The Mafulu eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 349 pages of information about The Mafulu.

The Mafulu eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 349 pages of information about The Mafulu.

2.  The genitive is expressed by means of the possessive adjective.

Ex. ovo’u ma, hair of the pig, lit. pig his hair.

3.  Persons belonging to a place sometimes omit the adjective.

Ex. A Kotsi, a man of Kotsi; An’Alol’, a man of Alole; Alol’ amu, a woman of Alole; Ambov’amu, a woman of Ambove; Tseluku ul’ akeda, men of Tseluku.

4.  Position in a place, or motion to or from a place is shown in the following ways.  When the noun has a shortened for _-tsi_ is suffixed.  If there is no short form the final e of the noun is changed to i and _-tsi_ is added.

Ex. nani etsi ando, I am in the house; nuni bulitsi gatsi, thou wilt go to the garden; naga Mambutsi l’a tela, I have come here from Mambo.

Note (1).  Some proper names of places do not take the suffix _-tsi._ Ex. amul’ Alol’ itatsi, the woman will sleep at Alole.

(2).  Other proper names, especially those of mountains and the villages built on them, take the suffix _-tu_ (upon) instead of _-tsi._ Ex. Falitu gatsi, I will go to Faliba, lit.  I will go upon Faliba.

IV.  Interrogative Nouns.

The noun in Fuyuge has a special form to indicate the interrogative.  If the noun ends in e, this vowel is changed to a. If already ending in a, the a takes a strong accent.  To any other vowel ending a is added.

Ex. ovo(le) pig:  interrog. ovola? is it a pig?

bulomakao, cow, &c.:  interrog. bulomakaoa? is it a cow?

kuku, tobacco:  interrog. kukua? is it tobacco?

kupa, sweet potato:  interrog. kupa? is it a sweet potato?

V. Demonstrative Nouns.

These are similar to the Interrogative Nouns and are formed by the addition of the syllables _-aua, -ana,_ or _-ala_ instead of a. This form is both affirmative and interrogative.

Ex. oyand’ aua? is it a flower? or, it is a flower.

Tayov’ aua, it is Tayo; kuku aua, it is tobacco; an’ ala, it is a man; Ambov’ ana, it is Ambo.

Adjectives.

I. Adjectives have no Gender.  In the expression of Case, Interrogative and Demonstrative forms they are the same as Nouns.

Ex. a baibe, amu baibe, man tall, woman tall; uli baibitsi mau, pot big-in put it, put it in the big pot; ifana? is it good? ifan’ ala, it is good.

II.  Adjectives of Quality.

1.  Number.

Number is expressed as with nouns by changing e to i. Some adjectives in _-a_ add i. There are no adjectives with the plural in _-a._ Some adjectives in _-a(ne)_ have the plural _-ai._

Ex. kakava(ne) strong, plur. kakavani; safa(le), plur. safa(li); isosonga, idle, plur. isosongai; aka(ne) small, plur. akai.

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The Mafulu from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.