Grammar and Dictionary of the Bobangi Language as Spoken Over a Part of the Upper Congo, West Central Africa; Comp. and Prepared for the Baptist Missi (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: ...will be noticed presently; there is a difference, however, in the tones of the afformative syllables; while in the Past only the final of the afformative is lowered, in the Future Definite all the syllables of the afformative are lowered in tone: kati, kosoli, balinginyi, There is also a difference in the tone of the pronominal prefix in the Future Definite, it is lowered in tone: nakati, I shall hold; nakosoli, / shall save; nabalinginyi, I shall disperse. (8) The Recent Infinitive is formed by the preformative so-, and raising all the tones of the afformative syllables: sokata, sokosola, sobalinginya. The pronominal prefix receives the raised tone: nasokata, I have just held; nasokosula, I have just saved; na sobalinginya, I have just dispersed. (9) The Perfect Infinitive is formed by the preformative o-and the raising of the tones of all the afformative syllables: oka ta, okosola, obalinginya. The pronominal prefix receives the raised tone: naokata, / have held; naokosola, I have saved; naobalinginya, / have dispersed. (10) The Past Indefinite Infinitive is formed by changing the final vowel of the Simple Infinitive of all verbs (except monosyllabic verbs ending in e or o) into i. Monosyllabic verbs ending in i or o do not lose their natural vowels, and i is merely affixed to them so as to denote the Past Indefinite. The tone of all afformative syllables except the last is raised, and the last one is lowered in tone: kati, kosoli, balinginyi. The tone of the pronominal prefix is raised: nakati, I held; nakosoli, / saved; nabalinginyi, / dispersed, (a) When a sentence...