 
 of palm-branches. 
 Kendsa kiri, to make such a hamper. 
 Kentinderi, s. "heel. 
 Ken, s. " foot, leg." 
 
 Kemma, " on the lap." 
 Ken-goro, s. " sole of the foot." 
 
188 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Ken'-gura, s. " trousers ^ (cf. Germ. Beinkleider). 
 
 Ken-kuudu, s. a species of small wild hog. 
 Kera, s. " a red deer." 
 Kere, v. " to call, invite."" 
 
 Dsi-kere, s. " thirst." 
 Kere, s. " snail."" 
 
 Kere-foro, " snail-shell."" 
 Kerefe, and sometimes contracted into kefe, " cayenne pepper."" 
 Kerema, a. " great, large, big."" 
 w Nyomo kerema, " an elder brother." 
 Kerema, ad. " much, greatly." 
 Keren-, s. a kind of drum. 
 Keri, " egg."' 
 
 Tie-keri, " fowPs egg.'' 
 Keu, s. "turtle, tortoise," 
 
 Keu-keri, " tortoise egg.'"' 
 
 Keu-fbro, " tortoiseshell."" . 
 Keu, s. " dream." 
 
 Keii sa, ''to dream." 
 Ki, V. "to sleep;" e.g. mma ki, "I do not sleep." 
 
 " To spend the night ;" e. g. y a ki domboa, " thou didst sing 
 all night ;" manyare kia tura fara, " the cat was killing 
 rats all night long."" 
 Ki, s. " sleep;" e.g. ki ra mbira, lit. " sleep has caught me." 
 Kike, V. " to sleep.'' 
 
 Kima, s. "cold;" e.g. kima-banda, "season of cold, harmadan 
 season." 
 
 Kimawa mbira, lit. " a cold has caught me,"" i. e. " I caught 
 a cold."" 
 
 Kima we mma, " I have a cold, labour under a cold." 
 Kimare, a. "cold;" e.g. dsi kimare, ''cold water." 
 
 " Cool, quiet ;" e.g. mo kimare, " a quiet, easy person." 
 Kinei, ad. " exactly, exactly so, just so." 
 Kini, s. sympathy, compassion, feeling ; emotion, grief." 
 Kini, a. " touching, moving, grieving." 
 
VEI- ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 189 
 
 Kinya, a. "sweet, pleasant, agreeable;" e.g. arao akure kmya 
 femba-toro, "and her voice was sweet in the devil's ear." 
 Kin', V. "to bite;" e.g. wuria nkin', "a dog bit me/' 
 Kira, s. " path, way, road, street/*' 
 Soa kirafe, " to set out, to start/' 
 Kirafe-fena, place wliere a road divides into two, also a 
 
 cross-way. 
 "Way, side, part;" eg. nu-kira, "on that side;" nie-kira, 
 
 " on this side." 
 *' Quarter, region/"" Their kira ndni are — 
 
 1. Tere-bo, "east." 
 
 2. Tere-dsi, " west." 
 
 3. Boro berema, "on the good/' i.e. right hand ; or fen- 
 dom-boroma, lit. " on-the-something-eat-hand," i.e. 
 right hand, or south. 
 
 4. Mara-borema, " on the left hand," or north. 
 Kira, " sickness, disease, ailment." 
 
 Kira-du, " hospital." 
 Kira, v. " to be sick, to sicken." 
 Kira, a. " sick." 
 
 Kirare, a. " sick, unwell, poorly, indisposed, ill." 
 Kiri, V. " to tie ;" e. g. an'da ka*ke-kai kiri, " they bound the 
 thief ;" i ya bore kiri, " tie thy bag." 
 Kimdo-kiri, " thought, study ;" nkundo-kiri mana, " I am 
 
 studying." 
 " Put on," said of the neckcloth, and the cloths of females. 
 Kiri, s. a small kind of rice bird. 
 Kirifi, s. " a ghost." Perhaps from kira and fe 
 Kirimu, ad. "as/' 
 Kirire, a. " tied." 
 
 Daro kirire, " stammering/' 
 Kisi, s. " termite." 
 
 K6, s. "palaver, matter, thing, case, cause, reason, account, 
 sake, word." 
 "Palaver, dispute;" e.g. ko ba be anu bdro, "they have a 
 great palaver." 
 
190 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 "Objection;" e.g. anMo : ko be mubara, "they said, We 
 
 have no objection." 
 "Matter, affair, news; e.g. mbe ko be nie? " what are the 
 
 news here ?" 
 "Matter, concern ;" e.g. faramani-ko, "heart's desire, wish:" 
 " Opinion, judgment, sentence;" e.g. nkomu : a kunni ka- 
 nake an' to nie, " it is my opinion that, as he has stolen, 
 he is to be left here." 
 Ko, V. " to wash, wash oneself, to bathe." 
 Kb-kuru, " washing yard, bathing-place," 
 Kona, s. " washing-place, bathing-place." 
 Ko, V. " to give ;" e.g. a n*k9 miera, " he gave me a sword." 
 " Give for deliberation, lay before ;" e. g. wumu kere- 
 mandsa ko komea, " let us lay this case before the 
 war-chiefs." 
 Ko or kowe, " let, suffer, permit, wait," an expression of 
 politeness, just as we say in English, Excuse me a 
 little, till, &c. ; ko mbe ta, " let me go ;" kowe sa- 
 man*" gbe, " suffer, wait till the morning dawn ;" kowe 
 mun' kim so, " allow that we may consider it." 
 Ko, s. "back;" e.g. i sei ko, "put it on thy back." 
 
 c. Muni, " go over, in war ;" e.g. Tere-moenu muni anuko, 
 
 "the Tere people went over to them." 
 
 c. Sa and bon, "to send with;" e.g. a monu sako, lit. "he 
 
 laid people on his back," i.e. " he sent people with 
 
 him ;" amo anoa sundanu bon ako, lit. " and they poured 
 
 strangers on his back," i. e. " they sent strangers with 
 
 him." 
 
 K9, V. " to take out, to draw," used of fluids in the widest sense. 
 
 Ko, V. " deny ;" e.g. i ma ko, iwa, zi, i ma dau, " do not deny, 
 
 but do also not confess of thyself." 
 Ko, interj. " O !" 
 Ko, s. " salt." 
 
 Ko-fere-bbrodori, lit. "salt-tasting-finger," i.e. the finger next 
 to the thumb. 
 Koanya and koa'ya, s. " ground-pig." 
 
YEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 191 
 
 Koari, V. "to speak, to sound;" e.g. demme \se kun" koaria 
 " the child cannot speak." 
 *' To blame, rebuke, scold ;" e.g. mfa koari nda, hi nnyo- 
 
 moera, " my father rebuked me and my brother." 
 c. Dakoro, " to put the mouth into, to interrupt in speak- 
 ing, to intermeddle, interfere ;" e.g. mo ma kun koaria 
 ndakoro, " no man can interfere with me." 
 Koari, s. " speech, rebuke, scolding ; dispute, quarrel." 
 Koasi, s. coral beads. 
 
 Koasi-gbara, a string of corals. 
 Kogba, s. a peculiar kind of beri dance. - "^ 
 Koi, s. " sea, salt-water," probably connected with Jcq, " salt." 
 But some natives expressed the opinion that it is 
 connected with koari, " to speak,"^ on account of the 
 constant noise of its breakers. 
 K5i, s. or koi, " plantation, field ;" but used only in the fol- 
 lowing; connexion — 
 Gbasa-koi, a cassada field, in which rice has not been 
 
 planted first, vid. Dsombg. 
 Genderi-koi, " ground-nut plantation" 
 Koiwa, s. " guawa" a fruit not unlike a pear. 
 Kokoye, s. " partridge." 
 Kone, s. " petition, supplication." 
 
 Kone sa, " to beg ;" e.g. na kone sa mfa, or na kone sa 
 mfara, " I beg my father." 
 Kone, ad. " please, do." 
 Kondo, s. " sloth," the animal. 
 
 Kondse, s. " ball," any thing globular, " kernel, kidneys." 
 Dua-kondse, " cannon-ball." 
 Bu-kondse, " musket-ball." 
 Gbakoro-kondse, " palm-nut.'' 
 Kondse-kira, s. " scrofula." 
 
 Kondse-turu, "palm-nut-oil," oil prepared from the palm 
 kernels, not the same as palm-oil, which is made of the 
 fleshy substance around the kernel. 
 
192 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Konia, s.. " pig, liog." 
 
 Kona, s. " matter, palaver, cause, concern.'* 
 
 Konama, ad. " no matter, never mind." 
 
 Kondo, s. the large kind of locusts, which congregate in large 
 swarms so as to darken the sky. 
 
 Kondsukandsa, s. "the ant-eater.*" 
 
 Konsuru, s. " tree-root, root of a tree." 
 
 Kon* and kon", s. a tree. 
 
 K6n--gb9, ** tree-fruit ;" gbo-kon-, " fruit-tree ;" kura-de- 
 kon', " a weaver's beam ;" tema-kon, the pedals of a 
 loom." 
 
 Kono, s. " mountain ;" konekoro, " at the foot of a mountain." 
 
 Kon'o, s. "famine, hunger, appetite ;" e.g. kono bera, "a famine 
 happened ;" kono be nda, " I am hungry ;" konoba 
 be mua, " we are very hungry." 
 
 Kore, a. " washed, clean." 
 
 Kori-gbere, s. a species of jackal or fox. 
 
 Koro, postpos. " under, underneath." 
 
 Koro, a. " old ;" e.g. kai koro, " an old man ;" kura koro, " old 
 cloth." 
 
 Koro, ad. "long ago, long since ; e.g. ya mu so koro ? " didst 
 thou know us long since ? 
 
 Koro, s. rice when not yet cooked. 
 
 Koro gbere, or kero ture, " clean rice." 
 Koro, gbara, "rough rice." 
 
 K9ro, s. this is said to be a round mat, neatly made. I have 
 not seen it myself, and, as Ndore informed me, mo 
 kurun" ge fem biri dse, ai ti kanaro gba, i. e. " not 
 many persons see that thing ; it is carefully preserved 
 in a box." Now this koro the English-speaking Veiese 
 always translate as "crown," because it is used at the 
 installation of a king : however, as the mat is not 
 placed on the king's head, but as he is seated on it, 
 it has more similarity with a throne than with a 
 crown, although it is identical with neither. 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 193 
 
 Koro-mandsa, the king of a whole country, as opposed to 
 
 the chiefs or mandsa over one or more towns. 
 Si koroma, " to enthrone, to install a king." 
 Koro,' and sometimes koworo, s. "a walled-in yard." 
 Koro, s. " flute." 
 
 Koro-kama, i.e. koiro-kama, "sea-elephant, sea-horse, walrus." 
 Kosia, s. the yellow rice-bird, a kind of sparrow. 
 Kowa and koa, s. " sandal, shoe."" 
 Koa ke, " to put on shoes." 
 Kowa kinyama, " boots." 
 Kon'go, s. a small kind of round gourds, used for drink- 
 
 ing-cups. 
 Kori, s. "leopard." 
 
 Kori nyin*, " leopard's tooth ;" kori gboro, " leopard's skin." 
 Koro, a. " large, big, great." 
 Koro, s. " a cask, barrel." 
 
 Gbe-koro, " a cask of rum ;" gbofu-koro, " a barrel of 
 biscuits." , 
 
 Koroa, v. "to make great, large, big." 
 Koro, s. " a fenced-in yard." 
 Kii, s. " house."" 
 
 Tie-kii, " fowl-house.'' 
 Ku, s. a very large species of spider. 
 Ku, s. also ku-bere, s. " rupture, hernia.'" 
 Kumaka, v. " to redeem," e.g., a pledge, or from slavery. 
 
 Kumaka-mo, "redeemer." 
 Kumare, s. " palm-nut." 
 
 Kumare-kone, i. q. tongbo, " palm-tree." 
 Kumbende, a. "whole;" e.g. a ma na kumbendea, "he did 
 not bring a whole one ;" n'ko gbasa kumbendea, 
 " give me a whole cassada." 
 Kumbere, s. " knee." 
 Kumbi, s. " dew," when lying on plants or the earth. 
 
 Kumbiro-doma, "dew-shirt," i.q. doma, worn by the more 
 respectable natives instead of a common ghdre. 
 
 2 c 
 
194 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABTJLAUY. 
 
 Kumbiiru, v. "to roll;" e.g. dugba-kondse kumburua, "the 
 cannon-ball rolled on ;" i semme kumburu, am' b9 
 kirama, " roll this stone out of the road."" 
 Kumma, "on, upon f e.g. masa kumma, "on the table." 
 
 K6i-kumma, " on the sea." 
 Kumu, s. " bee,'*' 
 
 Kumu-dsi, " honey." 
 Kumu-sa, " bee-hive." 
 Kumu-v5mbe, " queen-bee." 
 Kuna, a. "bitter." 
 Kuna-kuna, s. " gall, bile." 
 Kune, V. " to awake, waken." 
 
 Ya kune ? in addressing one person ; and wa kune ? in 
 addressing more than one person ; a common salu- 
 tation, used from morning till late at night, the 
 original meaning being lost sight of, so that the 
 English-speaking Veis always say it means, " how do 
 you do?'' 
 Kunda, v. "to bend" (i.q. bunda); e.g. na nganga kunda, "I 
 bend myself;" na sese kunda, "I bend a switch." 
 "To roll up;" e.g. na wara kunda, " I rolled the mat up." 
 c. Ra, "to fit, to suit;" e.g. kengurame kundci nda kinei, 
 " these trousers fit me exactly." 
 Kunda, v. "to grow, grow up." 
 Kunda, s.for kundu-da, " iron-pot." 
 Kunde, s. " bird." 
 
 Poro-kunde, s. "duck." 
 Duake-kunde, s. " turkey." 
 Kundi, s. " hair, feather." 
 
 Kunde-kundi, " bird's feathers." 
 Kundsi, s. " razor." 
 Kundu, s. " iron." 
 
 Kundu mi, " to perform a war-dance." 
 Kundu, a. "short;" e.g. kira kundu, "a short road." 
 Kundu kundu, " a short piece of iron." 
 
VEI ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 195 
 
 Kundu, s. "shortness; privation, exertion" e.g. a else nga 
 
 kiinduma, " he got it through my exertion/' 
 Kiin-te, s. " pate." 
 
 Kiinu, s. "the day past;" e.g. kunu-sama, "yesterday morning," 
 Kiinu, ad. " yesterday." 
 
 Kunuko, ad. " on the day before yesterday." 
 Kunye, s. " smell, stench, stink." 
 
 Ivvaro kiinyaweibo, or ikimyaweibo, "thou stinkest;" na ra 
 kunye dan*, " I smell it." 
 Kunye and kunye, v. " to smell ;" e. g. na ra kunye, " I smell 
 
 it ;" a kore kunye, " he smelt at the rice." 
 Kun*, s. " head, top, pitch, surface." 
 
 Kim-te, s. " pate, zenith ;" e.g. terea ke kun-te, " the sun 
 
 has reached the zenith." 
 Si kun', " to lay on one's head, to chai'ge him ;" e.g. an'da 
 kde si san'-kun", " they charged the deer with the 
 matter." 
 Kun so, "to deliberate, ponder, muse ;" e.g. kowe, mun' ta 
 
 kun so, "excuse us, that we may go and deliberate." 
 Kundo-kiri, 6-. " thought, study, sense, remembrance, me- 
 mory ;" e.g. na kiindo-kiri ma, "I study, I remember." 
 Kundo-ban', s. "perplexity, confusion;" e.g. a ma kundo- 
 
 ban so, " he knew no confusion." 
 Kundo-ka, "to inform, to tell;" e.g. ihbe tafa kundo ka, 
 " I shall go and tell his father." 
 Kun-, V. "to grow;" e.g. mbe kunna, "I am growing." 
 Kun', V. " to be able, enough for, to match, equal ;" e.g. 
 liima kun* ira, " I do not equal thee ;" dsie ma 
 kun- a kunda, " the water was not enough for his 
 head," ie. " the water was not enough to fill his 
 head." 
 c. Koro, " to be strong enough for, equal to ;" e.g. mbe kun* 
 akoro, " I am not equal to it ;" mbe kun suye koro, " I 
 am not strong enough for the venison," i.e. " not so 
 strong as to carry it." 
 "To overcome, prevail against, subdue, subject;" e.g. na 
 
196 VEI-ENGLISn VOCABULARY. 
 
 kun' 1 koro, " I have overcome thee ;" ya ban* kunda 
 nkoro, "thou hast already prevailed against me."" 
 Kunkoro, or kunkuru, a., perhaps from kurun* and koro, "much, 
 many, numerous ;" e. g. dsie kunkuru, " much water ;" 
 dsara kunkurunu, " many lions ;" dongbo kunkuru, 
 " a numerous crowd." 
 Kuo, interj. " O !" 
 
 Kura, a. " raw, uncooked ; fresh, green ;" e.g. siiye kurn, " raw 
 meat ;" koro kura, "uncooked rice ;" dsamba kura, "a 
 green leaf ;'' kon" kura, " a green tree." 
 Kura, s. "cloth;" e.g. na kura de, " I weave cloth." 
 Kura-de-mo, " a weaver." 
 Kura-de-kon', " a weaver's beam."" 
 Kamma-kura, or kando-kura, " country cloth." 
 Poro-kura, " European or American cloth." 
 Ken-gura, " trousers." 
 
 Kura-bu, s. a strip of cloth as broad as the native weavers 
 
 can make it, i.e. from four to six inches. In order to 
 
 make use of them for clothing, these kura-bu must first 
 
 be sewn together. 
 
 Kure, s. " word, voice, report ;" e. g. Vei-monua bu-kure dan-, 
 
 " the Vei people heard the report of the guns." 
 
 Kiire dsau, " to break a word ;" e.g. i ma nkure dsau, " do 
 
 not thou break my word.*"' 
 Kure firi, "to reply;" e.g. riima kure fi nu, "I did not 
 reply." 
 " To crow ;" e.g. tiea kure firi sai gben', " the cock crew 
 just before daybreak.'' 
 Kure dondo, " concord, harmony, union ;" e.g. kiire dondo 
 ai boro a sau, lit. " union lays the whole country down," 
 i. e. " makes or keeps it quiet." 
 Kure ta kan dondo, "to agi'ee, be unanimous;" e.g. anu 
 kure ma ta kan dondo, " they did not agree." 
 Kurea, v. "to deceive;" e.g. ya nkurea, "thou hast deceived 
 me. 
 Kurea-nio, " a man who may be easily deceived." 
 
VEI-ENGLISII VOCABULARY. 1.97 
 
 Kuri, V. " to go or walk round, carry round ; surround," 
 Na kuri sandsara, " I walked round the town." 
 N kuria nnyomo sandsaro, " I carry my brother round the 
 town;" kere-m5nu kuria sandsa, "the soldiers surrounded 
 the town." 
 Kurima, s. " dry season." 
 Kuru, s. " bone." 
 
 Nyie-kuru, " fish-bone." 
 Te-kuru, " spine." 
 
 "Stone of fruits;" e.g. dombo-kuru, "a plum stone." 
 Kuru, s. " hinder-part, seat." 
 
 Kuru-si, breeches, worn by the natives, like our bathing- 
 breeches. 
 Kone-kuru, the bottom of a tree. 
 Tamba-kuru, s. that part of a spear which is opposite the 
 
 point. 
 Kuru bi, " to begin ;" e.g. moa diambo a kuru bi, " we be- 
 gan a conversation." 
 Kuru, V. " to be silent, keep silence ;" e.g. ikuru ! "keep silence !" 
 c. Ra, " to let alone, leave in peace ;" e.g. i kuru nda ! " let 
 me alone !" mfa kurera, " my father leaves thee in 
 peace." 
 " To cease, desist from ;" e g. anun' kuru kerekea, "they 
 are to desist from warring." 
 Kuru, a. i.q. koro, "much; great, big." 
 
 Kurua ancZkuruwa, s. "war-hero, a more than common warrior." 
 Kurun-, a. "much, many;" e.g. moenu kurun", "many peo- 
 ple ;" koro kurun", " much rice."" 
 Kurumba, a. " very much, very many." 
 
 M. 
 
 Ma, ad. " not ;" e.g. liima mandsa dse, " I did not see the chief;" 
 i ma fo ndse ? " didst thou not tell me .^" 
 
 Ma, V. " to seem, to appear." 
 
 Ma, i). "to make, perform, do, commit, cause;" e.g. i ke ma! 
 do this !" liima ko nyama maira, " I did not do thee 
 
198 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULAKT. 
 
 harm ;" karmba bore ma, " God made the earth ;" 
 liifa akene ma, " my father made a house." 
 " To make," i. e. " to say, produce a sound," the exact im- 
 port of which is not understood; e.g. anu ma, mina, 
 " they "make (i.e. say). Amen V amo ai ma kereku, "and 
 she made Jcerekiu'' i.e. "and she cried as monkeys cry." 
 "To be done, to happen;" e.g. hi' ko ama, "if something 
 
 has happened to him ;" mbe ma ? " what happened ?" 
 " To apply, to put ;" e. g. anu turie ma nu, " they put oil 
 
 there." 
 Bere ma, " to commit adultery." 
 Ma-ko, " business, work." 
 Ma, poslpos. " on, upon ; above, over ;" e.g. mascima, " on the 
 table." It is frequently affixed to kun'\ e.g. kene- 
 kumma, " on the house ;" masa-kumma, " on the 
 table;" kun* kumma, "on the head;"'" duma kumma, 
 " on the ground." 
 Mafiri, s. " brain." 
 Mai, V. " to abuse, revile ;" e.g. i ma mba mai ! " do not abuse 
 
 my mother !" 
 Makiri, v. " to dress, put on clothes ;" e.g. na ngmrga makiri, 
 "I dressed myself;" mba nnyomo makiri, "my mo- 
 ther dressed my brother." 
 Mama, s. " milt, spleen." 
 Mama, s. "grandmother." 
 Mamada, s. "grandfather." 
 Mande, a. " other, another." 
 
 Mandsa, and sometimes ma'ya, s. " chief, any great, rich man." 
 Koro-mandsa, " king;." 
 Mandsa-den', " a free-born person." 
 Mandsa, s. a whisk or broom made of the spines of palm- 
 leaves, about one and a-half to two inches in diame- 
 ter. The people, and especially the chiefs, fre(juently 
 carry it in their hands to drive away the moscpiitoes 
 and flies. Together with the tunghe, it constitutes 
 the insignia of the king's speaker. 
 
VET-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 199 
 
 Mani, postpos. " on, at, by, with, close to, next." 
 Mcini-woro and Mani-koro, " Mani rice," i. e. a small-grained 
 rice with blackish chaff, ripening very quickly, and 
 therefore also called koro gbandere, " hot rice." 
 Manyare, s. " cat." 
 
 Man-a, s. " dispute, quarrel ; growl, snarling ; resistance, de- 
 fence." It is often contracted into ma'; e.g. koria 
 ma" maye, " the leopard growled at him ;" I ku.ru 
 mana ma, " cease to make resistance ;" mma dau, 
 n-ga, zi, mma mana ma, " I did not confess, neither 
 did I- make a defence." 
 Mara, v. " to be lighted, kindled ;" e.g. ta a mara, " the fire 
 is lighted ;" ta ma marawe ? " is the fire not yet 
 lighted ?"" 
 "To shine;" e.g. terea mara, "the sun shines." 
 "To light, to kindle;" e.g. i fara mara, "light the torch." 
 Mara, generally mo-mara, s. " the left, left hand, left side." 
 Mmararo, " on my left ;'' dsa-fenni bo mo-mararo, dsa-fem 
 bo mo-toro, "goods will come from the right and left." 
 Mara-boro, " left hand ;" mara-ken-, " left leg ;" mara-wa, 
 
 " left side." 
 "Wrong, injustice, impropriety," i.e. something opposed to 
 what is right ; e.g. a ma marawa ma, " she has not done 
 wrong." 
 Mara, s. " war-dress," covering the whole body with the ex- 
 ception of the eyes, and consisting of cloth and the 
 head part of a dried skin. 
 Mara, ad. "improperly, roughly, harshly;" e.g. a kiin'ni a 
 
 gbai mara, " if he speak it harshly." 
 Marake, v. ** to raise up, bring up, mind, nourish," said only 
 
 of animate beings. 
 Mare, a. for marare, " lighted, kindled." 
 
 Fara mare, " a lighted flambeau." 
 Mari, s. an amphibious animal, as large as a cow, living by day 
 in fresh water, and coming out by night to graze. 
 It is black, without either horns, tail, or hair, is short- 
 
2 00 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 legged, and has diminutive eyes. • Being very fat, the 
 
 natives are very fond of its flesh. 
 Marc, V. " to be ashamed, to bhish ; to put to shame." 
 Masa, s. " table." 
 Mazu, s. a kind of dance, accompanied with wild gestures of 
 
 the arms. 
 Me, pron. " this." 
 
 Mei , V. " to consider, deliberate ;" e.g. na komu foimei*, "con- 
 sider what I say ;" mbe ikure meira, " I will consi- 
 der thy word." 
 Meremere and memere, s. " mirror, looking-glass." 
 Mese, a. "small, little." 
 Meseri, s. " needle." 
 Mba and mbaa, ad. reply to an expression or action which has 
 
 given much pleasure and satisfaction. 
 Mbe ? pron. " what ? what thing ? which ?" 
 Mei, v., i.q. mai, "to revile, abuse." 
 Mi, V. " to drink." 
 
 Tawara mi, " to smoke." 
 Me-fen-, " drinkable." 
 Miamia, s. "lightning." 
 Mie and mie, s. " knife, cutlass, sword." 
 Mre and mi'a, v. "to remain long, to delay ;" e.g. a mi'ii nu, 
 
 " he delayed there ;" liima dla nni mi'e nie, " I do 
 
 not like to remain here long." 
 Mie, a. " likely, probable ;" e.g. a we mie fonoa, " he is likely 
 
 to vomit ;" mfa were mie ta, " my father is not likely 
 
 to go." 
 Mii'a, and more frequently mina, pr. " which, which one." 
 Mira and mina, ad. " where ? whence ? whither .^" 
 Mirinya, s. " Boa-constrictor," a large serpent, swallowing 
 
 goats and deer. 
 Mirinya, v. " to fear, be afraid ;" e. g. i ma mirinyji ! " fear 
 
 not !" mmirinya mfara, " I fear my father." 
 Mirinyare, a. "afraid, fearful;" e.g. a mirinyarcmu, "he is 
 
 fearful ;" mmirinyaremiiira, " I am afraid of thee." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 201 
 
 Mo, a. "cooked, done;" e.g. suye a mo, "the meat is done;" 
 done a mo, " the rice is done, cooked." 
 " Ripe," thus used only of rice ; e. g. koro a mo, " the rice 
 is ripe." 
 Mo, s. " man," said of the species ; " person, somebody." 
 Wuru-mo, " a parent." 
 Kere-mo, " warrior, soldier." 
 Deri-mo, " carpenter, joiner." 
 T6na-mo, " blacksmith." 
 Sunda-mo, " stranger, visitor, guest." 
 
 This word placed after any verb gives the force of our 
 participle ; e.g. fereke, " to trade ;" fereke-mo» " one 
 who trades, a trader." 
 Kara, v. " to attend ;" kara-mo, " an attendant." 
 Tomboke, v. " to play ;" tomboke-mo, " a player," &c. 
 " Relative, relation ;" e. g. bema na momuira, " because 
 thou art my relation." 
 Mon'gu, s. the yolk of an egg. 
 More, s. title of any Muhammadan, especially the priests. 
 
 It may be a corruption of Moor, or Mosl ( Jjia^). 
 
 Mumu, S-. " deafness and dumbness." 
 
 Mumu-mo, " a person deaf and dumb." 
 Muni, sometimes muli, v. "to turn, to empty;" e.g. i semme 
 muni ! " turn this stone !" i dsie muni ! " empty the 
 water. !" 
 Dsa muni, " to be giddy, whirling ;" e. g. ndsa muni, " I am 
 giddy." 
 Munia, V. " to turn, to turn oneself." 
 Musu, s. " woman." 
 Musuba, s. a woman is thus addressed who is younger than the 
 
 speaker, and whose name you do not wish to repeat. 
 Musiima, a. " female." 
 Dem musiima, " a girl." 
 Ni musiima, " a cow." 
 Tie musiima, " a hen." 
 
 2d 
 
202 VEI-ENGLISIi VOCABULARY. 
 
 N. 
 
 Na, V. "to come, come back, return ;" e.g. mfa a na, "my 
 father has come." It is often followed by ke, more j 
 emphatically to express the actual arrival in a place ; 
 e.g. anu nanu kea sandsaro, " they came and arrived 
 in the town." 
 Na-banda, " time to return." 
 
 Nama, a. " new ;" e.g. kura nama, " a new cloth." 
 
 " Fresh, additional ;" e.g. mu we mo nama berearo, lit. ** we 
 will no more give up fresh people." 
 
 Namara, a. "slippery;" e.g. kirame a namara, "this road is 
 slippery." 
 
 Namara, V' "to slip, to glide;" e.g. na namara kirama, or na 
 nama kirama, " I slipt on the road." 
 
 Ne, s. " tongue." 
 
 Neke-mo, s. " a spy." 
 
 Nene, v. "to deceive, impose upon;" e.g. a nnene, "he im- 
 posed upon me ;" liibe i nenea, " I shall not deceive 
 thee." 
 
 Nen"e, v. "to overhear.'' 
 
 Nesi, s. water with which Arabic sentences have been washed 
 off a tablet on which they had been written, and 
 which water the natives are directed by Muham- 
 madan priests to drink, or to wash themselves with, 
 instead of using medicine. 
 
 Ndogba, s. pains about the eyes. 
 
 Ni, V. " to taste ;" e.g. i ma ni ! " do not taste it !" na kefe ni, 
 " I tasted a pine-apple." 
 
 Ni, s. " past time, time long gone by, ancient time ;" e. g. ni 
 sendse, "the first time," i <?." in the beginning;" ni 
 korokoro, "olden times;" Aina-kere-ni a ban', " the 
 Amara war-time is passed,'' i.e. "the time of the 
 Amara war is passed." 
 
 NI, ad. " in past time, in bygone days, long ago." This adverb 
 is frequently expressed by a mere perfect tense in 
 other languages, vid. Grammar. 
 
VEI -ENGLISH VOCABULARY, 203 
 
 Ni, s., and often me, s. " cattle, bullock." 
 Ni kaima, " a bullock/' 
 Ni musuma, " a cow." 
 Niambere, s. " a cockroach." This name I received at Wakoro ; 
 
 but in Dsaiaro they called the same riiepere. 
 Nie, s. "place where one is, this place;" e.g. a ma mirinya 
 
 niera, "he must not fear this place ;" nieme, "this 
 
 place ;" nie-kira, " this side.'' 
 Nie, ad. " here, hither ;" e.g. i na nie, " come hither !" 
 Nimi, a. " palatable, savoury, sweet." 
 Nimisa, s. " misfortune, accident, misery, ruin ;" e.g. na nimisa 
 
 dse, " I have experienced misfortune ;" nimisa-ko 
 
 ntara, " an accident has happened to me." 
 Nimo, s. the trunk of an elephant. 
 Niui, s. the strings on a native loom, which take one half 
 
 of the warp up and the other down. 
 N5"ko, s. " elbow." 
 Non^, s. " dirt ;" e.g. kiramefe non'oba, " there is much dirt on 
 
 this road." 
 Non'O, V. "to dirty, make dirty;" e.g. na kurame uono, "I 
 
 dirtied this cloth." 
 Nonoa, v. "to be dirty, to make dirty;" e.g. na den-e nonoa, 
 
 " my child is dirty. 
 Non'ore, but generally contracted into nore, a. " dirty." 
 Nori, V. " to be wet ; to wet, make wet." 
 Norire, a. " wetted, wet." It is often contracted into noire ; 
 
 e.g. na dom-fene noire, " my wet apparel." 
 Nou, s. and neou, s. " turban." 
 jVou, s. a masked woman in the sande ceremony, intended to 
 
 represent a demon or the devil. 
 Nu, s. "yonder place, distant place," the opposite of nie; e.g. 
 
 mbe nu dsewa were, " I shall see that place to-day ;" 
 
 nume and nuro, "in that place, there, yonder ;" nukira, 
 
 " on that side ;" mbe tafoa nu-monuye, " I shall go and 
 
 tell it to the people yonder ;" nu-mandsa-ton* Gbakoi, 
 
 " the name of the king of that place was Gbakoi." 
 
204 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Nu, ad. " there, yonder ;" e.g. a be nu, " lie is there ;" an' taro 
 nu, " they went there again." Sometimes it loses 
 its demonstrative force, and denotes existence in space 
 generally, just as the English " there is,'' or the 
 French " U~y-a :" especially so in relating stories ; 
 e.g. musie be nu, "there was (once) a woman, &c.;" 
 mu be sira nu, " we were (once) sitting somewhere." 
 
 Nil, s. " bowels, intestines, entrails." 
 Nu mese, "gut." 
 Nu ba, " colon, paunch." 
 
 Nil, V. "to hide, to conceal." 
 
 Numu, s. a very large kind of toad, 
 
 Niinu, s. " the beaver, an amphibious animal." 
 
 Nyama, a. " long, tall ; distant, far ;" e.g. kon nyama, " a tall 
 tree ;" kai nyama, "a tall man;" kira nyama," a long 
 way." I 
 
 Nyama, a., doubtless from nyi a ma, lit. " good it (is) not," " bad.l 
 evil, wrong, wicked, criminal ;" e.g. mu kun* ko nyama 
 mara, " if we have done wrong to him." 
 
 Nyana, s. " spirit, demon, ghost ; devil," supposed to live un- 
 der deep water, or in the bowels of the earth. 
 
 Nyana, s. " louse ;" e.g. nyana bi, " to catch lice." 
 Wuru-nyana, "dog-louse, flea." 
 
 Nyau, s. a wild spice. 
 
 Nyerima and neiyma, s. the part of the head about the eye 
 brows; the hair on the eye-brows. 
 
 Nyei, v. "to be specked, to make speckled, to speckle; e.g. 
 na gbore nyei, "I speckled paper," i.e. "I wrote." 
 
 Nyeire, a. "speckled;" e.g. tie nyeiremu, "the fowl was 
 speckled." 
 " Written ;" e. g. gbore nyeire, " a written letter, a written 
 book, or written paper.'' 
 
 Nyenye, v. " to scatter, disperse." 
 
 Nyerima, s., i.q. nyerima, "eye-brow." 
 
 Nyi, s. " beauty, fineness, handsomeness ;" e.g. a nyi a ta, " his 
 beauty is gone." 
 
 I 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 205 
 
 Nyi, V. " to be beautiful, handsome, fair, fine ;" e. g. ndia-mo 
 
 nyi gba, " my friend is very beautiful." 
 Nyia, V. "to make fine, good; to get ready, prepare, make" 
 e. g. i na gbengbe nyia, " get my bed ready ;" an'ua 
 Sana nyia, " they prepared a couch." 
 " To produce, to yield f' e.g. kore nyia kurumba, "the rice 
 
 yielded very much." 
 "To be good, to be favourable ;" e.g. an'da ke-yewa sa, amo 
 a nyia, " they augured by sand, and it was favourable." 
 Nyia and nyiare, a. "beautiful, handsome, fair, fine." 
 Nyie, s. " fish." 
 Nyina and nyira, v. " to forget ;" e.g. mma nyina mfa kurera, 
 
 " I do not forget my father's word." 
 Nyin*, s. " tooth." 
 
 Kama-nyin", "ivory." 
 Nyo, s. " likeness, similarity." 
 
 "Brother or sister;" e.g. wu na musie ny5 here, "give up ray 
 
 wife's sister ;" but generally nyo-mo, " family likeness," 
 
 Nyobi, s. "likeness, similarity ;" e.g. na a nyobi, dse, " I saw his 
 
 likeness ;" mu fera niba nyobi, " I and my mother 
 
 are alike ;" mu fera mandsa nydbi, " I am like the 
 
 chief." 
 
 Nyoma, v. " to be like, similar ;" e. g. mu fera mba nyoma, 
 
 "I and my mother are alike." 
 Nyoma, ad. "about," used in connexion with numbers; e.g. 
 a kun" ki nu fera nyoma, " if he has slept there about 
 twice ; na mo mo-bande nyoma dse, " I have seen 
 about twenty persons." 
 Nyomo, s. from nyo and mo. 
 Nyomo kaima. "brother," 
 Nyomo musiima, " sister." 
 Nyoro, s. " corn, Indian corn, maize." 
 
 Wonye-nyoro, "kuskus," a kind of guinea-corn, so called 
 from the rough sensation it produces in the throat 
 when eaten before it is thoroughly done. 
 
206 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULART. 
 
 N*. 
 I^'ga, 'pr.yfor n'wa-iiwa, "I, my." 
 
 ]<J'gere, ad. *' only ;" e.g. riifa f5 irgere, " my father only spoke." 
 N'gere, s. a dance accompanied with a peculiar kind of song. 
 
 O. 
 
 6 ! interj. " O." 
 
 P. 
 
 Pa, s., and pai, a title given to elderly, respectable p@>ple, and 
 doubtless of the same root with our " pa." It may 
 be rendered by our " Mr. and Sir ;" e.g. pa ya kune.^ 
 "how are you, Sir?" pa D5ara, ina! "come, Mr. 
 Doara !" 
 
 Pabo, s. " parrot." 
 
 Paburu, s. a small kind of sparrow. 
 
 Pakai, s. "pawpaw;" pakai-gbo,. " pawpaw-seed." 
 
 Pakenna, s., from pa and kenna, seldom merely kenna, " spider." 
 Pakenna-dsara, s. "spin-web." 
 
 Pasi, s. "pocket."" 
 
 Patawa and patara, and both contracted into pata, " money, cash." 
 Pata gbema, "silver money." 
 Pata dsare. " gold coin." 
 
 Pawa, s. "pay, payment." 
 
 Pawa, V. " to pay." 
 
 Pawaro, s. " temple of the head ;" e.g. mpawaro dsara, " my 
 temples are red." 
 
 Pene, a. "all, whole;" e.g. peneme ? "is this all.^" 
 
 Pene, ad. " first ;" e. g. iina pene, itoa na, " I came first, before 
 thee;" kowe, liibe fen dom pene, "let me first eat 
 something." 
 
 Pere, conj. " too, also, even ;" e.g. a pere a sira, " he also was 
 rich ;" ke pere bera, " this also fell." 
 
 Pe, s. " bush cat, or wild cat, civet cat." 
 
 Pfiirua, s. the stick used for a trap, trap-stick. 
 Pfiu'ua sere, " to set a trap." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 207 
 
 Pi, V. "to fly ;" e.g. kunde pira, "the bird flies;" dua-kondse 
 pira purii, " the cannon-ball flies quickly." 
 
 Piripiri, ad. " incessantly, without intermission." 
 
 Po, s. " eagle." 
 
 Pondi, s. " cane, rattan." 
 
 Pondi buna, or pondi bumbara, "a whole," i.e. "unsplit cane." 
 Pondi tere, " a split cane." 
 Kara-pondi, " string of a bow." 
 
 Pono, s. "gut, intestines, entrails, bowels." 
 
 Poti, s. the pus of the eyes. 
 
 Powo, s., often contracted into po, " broom," viz. a fine one, used 
 within doors. 
 
 P5wo, s., and also contracted to po, s. " pigeon, dove." 
 
 Pon', ad. " distant, far away, far." 
 
 Poro, s. probably a corruption of Portuguese. They having 
 been the first white people seen by the Africans on 
 the west coast, it became a denomination for white 
 men in general. It is now applied to Europeans and 
 Americans, and by Avay of politeness also to those 
 Negroes who have had some education and are more 
 civilized than the natives of the country. But the 
 natives themselves are aware that, when they call 
 Negroes Poros, they use this term not in its proper 
 sense ; and they have often told me, we know very 
 well that they are not real Poros, but w^e call them 
 so because they have been in white man's country, 
 and like to be called so. There is no root in the Vei 
 language from which the word could be derived ; and 
 the natives know no more of it than that it signifies 
 " white man." They also use it of any thing that 
 they want to designate as of superior quality and 
 foreign introduction ; e.g. Poro-koro, " large-grained 
 rice with yellow chafi";" Pbro-bana, " banana ;" Poro- 
 kondse, "cocoa-nut;" Poro-kunde, "duck." 
 
 Poron-, ad. " along, on ; in vain, for nothing, without reward, 
 without cause or reason, at random." 
 
208 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 R. 
 
 Re, ad. " where ?" when ; e.g. iware ? " where art thou ?" na 
 dsi tiere gben', " when I have quite crossed the water," 
 
 Ro, V. " to say, suppose, think." Joined with the pronouns it 
 undergoes the following euphonic changes : ndo, ird, 
 aro ; muro, wuro, an'do. 
 
 S. 
 
 Sa, V. " to lie down ;'^ e.g. na sa na gbengbema, " I lie on 
 
 my bed." 
 
 " To lay down, put down, put, lay ;" e.g. na mie sa masama, 
 
 " I laid the knife on the table ;" a sako, " he put it on 
 
 his back ;" p6 a kerie sa, " the eagle had laid eggs." 
 
 "Apply to ;" e.g. a woso sadsaro, " she applied chalk to 
 
 her face." 
 "Present, give f e.g. na se saira, "I give thee thanks." 
 Sa duma, c. " to surrender to ;'* e.g. mu we sa duma 
 wuye, " we will not surrender to you ;" nni saiye duma, 
 " I will surrender to thee." 
 Fara sa, " to please ;" e.g. a ko a fara sa, " his word pleased 
 
 him." 
 Diambo sa, "to hold a discourse." 
 
 Keu sa, " to have a dream, to dream ;" e.g. na keu dondo 
 sa nnyomoenu sagba, " I dreamt of my three brothers." 
 Da sa, "to sharpen, strop ;" e.fj. na na mie-da sa, "I sharpen 
 my knife." 
 Sa, *. "depository, case, sheath." 
 
 Mie-sa, " the sheath of a sword." 
 Sa and sai, s. " early morning, before day-break." 
 Sa, V. " to draw together, draw near, approach ;" e.g. i sa mbara, 
 " draw near to me." 
 "To draw, to pull, to haul;" e.g. a kunwe sa, "he hauled 
 the gourd." 
 Saki, s. " dagger, poniard ;" saki-sii, " dagger-scabbard." 
 Sama, v. " to be lost, go astray, wander." 
 
 " To lose ;" e.g. na na mie sama, " I have lost my knife." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 209 
 
 Sama, a. " lost, wandering." 
 
 Saina, s. probably from sa and ma, the time whieli follows on 
 or after the sa, i. e. " morning." 
 Sina sama, " to-morrow morning.'' 
 Sama hwe, " good bye." 
 
 Samaro, s. " rainy season." 
 
 Samba, s. " basket." 
 
 Samba, v. " to tremble, to shake ;" e. g. mbemuisamba ? " what 
 is the matter that thou tremblest ?"'' 
 
 Sana, ad. "just now, immediately, presently, instantly; a little 
 ■while ago, scarcely." 
 
 Sana, a. " place for lying down ; couch, sofa." 
 
 Sande, s. a religious institution, in which the females are instructed 
 in singing, dancing, and other things which they keep 
 secret, and also have to go through the rite of circumci- 
 sion. A female who has gone through this rite, which 
 is usually the case about the time she has arrived at the 
 age of puberty, is called a sande-mv.su; and one not gone 
 through it, a gboroa. All Vei women are said to be 
 sande-miisienu. This institution seems to be to females 
 what the beri is to males, with this difference, however, 
 that females are circumcised (kese-kun tie) in the 
 sande only, whereas males are usually circumcised 
 (botu tie) in infancy, and in the beri only when it 
 has been nesflected before ; and that the men re- 
 ceive the national mark in the beri, whereas the wo- 
 men do not receive that mark at all. 
 
 Sande, a. " hired, bought." 
 
 Sande, s. " craw-fish, river-lobster." 
 
 Sandi, v. " to throw down," viz. in wrestling ; e. g. na i sandi, 
 " I threw thee down." 
 
 Sandsa, s. " town.'' 
 
 Sani, s. " glass-bottle." 
 
 San-, .9. " year." 
 
 San" keminana, " next year." 
 Niko-san', " last year." 
 
 2 K 
 
210 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Sair, s. a kind of hornless deer, as large as a small goat, and 
 supposed to be very sensible ; hence the natives tell 
 many fables concerning it. 
 
 San-, V. " to buy ;" e.g. na tie san, " I bought a fowl." 
 
 " Hire, bribe ;" e.y. an'da ke re-mo hondoro fera san-, " they 
 hired two hundred warriors.'' 
 
 Sana, s. " saline," place where salt is prepared by boiling salt 
 water. 
 
 San-a, ad. " well, thoroughly ;" e.g. na femme so san-a, " I know 
 this thing thoroughly." 
 
 Sara, s. a kind of g:ourd. 
 
 Sara, saraka, and sadaka (from Arabic w\>^), " alms." 
 
 Sasa, s. a musical instrument, consisting in a gourd of the 
 size of a child's head, loosely surrounded by a net, in 
 which large beads are fastened, which, when shaken, 
 
 makes a very loud rattling noise. 
 
 S'' „ *< 1 ^^ 
 awa, s. law. 
 
 Sawa sa, " to give a law." 
 Sawa dsau, " to break a law." 
 Se, s. " thanks." 
 
 Se sa, " to thank." 
 
 I se, referring to one person, and wu se, referring to 
 more, are used as a salutation to express sympathy and 
 congratulation ; e.g. when a land-owner visits his la- 
 bourers on the farm he salutes them by vou se ! and they 
 reply, e'. If a person had sustained a loss, or received 
 an unexpected fortune, they say to him, /' se ! 
 Sewuru and seuru, s. " rice-soup." 
 Sembe, s. " strength, power, force, energy." 
 Sembe, v. "to place against, to lean against ;" e.g. a bimbirie 
 sembe bandara, " he placed a ladder against the cot- 
 ton-tree." 
 "To lean;" e.g. nsembea na tungbera, "I leaned on my 
 
 staff." 
 " To go, turn, hang on one side ;" e.g. dendee sembe, " the 
 vessel hangs on one side." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 211 
 
 Sene, s. " farm,'" viz. when cleaned and planted. 
 
 Sene gbendi, or merely gbendi, a farm after it has been 
 
 cleared of the bush, and before it is planted. 
 For senero they generally say sen do, " in the farm." 
 Sere, v. " to go up, come up, ascend ;" e.g. a sere kanniba 
 bara, " he went up to God." 
 " To rise ;'' e.g. terea sere, " the sun rose." 
 "Climb up;" e.g. a sere kono-kando, "he climbed up a 
 tree." 
 Seren-dende and sen-dende, s. the inner palisade round a town. 
 Sere, and contracted into se, s. " pawn, pledge." 
 Sese, s. " wild duck." 
 
 Sewe. s. " charm, amulet,"" consisting of a scrip of paper sewn 
 into cloth and leather, and worn about the body as a 
 safeguard against all sorts of misfortunes. 
 Sewe nyia, to prepare a charm for the use as amulet. 
 Sende, s. the water which drops from the edge of a roof 
 
 during: rain. 
 Sende, v. " to pour gently." 
 Sene, s. " salutation, welcome." 
 
 Sene sa, " to salute, to welcome." 
 
 I sene and wu sene ! are used when people meet each other 
 on the road, and seems to correspond with our " wel- 
 come !" The reply then is, rnbad I 
 Sen", s. " stone, rock." 
 
 Sen, V. " to say, tell, speak ;" e.g. mbemu i ma sendse sendse ? 
 " why didst thou not tell it me first .^" i ma sendse, 
 " do not tell it me." 
 Sen, V. " to dig." 
 Sen-, V. "tp play the bdn'a, or country harp, by touching its 
 
 chords with the fingers. 
 Sere, a. (senere ?) "said;" e.g. koe seremu, "it is the said 
 
 thing." 
 Sere, ad. "very;" e.g. kaime a koe dsau sere, "this man's 
 case is very bad ;" kai nyamamu sere, " the man is 
 very tall ;" dsan sere, '' very far." 
 
212 VEI -ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Seri, s. " witness;"" e.g. kanmba ton na seri, "God is my 
 
 witness" 
 Sese, s. " switch, whip." 
 Si, s. " buffalo." 
 
 SI, V. " to sit down, settle ;" e.g. si na gbenero, " sit down in 
 my chair." 
 "Set, put, place;" e.g. i den'e si na gbengbema, "set the 
 
 child on my bed ;" a gbara si, " he put on his hat." 
 SI kumma, " to lay on one's head, to charge him with 
 
 I 
 
 • 1^ 
 
 something 
 Sl-si, " to wait a little while." 
 SI, s. " riches, wealth." 
 
 Sl-mo, " a man of wealth, a rich, wealthy man." 
 SI and sira, v. " to make rich, enrich, to be rich ;" e. g. mandsa 
 
 a sira, "the chief is rich." 
 Sieke, V. "to become;" e.g. Dsuba siekero gba, "Job became 
 
 again very rich." 
 Sian-, s. "bill- hook." 
 
 Sibara, and often contracted into siba, s. " onion." 
 Sie and sie, s. " blessing." 
 Sieke and sieke, v. "to bless;" e.g. na ra sieke, "I blessed 
 
 him." 
 Sieke, s. " sacrifice." 
 
 Siekena, place where sacrifices are made ; e.g. mo kunni 
 sandsa so me, a sieke-nawaiti, " if one builds a town 
 here, it has its place for sacrifice." 
 Simbiri, s. "joint." 
 Simbiri, v. " to join." 
 Sina, s. " coming day, to-morrow." 
 
 Sinako, lit. "coming day''s back," i.e. "day after to-morrow." 
 Sina, s. "sitting-place, seat;" e.g. siname, "here is a seat," 
 "Place for a settlement;" e.g. kona kum ban- anu sina 
 dsira Duru-koro-moenura, " when the matter is finished, 
 they will show the Liberians a place for a settlement." 
 Sinaberi, s. " yam." 
 
 Sinaberi turn, '* to plant yam." 
 

 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 213 
 
 Sin-, s. square pieces of ivory or palm nuts, used in a certain 
 
 game, and also the game itself. 
 Sina, 5. "loan;" e.g. ita sinabira, "go and take a loan." 
 Sina, V. " to lend ;" e.g. kone nsina ya gborea, " please to 
 
 lend me thy book.'' 
 Sira, V. " to sit, to live." 
 Sisi, s. " gnat, fly." 
 Sisi, s. " smoke."" 
 
 Siwiri and siri, s. " scarlet cloth." 
 Siwiri, s. a beautiful scarlet-coloured bird with black wings, 
 
 of the size of a sparrow. 
 So, V. "to know;" e.g. na komeso, "I know this." 
 So, s. " bean." 
 
 Kamma-so, " country beans." 
 P6ro-so, " white men's beans." 
 So, V. " to stand ;" e.g. so mmani, " stand with me, stand on 
 my side !" 
 "Set up, erect, build;" e.g. a dii so aye, "he built a town 
 
 for her;" a sandsa so, "he built a town." 
 " Put ashore, land ;" e.g. mbe ya dende soa, " I shall land 
 
 thy canoe." 
 " Raise, stir up ;" e.g. momu kun kere so nda, "if any man 
 
 raise a war against me." 
 "Raise, breed;" e.g. ai banu so, "he raised goats." 
 So koro, "to join, assist in a matter;" e.g. mbe S9 ya 
 
 koro, " I will assist thee in thy cause." . 
 So, c. fe, "to pursue, follow, accompany;" e.g. wu so sunda- 
 nufe, " pursue the strangers ;" mbe sorefe, "I shall accom- 
 pany thee ;" mbe soro mfafe, " I shall follow my father." 
 So kirafe, "to set out, start, depart;" e.g. amo anu s5a 
 
 kirafe, " and they started." 
 Sona, s. " standing-place, station, end." 
 So, V. " to send;" e.g. mbe iso, "I will send thee." 
 So, s. "firewood;" e.g. na so gbirin, "I pile up firewood." 
 So and so, s. "horse." 
 S6-dson, "ass, donkey." 
 
214 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 S5, s. the remuneration given to a country doctor for his 
 attention : always given in advance. 
 Soeke, v. to give such a remuneration. 
 S5. s. "day, time," e.g. so boro, "some time;"" so gbi, "all 
 times, constantly;" so siimfera, "a week." 
 Kai-so, s. the four days which a male child has to remain 
 in-doors after birth before it is allowed to be carried 
 into the open air. 
 Musii-so, s. the three days during which a female infant 
 is kept in-doors. 
 So, s. "hole, ditch, trench." Before suffixes, and in the con- 
 text, it is not unfrequently pronounced su. 
 So, V. " to stick, prick ;" e.g. ya nso meseria, " thou hast stuck 
 
 me with a needle." 
 Soke, s. "work;" e.g. na soke a gbere, "my work is hard." 
 Soke, V. " to work, labour ;" e. g. liibe sokena, " I am working." 
 
 S6ke-mo, " workman, labourer." 
 Son'o, s. "worth, value, price;" e.g. a son'e tombe ? "what is 
 its price?" moe-fira-b6e-s6n*5mu dson tanera ? "are 
 ten slaves the value of a man's life?" 
 Soro, V. " to sew ;" e.g. liibe kura soro a ken'gurara, " I sew," 
 
 i.e. "make trousers of cloth for him." 
 Soro, s. a long bag made of mats or bamboo-bands. 
 
 Ko-soro, " salt-sack," 
 Soso, s. " palm-worm," i.e. a large worm living in the palm- 
 cabbage, and considered a delicacy by the natives 
 when fried or boiled. 
 Soso, V. "to ram in, to load," e.g. a gun. 
 S6s5, V. " to rub;" e.g. na ferame s6s5 mboro, " I rubbed this 
 
 thing in my hand." 
 Su, s. '* corpse, carcass." 
 
 M6-SU, " a person's dead body." 
 Suye-su, " carcass of an animal." 
 Su, s. " night ;" siiyero and siiro, " by night ;" were siiyero, 
 
 " last night." 
 Su, s. " seed." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 215 
 
 Sila, s. "miltf and then also " witchcraft," probably because 
 from the milt, which is taken out of every Vei per- 
 son after his death, it is seen whether he has prac- 
 tised witchcraft or not; e.g. hi* kunni sua mi, i fa- 
 wake, " if thou hast practised witchcraft, thou wilt 
 surely die." 
 Sua-mo, " a person practising witchery." 
 Sua-kai, " wizard ;" sua-musu, " witch." 
 Sua, V. " to salute, to greet by the shaking of the hand." 
 Sui and sue, s. " soap." 
 
 Sui and sui, v. " to mash, bruise, pound, beat."" 
 Suma, V. " to measure;'' e.g. mu kore suma, "let us measure 
 the rice." 
 c. Ro, "to try, examine, put to the test;" e.g. mu mfaro 
 
 suma, " let us try my father," 
 Suma-den", s., perhaps equal to " a tried, examined girl," i.e. 
 name or title of girls from the time they come out of 
 the sonde bush till they are married to a husband. 
 Suma, s. " measure, bushel," i.e. the quantity of a measure 
 or bushel ; e. g. koro-suma fera, " two bushels of rice." 
 Suma-fen*, "measure," i.e. "instrument for measuring ;" e.g. 
 koro-suma-fen", "rice measure." 
 Siina s. "rain;" e.g. suna ba, "a great, a heavy rain;" suna 
 ngbasi, or suna mbuo, " rain beat me ;" sunekena, 
 "it is rainins:." 
 Siinda, v. "to send;" e.g. na na tenduye sunda, "I sent my 
 
 messenger." 
 Siinda, s. the large hill of termites, sometimes ten feet long. 
 Sunda and sonda s. "stranger, visitor, guest;" e.g. ya sundamii 
 nda, " I am thv visitor ;" na sundamuira, " thou art 
 my visitor ;" mfa sundamu mandsara, or mfa tom 
 mandsa a sunda, " my father is the chiefs visitor." 
 Sunda-mo, i.q. sunda. 
 
 Sonda-fa, " host, landlord ;" s6nda-ba, " hostess, landlady ;" 
 e.g. sunda ma gara, ke a sunda-fa, " a stranger has no 
 power, but his landlord." 
 
216 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Kemma-sunda, lit. "an in-the-lap stranger," i.e. "a much- 
 loved and honoured guest; e.g. woanu torn mu kem- 
 ma-sunda, " ye are our much-loved guests." 
 Sundo, s. " end ;" e. g. kira-sundo, " end of the way ;" boro- 
 sundo, " the tips of the fingers ;" fennu gbi-silndo ai 
 na, " the end of all things is coming."" 
 Sun, V. *' to gather, to collect f e. g. m5a kore gbi sun nu, 
 " we collected all the rice thither." But more gene- 
 rally da-sun' is used instead of the simple verb, 
 un, s. nose. 
 Suna, a. "vellow." 
 Surisuri or sosori, .9. " mosquito." 
 Suri and sori, s. " corner, promontory, cape ;" e. g. soriefe, " in 
 
 the corner ;" soriema, " on the promontory." 
 Suon for s6-kon*, s., " mast." 
 Suro and soro, s. mark of tattooing ; a medicine prepared by 
 
 calcination." 
 Siiran", v. " to leap, jump, bound ;" e.g. dem mesenu gbi su- 
 ran', " all little boys were jumping ;" a suranda soe 
 kumnia, " he jumped over the hole.'' 
 Suro, s. a bag made of bamboo-bark. 
 
 Na sure de, " I plait or make such a bag." 
 Suru, s. "root;" e.g. kon-siii'u, "root of a tree." 
 Susu, s. " female breast, udder." 
 
 Siisii-dsi, " milk." 
 Su-te, s. " midnight." 
 
 Suye and suye, s. " meat, flesh, venison ; beast, animal ;" e. g. 
 suye kiira, " raw flesh ;" suye tare, " boiled meat ;" 
 firaro-suye, *' wild beasts." 
 
 T. 
 
 Ta. s. " fire." 
 
 Dsahannama-ta, " hell-fire ;" biiye-ta, " musket-fire." 
 Ta fe, " to kindle a fire " 
 Ta dufe, "to put a fire out." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 217 
 
 Ta gbasi, " to strike fire, to give fire, to fire ;" e. g. na buyc- 
 ta gbasiro ama " I again fired on him."" 
 To, I'. " to cook, to boil ;" e.g. na d'ne ta, " I cook rice." 
 
 Tare, a. "cooked;" e.g. suye tare, "cooked meat." 
 Ta, I'. " to go" e.g. mbeta ndsa, " I go home ;" mbe ta Datia, 
 
 " I go to Datia." 
 Ta, s. "going, walk ;" e.g. an da tamu keni, " they have taken 
 
 that walk." 
 Ta, s. " part, portion ;" e.g. iita, " my part ;" wii ta dene ara 
 
 nta dene fa, " your child has killed my child." 
 Ta-bo-fen-, s. lit. "fire-exciting-thing," i.e. "matches." 
 Ta-kendi, s. " fire-coal." 
 Tama, a. " gentle, meek." 
 
 Tama, ad. " gently, softly ;' e.g. i tara tama, "carry it gently." 
 Tamanden, s. " drum," used especially in times of war. It 
 is about two feet long, with a diameter of nearly 
 one foot. It is held under the left arm, and beat 
 with one stick only ; and at the end a bunch of pieces 
 of iron is suspended by means of a rope, about two 
 feet in length, which make a tinkling noise when 
 the drum is beaten. 
 Tamara, s. " foolishness." 
 
 Tamara ma, " to act foolishly." 
 Tamba, s. "spear." 
 
 Tande, a. " straight ;" e. g. kon tande, " a straight tree." 
 Tando, v. "to thank, praise, bless ;" e.g. wumu kanmba tando, 
 " let us thank God ;" mfa ntando, " my father thanked 
 me." 
 Tani, s. "lead." 
 Tan-, " ten." 
 Tan-, V. " to be straight, to make straight ;" e.g. i seseme tan, 
 
 " straighten this switch." 
 Tanda, v. "to be straight ;" e.gr.kone tanda, "the tree is straight." 
 Tara, v. "to meet, to find ;" e.g. na i tara, "I met thee;" a 
 tara a musie be k6r9mu tiena, " he found that his 
 wife was cutting the rice." 
 
 2 F 
 
218 VEI-ENGLISn VOCABULAEY. 
 
 Tara, v. "to tear, rend, break;" e.g. demme akura tara, " the 
 
 child tore his cloth ;"■ a ken tara, " he broke the 
 
 house down." 
 Tara, s. " rag, piece ;" e.g. kura-tara, " cloth-rags,'' i.e. " rags." 
 Tara, s. the swallow, a bird. 
 Tare, a. "going, walking;"" e.^. den tare, a child when just 
 
 beginning: to walk. 
 Tasabia, s. " rosary." 
 Tau, V. "to shut, to bury;" e.g. i kene-da tau, "shut the 
 
 door ;" na mfa tau, " I buried my father." 
 Tawa, s. " kindred, relation, family." 
 Tawa, s. "tobacco." 
 
 Tawa mi, "to smoke." 
 Tawa-fiimu, or ta-fumu, " snuff." 
 Ta-fumu sa, " to take snuff." 
 Tawara, s. " a pipe." 
 
 Tawara mi, "to smoke a pipe." 
 Taye, v. "to walk ; to behave, conduct oneself;" e.g. liibe taye 
 
 kirame fe, " I walk on this road ;" wa taye kama ? 
 
 "how did you behave yourselves?" 
 Taye, s. "a walk;" e.g. a taye nyia, "he took a walk." 
 Te, s. " middle, midst, centre ;"" e.g. koi-te, " the midst of the 
 
 sea ;" na te, " the middle of my body ;" kere ma 
 
 bange mute, " the war is not yet finished in our 
 
 midst," i.e. between us. 
 Kiin-te, s. " pate ; zenith ;" su-te, " midnight." 
 Te-dun and te-don, v. "to divide, distribute ;" e.g. na na kore 
 
 te-<lun", " I divided my rice ;" a kore te-dum moe 
 
 gbia, " he distributed rice to all the people." 
 Tefo, V. " to embrace, to caress." 
 
 e-kuru, s. spme. 
 Tema and tema-kon, s. the trcddles of a loom. 
 Tembe, v. "to stand or place in a line, to form a row;" e.g. 
 
 kere tembea, " the soldiers formed a line ;" i kone 
 
 tembe, " place the sticks in a row." 
 Tende, v. " to repair," used only of cutting instruments, wliich 
 
VET-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 219 
 
 are repaired by the application of fire ; e.g. i na mie 
 tende, " repair my sword." 
 
 Tende, a. " hasty." 
 
 Tende, s. a sort of dark red beads, worn by females as an or- 
 nament. 
 
 Tendsere, s. " plate." 
 
 Tere, s. " piece, fragment, rag ;" e. (/. kura-tere, gbiin-tere. 
 
 Teri and kumare-teri, s. the stalk on which the palm-nuts 
 grow. But when the nuts are still on it, the whole 
 is called bun. 
 
 Teri, s. the region where the thigh joins the body. 
 
 Teri, s. " tale, story, narration, fable, parable." 
 
 Tesi, V. " to drop," trans, and intrans. 
 
 Tewe, s. a black deer, about the size of a goat, with round horns 
 from two to three inches long. Its meat is not eaten 
 by the Veis, as they believe it would give them itch, 
 or make them deaf, stupid, or even crazy. But the 
 Guras, Huros, &c., eat it. A Liberian assured me 
 that he once ate it, and in about six days afterwards 
 was visited by a severe itch. 
 
 Te, V. "to break in pieces;" e.g. na na kiinda te, "I broke 
 my pot ;" na sani te, " I broke a glass-bottle." 
 ** To burst, break out ;" e. g. mandsa tea dia, " the chief 
 burst into tears." 
 
 Tea-tea, v. {from te) "to disperse, to scatter ;" e. g. s5 birike mo- 
 enu tea-tea, " on that same day the people dispersed." 
 
 Tena, s. " fellow-wife," only used in polygamy. Name by 
 which wives of the same husband call each .other. 
 
 Tendu, s. " messenger." 
 
 Ten', ad. "up, erect, straight ;" e.g. a soa ten, " she stood erect." 
 
 Tere, a. "broken, split ;" e.g. pondi tere, "a split cane." 
 
 Tere, s. " sun, daytime, day," viz. of twelve hours' dura- 
 tion. 
 Tere bera, " the sun sets." 
 
 Tere ke kun-te, " the sun reaches the meridian,'' i. e. " it 
 is approaching to, or is noon." 
 
220 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 Tere-kari, s. "daybreak/' e.g. sama, tere-kari, amo an'da 
 sandsa bo, " in the morning, at the break of day, they 
 took the town." 
 Tere-bira and te-bira-fem " umbrella, parasol." 
 Tere, v. " to spend the day ;" e.g. nterea sokena, " I spent the 
 day in working," ie. " I worked the whole day ;" nte- 
 rea mfa bara, ** I spent the day with my father."" 
 c. Mani, " to spend the day in feasting with one, to make a 
 feast for him;" e.g. a tereamani, "he entertained him 
 sumptuously." 
 Teremani, s. " sumptuous entertainment, feast ;" e. g. an'da 
 teremani ma, " they made a feast ;" a na teremani ma, 
 or a terea mmani, " he made a sumptuous entertain- 
 ment for me." 
 Tere-bo, s. " sunrise, east." 
 Tere-dsi, s. " sunset, west." 
 
 Teren'ga, ad. "opposite;" e,^. terebo be terebera teren'ga, 
 "the east is opposite to the west." 
 " With each other, together ;" kurua ferame fara terenga, 
 " the two war-cliiefs died together. 
 Ti, V. "to become, to be;" e.g. a ti mandsako, "he became a 
 chief ;" anu tia nu sam fera, " they were two years 
 there." 
 Tiere and tie, a. " swift, alert, active." It is construed with 
 ro; e.g. ndo tiera, "I am swift;" mfaro tieremu, 
 " my father is swift." 
 Tiere, s. " hatchet, axe." 
 Tie, s. " fowl." 
 
 Tie-keri, " fowl's egg.'" 
 Tie kaima, " cock ;" tie musUma, " hen." 
 Tie, V. "to cut, cut up, butcher;" e.g. i bawara tie, "cut up 
 the sheep." 
 "To cross;" e.g. na dsie tie, " I crossed the water." 
 Tie-da, " landing-place, ford." 
 Ti-mo, s. "owner, possessor;" e.g. kenv-ti-mo, "owner of a 
 house." 
 
VEI- ENGLISH VOCABUI^VUY. 221 
 
 Tina, s. " place ;'' e.g. nm ta da-tina else, " let us go and see 
 
 the place of festivity." 
 Tina, postpos. " to ;" e.g. mbe ta maudsatiua, " I will go to the 
 
 chief." 
 Tindiri and ken-tindiri, s. " stocks ;" e.g. an' na siinda gbangba 
 
 tindiriero, " they .thrust my visitor into the stocks." 
 Tin', s. "tidings, news, report, rumour ;" e.g. ya Gomere-tiu 
 
 dan* ? " hast thou heard the report of the Governor ?" 
 
 anun' ta tim fo mandsaye, " they go and tell the news 
 
 to the chief.'' 
 Tin*, s. " island, isle." 
 
 Timma, and more generally tindo, " on the island." 
 Tiri, s. " waist." 
 
 Tiri-dsuru, strings of beads, worn by girls round their 
 
 waists. 
 Fi-tiri, s. " twilight, dusk.'' 
 Tirinini and tinini, ad. "full, up to the brim ;" e.g. da a fa 
 
 tirinini, " the pot is full up to the brim." 
 Tirin*, s. "struggle, fight, battle; wrestling;" e.g. m5a tirin*e 
 
 bera wuraro, " we had a fight in the wood." 
 Tirin* and tirinke, v. " to fight, to struggle, to wrestle ;" e. g. 
 
 moa tirinke momea kaka, " we strug'O'led long: for this 
 
 person," i.e. we tried our best to keep him alive by 
 
 using medicines, charms, &c. 
 Toke, a. " mild, soft, easy, genteel, quiet, patient," 
 Toke, ad. " softly, gently." 
 T6mb9, s. " play, dance." 
 Tomboke and tomboeke, v. " to dance." 
 Tono, s. " worm." 
 
 Tonya, s. "truth;" e.g. tonya be nu, "no truth is there." 
 Tdnya, a. "true, truthful;" e.g. kome tonyamu, "this word 
 
 is true." 
 Tonya bira, v. " to take for true, to believe." 
 Ton*, s. " name." It is often used where we use the verb sub- 
 stantive;" e.g. ntom mandsa, "I am a chief." 
 Tofo, V. properly, "to say the name," i.e. "to mention;" e.g. 
 
222 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 a ntofo, " he mentioned me ;" a kanmba tofo, " she 
 mentioned God." 
 Tongbo, s. " palm-tree." 
 
 Gba-tongb9, a young palm-tree whose trunk cannot yet be 
 seen, because the branches have not dropped oflf. 
 Tore, a. " rotten, decayed." 
 Toro, V. *' to grow fat" 
 
 Toro, 6'. "sorrow, trouble, affliction;" e <7. i se ya torera, "I 
 thank thee for thy trouble ]' toro-kai, " a man of 
 sorrows." 
 To, s. " remainder, half;" e.g. amo a toe bi, " and he took the 
 remainder ;" suma fera hi" ato, " two measures and 
 a-half." 
 To, V. " to be left, forsaken, suffered, permitted ;" e.g. na to nu, 
 " I was left there." 
 "To leave, forsake, suffer, permit;" e.g. na na dsa-femme 
 gbi to, " I left all my goods ;" ai to tune dsiero, " it was 
 suffered to sink in the water." 
 ; "To leave off, to cease;" e.g. an' toawa fona gben", "they 
 had just ceased speaking." 
 c. Dsaro, "to leave or reserve for;" e.g. anu fai don to anu 
 
 dsaro, " their father had reserved rice for them." 
 c. Dsama, v. "to succeed, become successor;" e.g. na to a 
 dsama, " I succeeded him ;" Zaiini to mandsa-dsa ma, 
 " Zau is to be the chiefs successor." 
 Tona, s. " bellows." 
 
 Ton"a-mo and tona-ma-mo, s. " blacksmith." 
 Tbnamana, s. " smithy." ' 
 Tora, s. "rat;" tora-bu, irropcrly, "rat-dung," i.e. a kind of 
 
 beads. 
 Toran", s. " hook, forked stick." 
 Tore, a. " left." 
 Toro, s. "cola-tree, cola-nut." 
 Toti, s. " frog." 
 To, s. " right, right side,'' generally mo-to. 
 
 T6-b6ro, " on the right hand ;" ntoro, " on my right." 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 223 
 
 Tombo, s. area of a deserted town. 
 Tori, V. " to rot, putrify, decay." 
 oro, s. ear. 
 Toro-kani, " ear-riug." 
 Bii-toro, s. the touchhole of a gun. 
 
 Toro so, or to so, properly, " to put the ear to, to listen to, 
 to hearken ;" e.g. ya i to so kenna, ** thou didst listen at 
 the house." 
 Toroma, s. " star." 
 
 Tu, V. "to knock, to strike;" e.g. niera ntu, "the cow ran at 
 
 11 
 me. 
 
 " Beat, pound ;'' e.g. na kore tu, " I beat rice." 
 Tune, V. " to dive ;" e.g. ntune dsiero, " I dive in the water." 
 " To sink ;"" e.g. sCia kunni tune dsie koro, ke siiamu, "when 
 the milt sinks in the water, then she is a witch." 
 Tun-a, s. " flying dog," a sort of large bat. 
 Tungba, s. " arrow." 
 Tiin'gbe, s. " walking-stick," 
 
 Tun"gbe-k6, s. "court-matter, a case to be settled in a council 
 of judges." The expression is derived from the cus- 
 tom, that the speakers in these courts of justice hold 
 a staff in their hand so long as they are speaking. 
 Tun'gbe sa, " to hold a court of justice." 
 Tungbe-koro nyia, " to give the satisfaction, or pay the 
 fine fixed by the judges." 
 Turi-turi, v. "to turn or twist about," as, e.g., in agonising 
 
 pains. 
 Turu, s. " oil, grease, fat." 
 
 Turu dsare, lit. " red oil," i. e. " palm-oil." 
 Kondse-turu, " palm-nut oil, or palm-butter." 
 Doasa-turu, s. a fat substance obtained from the nuts of a 
 tree, and resembling lard in virtue and appearance. 
 Turu and tu, v. " to plant," by putting into holes or upon 
 
 heaps ; e.g. na gbasa turu, " I plant cassadas." 
 Tusa, V. "to ask, inquire of, to question;" e.g. na 1 tiisa, " I 
 
224 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 asked thee ;" mfa antusa kba, " my father asked me 
 
 a question." 
 Tuti, ad. expressing emphasis after words denoting smallness ; 
 
 e.g. ti den tuti, "a very small fowl." 
 Tutu, ad. " no answer." 
 
 V. 
 
 Va, s. " hamlet, village." 
 
 Va-du, s. " a square-shaped house." 
 
 Vanya, s. " vein, sinew." 
 
 Vari, V. " to go off," said of a trap. It is often contracted 
 
 into vei. 
 Vezi, V. " to sow;" e.g. na kore vezi, i.(jf. na kore fei, "I sowed 
 
 rice. 
 Vivi, s. " tornado, thunder-storm." 
 Vombe, s.; e.gr. kumu-vombe, queen-bee;" vombe-tura, "a 
 
 kind of rat." 
 Vovo, s. " lights, lungs." 
 
 W. 
 
 Wa, s. " side." 
 
 Wa-kuru, " rib." 
 Wandsa, s. the common red squirrel. 
 
 Gbon-wandsa, a large sort of grey squirrel. 
 Wara, s. *' mat." 
 Wasi, V. " to strip, take off," e.g. bananas from the bunch, 
 
 leaves from a branch. 
 We, ad. " now." 
 Were, and rarely wore, " to-day ; last night." 
 
 Were-terero, " on this present day." 
 
 Were-suyero, " last night." 
 Were, often contracted into we, v. " cannot, may not, will not." 
 Wonye, v. " to itch ;" e.g. ai n wonye, " it makes me itch." 
 
 Didi-wonye, s. large ants, called drivers. 
 
VEI-ENGLTSH VOCABULARY. 225 
 
 Wori-gbon", s. " a large dish." 
 
 Wosa, V. " to bale, bale out." 
 
 Wose, s. " holloing, loud noise, applause." 
 Woseke, v. " to hollo, applaud."" 
 
 Woso, s. a white clay, used by females for ornamenting their 
 faces, and sometimes to besmear their bodies, in or- 
 der, as they say, to prevent or remove itch. For the 
 latter purpose it is also used by men. 
 
 Wori and wuri, s. " blood." 
 
 Wdri-fen*, " a living creature, an animal." 
 
 Wui, s. a brown deer, about half the size of a goat, with horns 
 of about an inch long, which are often worn for or- 
 naments by children and women. 
 
 Wumbe, s. a place used as a rendezvous. 
 
 Wunde, s. a brick, generally from four to six inches high, 
 its base being two and a-half inches square, and its 
 top two inches, made of clay dried in the sun, and 
 used in cooking : three or four bricks being put 
 under the pots, so that the fire can burn freely 
 between them. When used in boiling salt, they are 
 generally of larger dimensions. 
 
 Wunu, s. " a mortar." 
 
 Wundse, s. " cork-wood." 
 
 Wura, V. "to strip." 
 
 Wura, s. a primitive forest. 
 
 Wuri, V. "to boil;" e.g. i dsie wuri ndse, "boil water for me." 
 
 Wiiri, V. " to move on all fours, to creep," but only used of 
 human beings; e.g. amo a den'e wuria, "and her 
 child crept." 
 
 Wuri, V. " to row, to pull." 
 
 Wuro and wuru, v. " to will, wish, like, want." 
 
 N'guro, " I want ;" mma urara, " I do not want it." 
 
 Wuro, s. " baboon." 
 
 Wuro, s. " thigh, leg." 
 
 Bawara-wuro, " a leg of mutton." • 
 
 Wuru, V. "to bear, bring forth, beget;" e.g. musu a wiiru, 
 
 2 G 
 
226 VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 
 
 " the woman has borne him ;" mfa n'guru, " my father 
 has begotten me." 
 "To beget or bring forth a child" (cf. the use of ib^) ; 
 a wiiruke kurumba, "he had begotten many children;" 
 an'da wuruke ; dem biri ton Doaru, " they had begotten 
 a child ; that child's name is Doaru." 
 Wuru, s. " dog." 
 
 Wuri nyan-a, "dog-louse, flea." 
 Wusa, s. title of that beri man through whom the heri-zo con- 
 fers with the rest of the heri people. 
 Wuso, s. a kind of whitish clay, used by the female natives 
 for ornamenting their faces. This clay, after being 
 dried over the smoke, is also frequently eaten by 
 young women whilst in a state of pregnancy. At 
 Mina I also knew an old man who was in the habit 
 of eating it, especially, as I was informed, at night, 
 when in bed. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Ya, pr. " thy." 
 
 Yombo, s. " dainty, delicious, precious food." 
 
 z. 
 
 Zao, s. "complaint, accusation."' 
 
 Zau dsira, "to make a complaint;" e.g. a zau dsira Vei 
 gberea, " he made a complaint to all Vei." 
 Ze*, s. "soup, sauce." 
 
 Se-don", " rice with sauce." 
 Zi, ad. " a while, a little." 
 Ziao, s. " only." 
 
 Kai ziao, " widower." 
 
 Musu ziao, " widow." 
 Zlawa, .9. a dance accompanied by a peculiar kind of song. 
 Zo, s. head or chief of any art or j)rofessioii ; e.g. sjinde-zo, 
 beri-zo, bori-zo, &c. 
 
VEI-ENGLISH VOCABULARY. 227 
 
 Zozo, s. "joy, merriment, frolic, wild gaiety;" e.g. an5a zozo 
 
 ma, " they made merriment." 
 Zii, ad. " hastily, quickly,'' only used in connexion with 
 
 zumu. 
 Zu, *. " spike-nail;^' e.g. na zuye gbangba gbendero, " I drove 
 
 a nail into the post." 
 Zumu, V. "to snatch, to catch hastily;" e.g. na sisie zumu, 
 
 "I caught a gnat." 
 
 DAN'AMR. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 It has been suggested that an account should be added to 
 this Grammar respecting the mode of writing invented by 
 the Vei people themselves, and that the memory of this 
 interesting fact should thus be preserved, especially as the 
 pamphlet which contained such an account, viz. the " Narrative 
 of an Expedition into the Vei country of West Africa, and the 
 Discovery of a System of Syllabic Writing, by the Rev. S. W. 
 Koelle," is nearly out of print. I respond to this wish the more 
 gladly, as it will aflPord me another opportunity for making 
 honourable mention of my late friend, Momoru Doalu Bukere 
 (English, Muhammed Doalu Gunwar) or Doalu Gburomo 
 (English, Doalu, the Bookman), the noble and modest originator 
 of the only mode of native writing ever discovered amongst the 
 negro race, and who is now no longer in the flesh, but yonder in 
 the world of spirits, which so often had occupied his contemplative 
 mind before his translation thither. 
 
 Perhaps it will be best for our present purpose to give a short 
 extract of the above-named pamphlet. 
 
 About the middle of January 1849, Lieutenant Forbes, Com- 
 mander of H.M.S. Bonetta, came to Fourah Bay, in order to 
 inquire, whether the Missionaries of Sierra Leone had ever heard 
 of a written language amongst the natives, some distance down the 
 coast. He had been ashore near Cape Moimt, and observed that 
 there the natives had a mode of writing of their own. On inquiring 
 as to its origin, he was told that foiu* men had once brought this 
 art from the interior of Africa. We could not doubt the existence 
 of such a language, as the captain showed us a manuscript written 
 in it. 
 
 As no trace of negi'o writing had ever been found, and as, 
 had the statement proved true, that the newly-discovered writing 
 was brought from the interior, we might have had reason to look 
 
230 APPENDIX. 
 
 out for a literary nation in the unknown regions of Africa ; the 
 local Committee here thought the matter of importance, and ap- 
 pointed me to take a journey into the coimtry, and to collect all 
 possible information respecting it. A passage immediately offering 
 itself, I left Freetown on the 27th of January, and arrived at 
 the Sandbeach, near Cape Mount, on the 1st of Febuary. The 
 vessel m which I went was bound for Liberia, and therefore she 
 went on, as soon as I was landed. But the supercargo, a Liberian, 
 kindly accompanied me ashore, and introduced me to an Ame- 
 rican trader, a man of colour, who w^as living on the Sandbeach. 
 As there were not many natives dwelling there, I wanted to 
 go up the country at once ; but the American to whom I had 
 been introduced told me that this was quite impracticable, on 
 account of a civil war by which the country w^as disturbed. 
 Accordingly, I had to avail myself of his offer to stop with him, 
 till it would be possible to proceed further inland. 
 
 A fortnight after my arrival on the Sandbeach, one of the con- 
 tending parties came there and took possession of it. I was now 
 in the power of the chief, who, however, was friendly towards the 
 English. As I had learnt that the inventor of the Vei writing was 
 living in their territory, I at once asked his permission to let me 
 proceed thither. But he refused, saying, " You are now in my 
 power ; if I let you go, and you are killed up in the country, the 
 English will come and require youi' blood at my hands. Wait, 
 till we have driven our enemies out of the country, and then you 
 may go up and stop as long as you please." So I had to be con- 
 tent to stay longer on the sea- shore. 
 
 When, in the course of the war, the town of Tuso was besieged, 
 which had been obstructing the road from the Sandbeach to the 
 upper part of the country, I again made an attempt to get per- 
 mission from the chief, to let me go up to Bandakoro, Avhere the 
 inventor of the Vei mode of writing was said to reside. After 
 some hesitation, he told me that in the evening he had to send 
 a canoe to fetch provisions, and that I could go in it. These 
 were glad tidings to me, for I had now been detained on the 
 Sandbeach for nearly foiu* weeks. At five o'clock the same day 
 I left, together with a wounded soldier, and two boys who had to 
 row the canoe. 
 
 When I arrived at Datia, I was fii'st observed by some sentinels 
 
APPENDIX. 231 
 
 posted outside this well fortified- village, and after having told 
 them my friendly intentions, they opened its gates to me. Havintr 
 entered, I was led, through exceeduigly narrow lanes, to a small 
 hut, in which I was to spend the night. At first I stood there in 
 profoimd darkness ; but, after a while, a woman came in and 
 lighted a fire upon the floor, which had to serve the purpose of a 
 lamp. Soon the house was filled with curious spectators, who 
 asked me a multitude of questions. The air became so close 
 and hot, that it was almost insufferable. At half-past ten o'clock 
 I politely begged my visitors to retire, and to let me take some 
 rest. But I had to repeat my request several times, before it was 
 attended to. When they were gone, I told my servant, with a 
 special emphasis, to shut the door close ; for which I had sufficient 
 reason. But how surprised was I to hear his reply, " Sir, there 
 is no door ! " At first, I did not know what to do ; but after 
 lookmg about, we discovered a ragged mat, which w^e suspended 
 before the entrance, and then, commending ourselves to the pro- 
 tection of our Heavenly Father, we laid ourselves down to 
 rest — I upon an old bedstead of native manufacture, the only 
 article of comfort in the house, and my servant upon the ground 
 by my side. 
 
 I had sufficient time to view the town before breakfast next 
 morning, for in the Vei country the cooks are not so expeditious 
 as in the hotels of Europe. It was past eight o'clock, when 
 my fried fowl was ready, and so I could not leave till nearly 
 nine, though 1 had intended to be off at day-break. On my 
 journey higher up the Bisuma, I was exposed to some danger, 
 owing to the small size of our canoe, and the carelessness of the 
 canoe-men. It was so small, that we had to sit down on the 
 bottom of it, in order to affect its equilibrium as little as possible 
 by the motion of our bodies. Once it turned so much on one side, 
 that it was half filled with water ; and scarcely was I aware of 
 it, when the Natives had already jumped out, and I foimd myself 
 alone in the canoe. Happily we were just then in a shallow part 
 of the river, and the evil could easily be remedied. After this 
 they showed a little more concern about their canoe, and we 
 arrived safely at Da about half an hour after noon. 
 
 Da is situated on the river Bisuma which might be more pro- 
 perly called a lake. Its water is stagnant, and its breadth about 
 
32 ETYMOLOGY OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH. 
 
 III. Besides the cardinal numbers, whicli are very fre- 
 quently used as adverbs, I met only one other Adverbial Nu- 
 meral, viz. dondori, at once. It is evidently derived from 
 the cardinal dondo by the termination ri, which appears to be 
 identical with, and is perhaps a more ancient form of, re, one 
 of the particles by which adjectives are formed. 
 
 IV. The following may be called Indefinite Numerals, be- 
 cause they do not convey the idea of a certain number of units, 
 but of a number in general : ghi, all, any, all kinds, all sorts ; 
 hdri, all, whole ; — this word has perhaps been adopted from 
 the Mande language. I found it much more frequently used 
 at the Gallinas than at Cape Mount ; — gbere, the whole of 
 all ; pene, all, even the last ; mande, other, another, a diffe- 
 rent ; babai, alone, only ; ben* and gben*, only, solely, alone. 
 This is properly an adverb ; but when connected with nouns 
 it becomes an indefinite numeral. 
 
 §. 8. 
 ETYMOLOGY OF VERBS. 
 
 Verbs are either original or derived. For voices, moods, and tenses, they 
 possess no distinguishing forms ; neither can it be said that they are 
 conjugated. The absence of such forms has to be supplied by the use 
 of auxiliary verbs, adverbs, and changes in the form of the subject. 
 
 I. By the suffix ke verbs are derived from substantives ex- 
 pressive of — 
 
 1. The production or performance of what the substantive 
 signifies; e.g. kereke, to make war, to war; tomboke, to 
 dance, to play ; soke, to do a work, to work ; kike, to sleep ; 
 serike, to make water. 
 
 2. The use, application, or management of the thing signi- 
 fied by the substantive ; e.g. buke, to fire a musket ; dubake, 
 to fire a gun ; sinke, to play at sing ; seneke, to farm. 
 
 II. When andsere means, "he turned me back," and adserea, 
 "he returned;" kaiea dene tu mboro, "the man left a child ill 
 
VERBS. 
 
 .33 
 
 ray hand," and dene toa mboro, "a child was left in my hand ;" 
 we are tempted to think that intransitive and passive verbs 
 are formed from transitives by the addition of a. But if we 
 find that, e=^., the forms dsere and i6 are, in certain con- 
 nexions, also used as intransitives, and that verbs which never 
 have a transitive signification, yet sometimes appear with, 
 and sometimes without, a (cf. §. 27. I.), our opinion will be 
 changed ; and we are led to perceive that the Vei language has 
 no characteristic forms for the active, passive, and neuter rela- 
 tions of the energies expressed by verbs, but that the same 
 verbal form can be used to express all these relations. It 
 remains a fact, however, that verbs in a have very frequently 
 a neuter, intransitive, or passive signification. 
 
 There is also a small number of transitive verbs terminating 
 in a and ra, which, however, appear in these cases to be radical, 
 and are not to be confounded with the formative a or ra above 
 alluded to ; e.g. bira, to take; dsira, to show; tara, to meet, 
 find ; sunda, to send ; binda, to burn ; dia, to love ; sua, tosalute. 
 
 III. The absence of both numeral and personal Inflection 
 W will be seen from the following: instances — 
 
 1st p. na ta, I go 
 
 2d p. ya ta, thou goest 
 
 3d p. a ta, he goes 
 
 1st p. ndserea, I return 
 
 2d p. i dserea,thou returnest] i berea, thou surpasses! 
 
 3d p. a dserea, he returns I a berea, he surpasses 
 
 SINGULAR. 
 
 na dse, I see 
 
 ya dse, thou seest 
 
 a dse, he sees 
 
 mberea, I surpass 
 
 1st p. moa ta, we go 
 2d p. woa ta, ye go 
 3d p. anoa ta, they go 
 
 1st p. mu dserea, we return 
 2d p. wu dserea, ye return 
 3d p. anudserea,they return 
 
 PLURAL. 
 
 moa dse, we see 
 woa dse, ye see 
 anoa dse, they see 
 
 mu berea, we surpass 
 wu berea, ye surpass 
 anu berea.they surpass 
 
 F 
 
 na dia, I love 
 
 va dia, thou lovest 
 
 a dia, he loves 
 
 ndo, I say 
 
 iro, thou sayest 
 
 aro, he says 
 
 m5a dia, we love 
 woa dia, ye love 
 anoa dia, they love 
 
 muro, we say 
 wiiro, ye say 
 aifdo, they say 
 
234 APPENDIX. 
 
 ratus as they do. They sit upon a low bench, and then their knees 
 serve for their writing-desk. When I asked them for a table, 
 they informed me, there was not one in the whole village. I there- 
 fore put my two trunks one upon the other, and so contrived a 
 writing-desk, which, perhaps, was not much more convenient than 
 theirs. But an old European camp-stool, the only one in the 
 village, was afterwards brought for my use. This shows that 
 they have but few commodities. As to their writing-materials, 
 Doalu told me that they do not write with " bird's hair," as we 
 do, but with pens made of reed, and that they prepare their ink 
 from leaves in the bush, which they call ink-leaves. 
 
 The nature of the Vei writing plainly shows its entire indepen- 
 dence of both the Arabic and the Latin. In proof of this, I refer 
 not so much to the shape of the letters, though tliis also shows it 
 at first sight, as to the fact, that the Vei is a syllabic mode of 
 writing, whereas the Arabic and Latin are alphabetic. Each 
 syllable in the Vei writing has only one simple sign for its repre- 
 sentation. An alphabetic mode of writing is the most developed 
 method of representing thoughts to the eye. Suci a system pre- 
 supposes some grammatical knowledge, and an ear already 
 exercised to a certain degree. And this cannot be expected of a 
 people, when making their very first attempt in writing. The 
 syllabic character, therefore, of the Vei writing speaks much in 
 favour of its natural origin. The people write from left to right, 
 which is another proof of their independence of the Arabic ; yet, 
 from the nature of the characters, they can also write from right 
 to left, or from top to bottom, and this I saw a few men do ; but 
 Doalu himself, and the majority of the people, write in the same 
 way as ourselves. It will be seen, from the subjoined specimen, 
 that the letters are not joined, as in English, but loosely follow 
 one another, as in Hebrew. No interpunction is used, neither are 
 the words separated from each other, but character follows cha- 
 racter, in a " serie continua," just as in very ancient Greek manu- 
 scripts. 
 
 But although the Vei mode of writing is very undeveloped, yet 
 it does not stand so low as to be merely liieroglyphic or sym- 
 bolical ; on the contrary, it is fully entitled to be coWedi phonetical ; 
 for the three characters which appear to be symbolic, viz., o°o, 
 bu, "gun;" , hhi, "water;"' and o o, ybo, "money," 
 
APPENDIX. 235 
 
 form such a small proportion of the whole number of characters, 
 which are above 200, that they alone cannot decide the question ; 
 and they are, moreover, used as frequently in a phonetic capacity 
 as in the one which might be called symbolic. Neither is the case 
 altered by the circumstance that most of these simple characters 
 seem to have been originally intended to represent distinct words ; 
 for in a language containing so large a proportion of monosyllabic 
 words as the Vei, a syllabic mode of writing could scarcely avoid 
 the coincidence of many of its characters with monosyllabic words. 
 But although certain characters uniformly represent certain mono- 
 syllabic words, yet they are, at the same time, used for other words 
 of a similar sound, and even as mere parts of polysyllabic words, 
 which could not be done if the signs were not considered as really 
 phonetic. Nor can it be of consequence in deciding such a general 
 question, that we meet with a few simple characters which re- 
 present polysyllabic proper names, for these are mere mementoes 
 for the writer himself, and not generally legible. 
 
 We are therefore justified in characterizing the Yei mode of 
 writing as independent^ original, syllabic, and phonetic. 
 
 Having thus considered the nature of the Vei writing, let us 
 now review its origin and its history. Doalu Bukere, who was 
 about forty years old when I paid him this visit in Bandakoro, 
 was the real inventor of it, assisted by five of his friends. The 
 first impulse to attempt it, was given him in a dream, which he 
 narrated to me as follows: — About fifteen years ago, I had a 
 dream, in which a tall, venerable-looking white man, in a long 
 coat, appeared to me, saying : " I am sent to you by other white 
 men." Doalu asked : " What is the object for which you are sent 
 to me ?" The white man replied : " I bring you a book." Doalu 
 said : " This is very good ; but tell me now, what is the nature of 
 this book?" The white messenger answered: "I am sent to 
 bring this book to you, in order that you should take it to the rest 
 of the people. But I must tell you, that neither you, nor any one 
 who will become acquainted with the book, are allowed to eat the 
 flesh of dogs and monkeys, nor of any thing found dead, whose 
 throat was not cut ; nor to touch the book on those days on which 
 you have touched the fruit of the To-tree (a kind of very sharp 
 pepper)." The messenger then showed Doalu his book, and taught 
 him to write any Vei words in the same way, in which the book 
 
236 APPENDIX. 
 
 was written. This made a deep impression on Doalu's mind, and he 
 described it to me most graphically. He said the man thus addressed 
 me: "Look, Doalu, this sign (writing the sign with his finger on the 
 ground) means i. Then he wrote close to it another sign, saying, and 
 this means, na. Now, Doalu, read both together !" Doalu did so, and 
 was delighted to have learnt to read the word ina, L e. " Come here ! " 
 In the same way the messenger showed him how a great number- of 
 other words could be written. At last Doalu asked his instructor 
 concerning the contents of the book he had brought. But the 
 answer was : " Wait a little ; I shall tell you by and by." After 
 this, Doalu awoke, but, as he told me in a sorrowful tone, was 
 never afterwards informed of what was written in the book. In the 
 morning he called his friends together, in order to tell them his 
 dream, viz. his brother Dshara Barakora, and his cousins, Dshara 
 Kali, Kalia Bara, Fa Gbasi, and So Tabaku, the latter of whom died ^ 
 about three years ago. They were all exceedingly pleased with the 
 dream, and quite sure that it was a divine revelation. A few days 
 after, Kali Bara also, as he himself told me, had a dream the reality 
 of which, however, I doubt— in which a white man told him that 
 the book had come from God, and that they must mmd it well. 
 
 Perhaps it will not be amiss to state here what, in my opinion, will 
 account for Doalu Bukere's dream. Doalu Bukere was a thinking 
 man; and what once occupied his mind seemed to occupy it altogether 
 and constantly : all his thoughts and energies seemed to be con- 
 centrated on this subject. Now there was once a white Missionaiyin 
 the country, with whom Doalu, when quite a little boy, had learnt to 
 read for about three months, till the Missionary's departure. This, 
 in some measure, awakened his desire for learning. He could 
 still repeat some verses from the English Bible, which he had 
 learnt from that Missionary. Afterwards he was employed as a 
 servant by slave-traders and common traders on the coast. They 
 often sent him on an errand to distant places, from which he had 
 generally to bring back letters to his master. In these letters his 
 master was sometimes informed, when Doalu had done any mischief 
 in the place to which he had been sent. Now this forcibly struck 
 him. He said to himself : " How is this, that my master knows 
 every thing which I have done in a distant place ? He only looks 
 into the book, and this tells him all. Such a thing we ought also 
 to have, by whicli we could speak with each other, tliough sepa- 
 
APPENDIX. 237 
 
 rated by a great distance." The want of a mode of writing seems to 
 have been felt even more generally. This I conclude from a passao-e 
 in Kali Bara's book, in which he speaks of the time, when that 
 art was invented. He says : " At that time my father Doalu 
 Worogbe began to like books. And the people said : The Poros 
 (Europeans) have long heads. !N"obody has such a long head as 
 the Poros. But some of our people did not believe this. Then 
 said I to Doalu (Worogbe) : Why do you call what I maintain a 
 lie ? Can any Vei man write a letter and send it to his fiiend, and 
 could he read it ? " But Doalu Bukere's mind especially was so 
 entirely wrapped up in this ardent desire to be able to read and 
 write, that it occupied his thoughts day and night, and this 
 fomied the natm'al basis of his cm-ious dream, which seems to have 
 been the reflex of his waking thoughts. 
 
 Though Doalu had been well instructed in his dream, yet, as he 
 told me, in the morning he could not remember all the signs which 
 had been sho'mi him by night. Therefore — these are his own 
 words — he and his friends had to put their heads together, in order 
 to make new ones. And on this ground we are fully justified in 
 speaking of a real invention of the Yei mode of writing. 
 
 But these six men being then only from twenty to thirty 
 years of age feared, lest the people might not pay them 
 proper attention. So they agreed to take 100 salt sticks, i. e. 
 100 parcels of salt, as tliick as an arm, and three or four 
 feet long, and to bring them to king Fa Toro, or Goturu, in 
 Tianimani, in order to make him favourably disposed to their 
 object. Their present had the desired effect. The king declaimed 
 himself exceedingly pleased with their discovery, which, as he said, 
 would soon raise his people on a level with the Poros and Man- 
 dengas, who hitherto had been the only book-people. He expressed 
 the curious opinion that this was most likely the book, of wdiich \ 
 the Mandengas (who are Muhammadans) say, that it is with God 
 in heaven, and will one day be sent down upon earth. He requested 
 them to teach this new art in Dshondu, where they resided, and 
 to make known his will that aU his subjects should be instructed 
 by them. Accordingly, they erected a large house in Dshondu, 
 provided it with benches and wooden tablets, instead of slates, for 
 the scholars, and then kept a regular day-school, in which not 
 only boys and girls, but also men, and even some women, learnt to 
 
 2i 
 
238 APPENDIX. 
 
 wi'ite and read their own language. So they went on prosperously 
 for about eighteen months, and even people from other towns 
 came to Dshondu, to become acquainted with this *'new 
 book." But then a war broke out with the Guras, in which 
 Dshondu was 4aken by surprise, and committed to the flames, with, 
 all the goods and books it contained. The destruction of Dshondu 
 forms a crisis in the history of the Vei writing. By it the hterary 
 zeal of the people was so much checked, that they have never had 
 any schools smce. After the destruction of Dshondu, the 
 book-men, i. e. people who can read and write, were scattered 
 throughout the country, and it was only about five years ago that 
 ,many of them collected together and built a new town, some 
 miles distant from the place where Dshondu stood. The name of 
 this new town is Bandakoro, literally, cotton-tree ground, from the 
 abundance of cotton trees which are growing thereabouts. At the 
 time I first visited it, it appeared to me that a great proportion of the 
 male adults in Bandakoro were more or less able to read and write, 
 and that in nipst other Vei towns, near Cape Mount, there were at 
 least some men who could likewise spell their " country-book ;" 
 but a few days before my second visit, Bandakoro also was 
 taken in war, burnt, and its population scattered. 
 
 Doalu Bukere was a very interesting man, and distinguished 
 fl'om his countrymen, not so much by a greater intelhgence, as 
 by an altogether nobler spirit. The Vei people, in general, I 
 must call a very sensual and carnal people, the females especially 
 unchaste and shameless. They live without God, and without 
 hope in this world. Idols they have none ; and to the God who 
 is a spirit they cannot elevate their carnal thoughts. I saw no 
 mode of worship among them, except the Muhammadan. And, 
 as if Muliammadanism even were too spiritual for them, not one 
 fourth of the population are professed followers of the false prophet. 
 But all the nominal Muhammadans I saw drink wine and 
 spirits whenever they could get them : they also take as many 
 wives as they can afford to buy. All those who are not Mu- 
 hammadans are real heathen, a godless people, a people with no 
 other god, than their belly. No Avonder that such a people have 
 gone the common way from atheism to superstition, and that they 
 are now slaves to a childish fear of evil spirits and witches, so that 
 you may see them often carry about on their bodies actual loads of 
 
APPENDIX. 239 
 
 greegrees to guard themselves against their influence. Amongst such 
 a people, to meet with a man like Doalu Bukere, is an indescribable 
 pleasure to a Missionary. I always felt very happy in his company, 
 and he also felt attached to me : so that once, when he was called 
 to another town, he said to me on his return: " My heart did not lie 
 down the whole day, because I could not be with you ; but now 
 it has laid down again." 
 
 Doalu was an open, upright, and honest man. His modesty and 
 humility surprised me the more, as these are virtues of very rare 
 occurrence among the negro race. He was grateful for kindness 
 received, and could value disinterested motives. When I was 
 lying sick of the fever in Bandakoro, he said to me in one of his 
 visits : " My heart troubles me much, because you have come 
 amongst us, not in order to trade or to make any gain, but merely 
 to tell us the true road to life ; and now you have also to suffer 
 sickness for our sakes. But never mind, God will soon make you 
 well again." His mind appeared to have been frequently engaged 
 with metaphysical and divine things. In our walks which we 
 took together, and in which he had often to walk behind me, from 
 the narrowness of the paths, I not unfrequently heard him ejaculate, 
 with deep emotion, words like the following : "Ever — lasting ! God 
 Almighty ! Jesus Christ ! Alakabaru ! " He seemed to have been 
 under real concern for his soul's salvation, and earnestly seeking 
 to secure it. In a conversation I had with him, he once said to 
 me : " My heart seeks after God. Once I thought to find God 
 in our book-palaver, but it was not so. Afterwards, I believed 
 that I could find God in Muliammadanism, and have now been 
 praying after the Mandenga fashion these seven years ; but my 
 heart has not yet found God. Now if you can help me, so that I 
 may really find God, I shall be very thankful to you." I was of 
 course delighted to point out to him the new and living way which 
 leads to God and heaven. He was very attentive to, and 
 much pleased with, what I said to him on this subject. On the 
 day after this conversation, he came again, and asked me in a very 
 serious manner, whether it was really my full conviction that the 
 Muhammadan road leads to fire, and only the Christian road to 
 heaven. I now told him my whole mind about Muhammadanism, 
 and he was so much impressed with what I said, that he promised 
 to give up the repetition of his unintelligible Arabic prayers. 
 
240 APPENDIX. 
 
 and to pray henceforward to our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 In order to ascertain, as I conceive, whether I should be able to 
 refute the objections of his Muhammadan guide, he introduced this 
 Malam to me. I then told the latter that I was sorry to see him. 
 walkincp on a road which could not lead to heaven. He returned the 
 same compliment to me. Therefore I showed him, in a long con- 
 versation, that he neither knew my road, nor had a thorough 
 acquaintance with his own and that, consequently, he had no reason 
 to pity me. At length he could gainsay no longer, but ran away, the 
 bystanders saying : " This time palaver caught him." Even Doalu 
 appeared to be pleased with the defeat of his master. Before I left 
 the country, I offered to take Doalu Bukere with me to Sierra Leone, 
 in order to instruct him more fully in the Christian religion. But 
 he declined the offer, on the ground that there was then war in 
 the coimtry ; "for," said he, "if I were to go now, the people would 
 say on my return — *He left us while we had war in the comitry ; 
 so he must now pay a large sum of money.' " 
 
 I regretted that Doalu could not make up his mind to accompany 
 me to Sierra Leone, the more so, when I afterwards found, that 
 his remaining days of grace were to be so few. On my second 
 arrival at Cape Mount, November 2d, 1850, when I wanted to 
 visit him again, I was informed that he had departed this life 
 several months previously. Thus, however, he was spared the 
 grief of seeing Bandakoro taken and laid waste by their enemies : 
 he was permitted to descend to the grave in peace, whereas his 
 brother, Dshara Barakora, one of his assistants at the introduction 
 of the new mode of writing, fell at the capture of Bandakoro, in 
 the night of October 27th, 1850, after a brave resistance, in which 
 he himself killed four men with the sword. Doalu died of a 
 cutaneous disease, called in their own language " kondshe-kha," 
 i.e. ball-sickness, which produced in him such an extraordinary 
 drowsiness that he often fell asleep while taking his meals. 
 
 We now give a specimen of his new mode of writing, which is 
 taken from a manuscript written by himself, and in which he first 
 notices the birth of his firstborn son, Fatoma Seli, and then the 
 death of his father ; and to this we add the Vei syllabarium itself, 
 with the value of the characters in English, in accordiuice with 
 §. 2 in the grammar. 
 
APPENDIX. 241 
 
 I. Translation of the Lingual Specimen q/'No. II and III. 
 
 " Fatoma Seli was bom of Talu Gula, his mother, one night 
 before that in which we first saw the great haze-moon (?. e. on the 
 last night of December). That same night I shall never forget. 
 This is one (tiling). 
 
 " Sau, my father, died in the ' foot-track-m the ground-leavlng- 
 month' {}. e. November) here at Gbombai. Then the Gbombai 
 people sent Doalu Sisi to Dshondu. But Doalu himself had been 
 Tugba Famisa's slave, after whose death he was left in the hands 
 of Sau, my father. He went to tell this death-news at Dshondu. 
 At that time my father Wonyawere was still alive. It was to his 
 house that they called all these gentlemen : my father Bilang, and 
 his brother Fa Sangbu, and Surufule, and my father Gang, and 
 all the free men. Then said my father Wonyawere to my father 
 Bilang : ' Go, and fetch ye the dead from Gbombai ; hear !' And 
 my father Bilang consented, 
 
 " At that (time), however, we, Sau's family, had not heard of it 
 ourselves. Even as to me, the Doalu, my father Sau himself had 
 given me camwood at Gbombai and said that I was to go and sell it 
 at Soiiri. I said : ' I will not go up.' He said: ' If any thing shoidd 
 happen in thy absence, then we will send somebody after thee.' 
 Then I consented, but my heart did not lie down (i. e. I did not 
 feel quite comfortable). Then I left Gbombai, went and slept at 
 Dshondu. It was early in the morning when Doalu Sisi went to 
 tell this death-news at Dshondu. I, however, as soon as morning 
 dawned, and I had finished washing myself, went on my way, and 
 had just ai'rived under the cotton tree, when Doalu Tamia, in 
 whose hands Tonni Dubui had been left, sent him after me on the 
 way, who havmg reached me, I asked him, ' What is the matter ?' 
 He said, ' Some one has come from Gbombai and said that thy 
 father's illness has taken a decided turn.' Trembling came over 
 me, I returned to that town, and \vhen I had reached our premises, 
 I and Dshara Sau {alias Dshara Barakora, his brother) went to 
 Wonyawere, my father's : thither we went, and met Doalu Sisi. 
 All the people were there on the premises. Then Dshara asked 
 Doalu himself, saying : ' What is the news at Moro ?' (the district 
 to which Gbombai belongs). And he said : ' My father's illness has 
 taken quite a turn to-day.' We did not reach our house any 
 
242 APPENDIX. 
 
 more, and Dshara said, ' Let us go to Moro !' • Tlien we started, 
 we, and Doalu Sisi and his people, we were all going ; and when 
 we had reached the little grass-field, in the middle between us and 
 Dshondu and Gbai, then Doalu said, * Dshara, one does not 
 conceal a matter from a man: — your father died to-day.' Dshara 
 fell down on this side, Doalu fell down on that side. Then we 
 reached Gbombai. And my father Bilang, himself and his people, had 
 arrived, and they spoke to Gbakoi (the chief of Gbombai), saying, 
 ' There are strangers here.' And Gbakoi said, ' Ye are welcome.' 
 He (also) said: ^I had come to you with news; but when ye 
 made the (usual ) address of visitors, trembling took hold of me. 
 This is why I did not come sooner to you with news. But the 
 (whole) morning is at our disposal, gentlemen.' Then said my 
 father Bilang: * We came on account of your calling (us), (on 
 account of) the person you sent there for us; but what ai'e the 
 news here ? ' And Gbakoi communicated them to the men. Tlien 
 they said : ' We thank you for our part ; ( but ) will you not ( no\v 
 also) tell them the reason, why they were called? ' " 
 
 II. Transcription and ivord-for-word translation of the Lingual 
 
 Specimen, No. III. 
 
 We here give the text of No. III. in three parallel lines, and 
 three different modes, viz. first, in a syllabic mode, by merely 
 transcribing the Vei figures one by one ; secondly, in an alphabetic 
 mode, by representing in a proper orthography, the actual sounds 
 for which the native characters in No. I II are intended; and, thirdly, 
 in a word-for-word translation. A compai'ison of the syllabic 
 and alphabetic transcription will enable us to form an estimate of 
 the degree of perfection or imperfection in which the actual sounds 
 of the language are represented by the Vei characters. 
 
 fa to ma 
 
 se ri a 
 
 ha 
 
 ta ru 
 
 gu ra 
 
 a 
 
 ra 
 
 Fatoma 
 
 Seri a 
 
 ba 
 
 Taru 
 
 Gura 
 
 a 
 
 ra 
 
 Fatoma 
 
 Seli his 
 
 mother 
 
 Talu 
 
 Gula 
 
 • 
 
 she 
 
 him 
 
 wu ru 
 
 di fi mil ro 
 
 ke 
 
 mu 
 
 ki ya 
 
 sa '/ 
 
 ma 
 
 wiiru 
 
 (lifimuro 
 
 ke 
 
 niu 
 
 kia 
 
 sama 
 
 
 Ijore 
 
 tlic nif!;lil which in 
 
 th'ni 
 
 wo 
 
 slept 
 
 morning 
 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 243 
 
 cjhe^ ya 
 
 gbea 
 
 it dawned 
 
 mu te re 
 
 ma tere 
 
 we spent the day 
 
 a mu mu ra 
 
 amu 
 then 
 
 bi ri 
 
 biri 
 
 that same 
 
 moa 
 we 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 ke 
 
 Ke 
 
 This 
 
 do do 
 
 dondo. 
 one. 
 
 du ru 
 
 Duru- 
 the haze- 
 
 we re 
 
 were 
 
 will not 
 
 m 
 
 ka 
 
 karo 
 moon 
 
 gbe n- dse re ma 
 
 gben*, dserema 
 quite evening 
 
 ke re ma dse 
 kerema dse. 
 
 rd 
 
 great 
 
 ka 
 
 ka 
 
 come out from 
 
 saw. 
 
 n ku n do 
 
 nkundo 
 
 in my head 
 
 ke ya 
 
 kea 
 arrived 
 
 di Ji 
 
 Difi 
 
 Night 
 
 gba 
 
 gba. 
 at all. 
 
 Mfa 
 My father 
 
 sa 
 
 Sau 
 
 Sau 
 
 a 
 
 wu 
 
 ken- gba to bo ru ro ka rd ye wa ni ye 
 
 ken*-gba-t6-b6roro — karoewa 
 foot-track-leave-in- the-ground — month 
 
 a mu gbo m ha 
 
 'Amu Gbombai 
 
 And Gbombai 
 
 mo nu ive 
 
 monue 
 people 
 
 nie 
 
 here 
 
 du iva ru 
 
 D5aru 
 
 Doalu 
 
 a fa 
 
 afa 
 he died 
 
 gho m ha 
 
 Gbombai. 
 Gbombai. 
 
 se ye 
 
 Sisi 
 
 Sisi 
 
 ra 
 
 ye 
 
 so 
 
 so 
 sent 
 
 dsq n du 
 
 Dshondu. 
 Dshondu. 
 
 ke re 
 
 Kere 
 But ' 
 
 du iva 
 
 Ddaru 
 Doalu 
 
 ru 
 
 he re 
 
 bere 
 himself 
 
 tu gba 
 
 Tugba 
 Tugba 
 
 fa mi sa 
 
 Famisa 
 Famisa 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 
 my father 
 
 fo wa 
 
 f5a 
 to tell 
 
 u 
 
 Tva 
 
 a 
 
 his 
 
 sa a 
 
 Sau 
 
 Sau 
 
 dsoii du 
 
 Dsondii. 
 Dshondu. 
 
 dson mu 
 
 dsommu 
 slave was 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 he 
 
 fa ra ke a mu a to 
 
 fake 
 has died, 
 
 amu 
 
 then 
 
 a 
 
 he 
 
 ho ro a 
 
 boro. A 
 hand. He 
 
 ka n- 
 
 Kam 
 Place 
 
 ta 
 
 ta 
 
 went 
 
 hi ri 
 
 biri 
 
 that same 
 
 fa ko me 
 
 fa-kume 
 
 death-news this 
 
 ha n da 
 
 banda 
 time 
 
 a 
 
 toa 
 was left 
 
 wa 
 
 a 
 
 it 
 
 wo r\ya we re he we 
 
 Wonyawere be 
 
 Wonyawele was 
 
 dsa ke na mu a nu ra 
 
 dsa-kennamu anoa 
 
 own house in it was they 
 
 ho ro nu 
 
 b6r5 nu. 
 
 in the land there 
 
 ma dsa me gbi 
 
 m and same gbi 
 
 the chiefs all 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 
 my father 
 
 a 
 
 A 
 
 His 
 
 ke re 
 
 kere : 
 called : 
 
244 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 m fa 
 
 irifa 
 
 my father 
 
 SO ru fu re 
 
 Surufiire 
 
 Surufure 
 
 kai ma me 
 
 kaimame 
 male the 
 
 6? ra w 
 
 BiraiT 
 Bilans: 
 
 a 
 
 hi 
 
 hi- a 
 
 and his 
 
 nt/0 mo 
 
 nyomo 
 brother 
 
 hi 
 
 hi- 
 
 aad 
 
 ghi 
 
 gbi. 
 
 all. 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 
 my father 
 
 ke n- 
 
 GeiT 
 Ganjr 
 
 fa ha 
 
 Fa- 
 Fa 
 
 hi 
 
 hi- 
 and 
 
 sa m hu hi 
 
 hi- 
 and 
 
 SaiTgbu 
 
 Sanggbu 
 
 ma dsa den' 
 
 mandsa-den' 
 chief children 
 
 a mu 
 
 Amu 
 
 Then 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 
 my father 
 
 XKO nya we 
 
 Wonyawere 
 ^V'^onyawele 
 
 fo 
 fo 
 
 said 
 
 bi 
 
 bi 
 
 take 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 
 my father 
 
 bi ra w 
 
 Birandse, 
 
 Bilano; to 
 
 ije 
 
 na 
 
 na 
 
 come 
 
 da u 
 
 daua. 
 
 consented. 
 
 gbe re 
 
 here 
 
 ourselves 
 
 ra 
 
 gho m ha 
 
 GbcSmbai, 
 Gbombai, 
 
 a bi ri 
 
 A-biriro, 
 
 At that same, 
 
 a ro 
 
 aro : 
 
 he said : 
 
 a mu 
 
 Amu 
 
 And 
 
 icu 
 wu 
 
 ye 
 
 fa 
 ta 
 
 ro 
 
 mu 
 
 mu 
 me 
 
 du ica ru me 
 
 Doarume, 
 Doalu the, 
 
 he re n ye 
 
 berendse 
 gave to me 
 
 ma a ro 
 
 maro 
 
 not of it 
 
 in fa 
 
 mfa 
 my father 
 
 gho m ha 
 
 Gbombai, 
 Gbombai 
 
 he 
 
 he ! 
 hear ! 
 
 zi 
 
 zi, 
 
 however, 
 
 daw We 
 
 dane. 
 had heard. 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 
 my iather 
 
 re we a 
 
 a 
 he 
 
 '/« 
 f^ 
 the dead 
 
 bi ra ?r 
 Biran 
 
 Bilang 
 
 mu 
 
 mu, 
 we, 
 
 sa u 
 
 Sau 
 
 Sau 
 
 w gbq 
 
 N'gbo 
 
 ]\Iy smallness 
 
 ta wa 
 
 tawa 
 family 
 
 n' ga 
 n-ga 
 
 sa u 
 
 Sau 
 Sau 
 
 be re 
 
 be re 
 himself 
 
 ra 
 
 a 
 he 
 
 bu n 
 
 biindo 
 camwood 
 
 do 
 
 a ro 
 
 aro 
 
 he said 
 
 m be 
 
 nibe 
 I shall 
 
 ta 
 
 ta 
 
 go 
 
 ka 
 
 ka 
 
 sell 
 
 su wi ri 
 
 Souii. 
 Soiiri. 
 
 n do m be re 
 
 Ndo, mbere 
 I said I cannot 
 
 ke 
 
 ke 
 then 
 
 ko mu 
 kiimu 
 
 thing which 
 
 ko ni 
 
 kiiniii 
 
 when 
 
 ta ka n- 
 
 ta kair. 
 go up. 
 
 ma ni he 
 
 man ike 
 
 should happen 
 
 a ro i ta ro 
 
 'Aro : itjiro 
 
 I said : thou go, he said : 
 
 ro, 
 
 i gha 
 
 fgbaro 
 thee beliiud, 
 
 ke 
 
 ke 
 then 
 
 mo we 
 
 mu 
 we 
 
 we 
 will 
 
 mo 
 
 mo 
 
 a per.son 
 
 so ua 
 
 soa 
 send 
 
 ife. 
 
 thee after. 
 
 a mu 
 
 Amu 
 
 Then 
 
 n da 
 
 ndaua, 
 I consented, 
 
 u ra 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 245 
 
 ke re 
 
 kere 
 biit " 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfara 
 my heart 
 
 ra 
 
 ma 
 
 ma 
 
 not 
 
 sa 
 
 sa. 
 
 lay down. 
 
 a mil 
 
 Amu 
 
 Then 
 
 cjho m ha i n t-i 
 
 Gborabai 
 Gbonibai 
 
 gbe re mu 
 
 gberemu, 
 early was, 
 
 nta 
 I went 
 
 ki ya 
 
 kia 
 
 slept 
 
 dsn n dii 
 
 Dsondu. 
 Dshondu. 
 
 du tua ru 
 
 D5aru 
 Doalu 
 
 se ye se 
 
 Sisi 
 
 Sisi 
 
 fa 
 
 ta 
 went 
 
 fo na dsoiv du w ga 
 
 fona Dsondu. 
 to tell Dshondu. 
 
 N-ga 
 I 
 
 zi 
 
 7A 
 
 sa a ma 
 sama 
 
 however, morning 
 
 m bo iva 
 
 mboa 
 
 I came out of 
 
 a sa a ma 
 
 Asama 
 It morning 
 
 fa ko me 
 
 fa-kume 
 death-news this 
 
 gbe ya ke 
 
 gbeake, 
 had dawned, 
 
 m bail n da w ko iva ke n so ro wa ki ra fe 
 
 mbanda nkoake nsoroa kirafe 
 
 I had finished I had washed myself, I started again the way on 
 
 ho ro iva gbe w 
 
 koroa gben*, 
 
 under just, 
 
 w ke ya ha da 
 
 n-kea banda 
 
 I arrived cotton-tree 
 
 a mu da wa ru 
 
 Doara 
 Doalu 
 
 amu 
 then 
 
 ta mi nya a gbo 
 
 ro 
 
 Tamia 
 Tamia 
 
 a boro 
 his hand in 
 
 to wq wa ttj n ni du bu 
 
 toa Tonni Dubui 
 
 was left Tonni Dubui 
 
 a mu a we so 
 
 amu 
 
 and 
 
 awe 
 he ' 
 
 so 
 started 
 
 m fe 
 
 mfe 
 me after 
 
 ki ra fe a mu a we 
 
 kirafe, amu awe 
 
 way after, and he 
 
 IV ke ya a mu m 
 
 nkea amu nibe 
 
 me reached, then I 
 
 be 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 him 
 
 tu sa 
 
 tusa 
 asked 
 
 n do be mu 
 
 r.do : mbemu ? 
 I said : what is it ? 
 
 a ro mo 
 
 'Aro : m5 
 
 He said: a man he 
 
 wa bo wa 
 a boa 
 
 gbo m ba i a ro i fa 
 Gbombai arc : ifa 
 
 came from Gbombai 
 
 ra 
 
 ra 
 
 his 
 
 ba 
 
 ba, 
 
 great, 
 
 ki ra wa 
 
 kira wa 
 
 illness it 
 
 mi ni nya gba 
 gba. 
 
 minia 
 
 has turned 
 
 n dse re ya we^ 
 ndsereawe 
 
 • a 
 
 I returned 
 
 he said : thy father 
 
 m ma ni sa m ba re 
 
 Mmani sambare 
 quite. Me about trembling 
 
 nu da ra w ke ya mu 
 
 nil dara, nkea mu 
 
 that town, I had reached our 
 
246 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 dsi. ku ro he a niii mu be dsa ra sa a u ice ta 
 
 dsa-koroke, amu mu be Dsara Sane ta 
 
 own premises, then I and Dshara Sau went 
 
 nu m fa ^ 
 
 nu liifa 
 
 there my father 
 
 iva ya we re dsa ku wu ro nu 
 
 Wonyawere dsa-koro ; nu 
 
 Wonyawele own premises ; thither . 
 
 mu we mu ta du wa ru se ye se ta ra mo me 
 
 mue 
 we 
 
 gbi 
 gbi 
 
 all 
 
 mu ta, Doaru 
 we went Doalu 
 
 be we 
 
 be 
 
 were 
 
 du iva ru 
 
 D5aru 
 Doalu 
 
 nu ku ro ro 
 
 nu kbroroa. 
 
 there premises in. 
 
 be re tu sa a ro 
 
 bere tusa, 
 
 himself asked, 
 
 Sisi tara. Mome 
 
 Sisi met. People the 
 
 ?ca a mu dsa ra we 
 
 'Amu Dsarawe 
 
 Then Ushara 
 
 be ko be mo ro 
 
 aro : mbe ko be Moro? 
 he said : what news are Moro 1 
 
 n mu a ro 
 
 Amu aro : 
 
 And 
 
 m fa 
 
 mfa 
 he said : my father 
 
 ra 
 
 ra 
 liis 
 
 mu 
 
 Mu 
 We 
 
 cjba 
 
 gba. 
 quite. 
 
 dsa ra ro 
 
 Dsararo : 
 Dshara said : 
 
 ma ke ro 
 
 ma kero 
 
 not reached again 
 
 mu ta mo ro 
 
 mu ta Moro ! 
 we go Moro ! 
 
 ki ra wa ml ni ya we re 
 
 kira minia were 
 
 , illness has changed to-day 
 
 mu dsa ku ivu ro a mu 
 
 mu dsa-kuro, amu 
 
 our own house and 
 
 a mu mu so ica ki ra fe 
 
 'Amu mil s6a kirafe 
 Then we started the way after, 
 
 9^^. 
 
 re 
 
 gbere 
 
 mu be du wa ru se ye se nu mu ta wa 
 
 mu be Doaru Sisinu, mu tawa 
 
 we and" Doalu Sisi and his people, we were going all, 
 
 ke ya fa ni den- mu be dso n du 
 
 kea fani den- mu be Dsondu 
 
 reached grassfield small us and rshondu 
 
 te ma ro ke a mu du ua ru ro dsa ra 
 
 temardke amu 
 
 between then 
 
 a mu 
 
 amu 
 
 and 
 
 mu 
 
 mu 
 we 
 
 be gba i 
 
 be Gbai 
 and Gbai 
 
 Doaruro : 
 ])oalu said : 
 
 Dsara, 
 Dsara, 
 
 mo 
 
 mo 
 one 
 
 we re 
 
 were 
 
 does not 
 
 leu nu ua 
 
 ko nu 
 
 a matter concpal 
 
 kai ra 
 
 kaira, 
 from a man, 
 
 a 
 
 ro 
 
 aro : 
 
 he said : 
 
APPENDIX. 247 
 
 wu fa ra fa we re dsa ra we he ra Ice 
 
 wu fa ra fa were. Dsarawe bera ke 
 
 your father he has died to-day. Dshara fell down here, 
 
 du wa ru ice be ra ke a mu mu ke gbo m ha i 
 
 D5aruwe bera ke 'Amu mu ke Gbombai. 
 
 Doalu fell down there. Then we reached Gbombai. 
 
 a mu m fa bi ra n' nu be re we ke a mu 
 
 'Amu thfa Birannu berewe ke, amu 
 
 And my father Biran and his people himself arrived, and 
 
 a nu we hu re gho n gba ko i ye and? 
 
 anue kure bon* Gbakoiye, ando : 
 
 they word poured Gbakoi to, they said : 
 
 su n da me a mu gha ko i ro m hu ru be ya ko ro. 
 
 sundame. 'Amu Gbakoiro : mbcro be akoro. 
 
 strangers here. And Gbal^oi said : my hand is it under. 
 
 a ro m be na wi a ko wo ra wu ye he re wu 
 
 'Aro : riibe nawi akoa wuye ; kere wu 
 
 He said : I was come with news to you ; but ye 
 
 ku ni sun da ti m he ra m ma ni sa ha re mu wi 
 
 kunni sunda-tim bera rhmani sambaremuwi. 
 
 when stranger-news dropped me about trembling was. 
 
 a ku mu m ma fu wa wi a ko wo ra wu ye a ro 
 
 Akumu rii ma fuawi ak5a wuye. Aro : 
 
 It is why I not came early with news to you. He said : 
 
 ke re sa a ma mu ye pa a nu a mu m fa 
 
 kere sama muye, Panu. "Amu mfa 
 
 but the morning (is) to us, gentlemen. Then my father 
 
 hi ra n* a ro mu na ya ke re ke wa ra ya 
 
 Biran" aro : mu na ya kerekea: ya 
 
 Bilang he said : we came thy calling on : thou 
 
 mo mu so wi nu ke mu na iva ke re 
 
 momu sowi nu, ke mu na ; kere 
 
 person which hast sent there, that we should come ; but 
 
 a mi na ki le ni ye a mu gha ko i we a 
 
 amina kie nie? Amu Gbakoie a 
 
 ^'hat sleeps her? And Gbakoi he 
 
248 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 ke a ma 
 
 ni 
 
 ma 
 
 n d 
 
 sa den' 
 
 nu ra 
 
 a mu 
 
 ke amani 
 communicated it about 
 
 mandsa-d 
 to the king- 
 
 enua. 
 children. 
 
 
 'Amu 
 Then 
 
 a nil ro 
 
 rmi ho 
 
 ru 
 
 he 
 
 mu ta 
 
 ko ro 
 
 i ive re 
 
 anuro : 
 they said ; 
 
 mu boro 
 our hands 
 
 be 
 
 be 
 
 mu ta 
 our part 
 
 koro ; 
 under ; 
 
 iwere 
 wilt thou 
 
 n nu na 
 
 ke re ko 
 
 fo 
 
 a 
 
 nu ye 
 
 
 
 anua 
 
 their 
 
 kere-ko 
 call- cause 
 
 fo 
 tell 
 
 anuye ? 
 them ? 
 
 
 
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