Daniel G Brinton

The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological Relations Daniel G Brinton

Book Excerptthe name of a certain black dye, comes lannatün to color with this dye, alannatunna to color oneself with it, alannattukuttun to let oneself be colored with it, alanattukuttunnua to be colored with it. The infinitive ends in in, ün, ùn, ân, unnua, ên, and ûn. Those in in, ün, ùn, and ân are transitive, in unnua are passive and neuter, the others are transitive, intransitive, or neuter. The passive voice is formed by the medium of a verb of permission, thus: amalitin, to make. amalitikittin, to let make. amalitikittunnua, to be made. assimakin, to call. assimakuttün, to let call, assimakuttùnnua, to be called. The personal pronouns are united to the verbs as they are to the nouns. They precede all verbs except those whose infinitives terminate in ên,