Part 4 (2/2)

_Isuli_ denotes motion after, motion over: _sulia rodo ma na asua_ day and night, _manata suli_ to know.

_Fafi_ means, about, concerning, because of, around, on: _gera ogu fafia_ they crowded round him, _nia alua abana fafia_ he laid his hand on him, _lau fafi_ to rescue, _fafi taa_ what about, why; _fuana_ in order that, _mae fuana_ to die to his disadvantage, _soe ledia fuana_ question him about it, _bae fuana_ forbid him, _fuana taa_ wherefore?

Of the two instrumental prepositions _ana_ is the one in more general use, its meaning is with: _doo gera saungia ana_ the thing they killed him with. _Ana_ appears to denote the actual instrument, _ani_ the method of action; _ani_ may be translated withal. When the noun denoting the instrument is not preceded by an article or when the noun is used in a general sense, _ani_ is used in the place of _ana_: _suu fafia ani taa_ to clothe himself with what? _lea ani ola_ to go by canoe.

The p.r.o.noun _a_ may be suffixed to _ani_; _tasi doo gera qaifamanatai ania_ the thing they taught withal; _ka modea na toongi ua inao ania_ to mend the old garment withal.

_Ana_ also denotes at, in, place where, among: _luma ana foaa_ (_luma ni foaa_) a house of prayer, _kakao ana ano_ an earthen vessel, _nia liu ana ta maaedangi_ he went on a certain day, _tani ai ana aigi_ some of the people, _nia saea ana satana_ he called him by his name, _o ngalia ana ati_ from whom did you get it? _lea ana fera_ to go into the country. _Ani_ is used as meaning in, _e langi ani nau_ there is nothing in me, _gera ote gera ani nau_ they will have nothing to do with me.

_Fai_ means with: _faioe_ with thee, _qaimani fai_ to help, _oko gaimani fainau_ you help me. The genitive _ni_ may be added, _lea fainia_ go with him; _fainia_ moreover, and.

_Sia_ means at, at home, and always has the suffixed p.r.o.noun. By the ordinary Melanesian idiom place at comes to be used of motion to: _siagamelu chez nous_, _siena ere_ beside the fire, _lea mai siegu_ come here to me. _Usi_ means over, on behalf of, for: _gera ngisu usia_ they spat on him, _na captain usia na too_ a captain over the people, _na taba olisia usia na aigi_ a redemption for the people.

The genitives have been dealt with under nouns: _i_ is in most general use, both are used to express purpose, and _ni_ also denotes for, belonging to: _fasia muka manata ni bae uri_ think not to say thus, _gera mou ni oli_ they feared to return, _ka ote nia ni rosuli_ he is tired of obeying.

2. Compound prepositions.

Some of these are nouns used with the locative; the p.r.o.noun is suffixed as the actual object or as the antic.i.p.atory object when a noun follows: _i fafo_ above, _i fara_ beneath, _i lao_ within. The locative need not be used with _lao_: _lao rodo_ in the night, _lao tala_ in the path, _lao salo_ in the sky. Some are constructed from verbal nouns to which the suffixed p.r.o.noun is always added: _fonosia_ in front of him, _nia initoo fonosi gera_ he ruled over them, _fonosi taa_ to meet what? for what purpose? Certain verbs are used as prepositions: _maasi_ to await, _garangi_ to be near.

CONJUNCTIONS.

Copulative, _ma_.

Adversative, _ta_, _ma ta_ Connective, _ta_.

Disjunctive, _langi_, _langi fa_, _ma langi_, _ma ka langi_.

Conditional, _ana_, _ma ana_, _saea_.

Illative, _fi fe_.

A mark of quotation is _saea_, _uri_. Neither, nor, is expressed by a negative followed by _ma_. Until is _dao ana_, _lea dao ana_.

NUMERALS.

The numerical system is decimal. All numbers over the tens are expressed in tens.

1. Cardinals.

1. _eta_, _ta_, _te_.

2. _e rua_, _ro_.

3. _e olu_.

4. _e fai_.

5. _e lima_.

6. _e ono_.

7. _e qalu_.

8. _e fiu_.

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