The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological Relations Part 2

tujahadda, she walks.

wayahadda, we walk.

hujahadda, you walk.

nayuhadda, they walk.

First preterite--of to-day:

dayahaddibi, I walked to-day.

bujahaddibi, thou walked to-day.

lijahaddibi, he walked to-day.

tujahaddibi, she walked to-day.

wayahaddibi, we walked to-day.

hujahaddibi, you walked to-day.

nayahaddibi, they walked to-day.

Second preterite--of yesterday or the day before.

dayahaddibuna, I walked yesterday or the day before.

bujahaddibuna, thou walked yesterday or the day before.

lijahaddibuna, he walked yesterday or the day before.

tujahaddibuna, she walked yesterday or the day before.

wayahaddibuna, we walked yesterday or the day before.

hujahaddibuna, you walked yesterday or the day before.

nayahaddibuna, they walked yesterday or the day before.

Third preterite--at some indefinite past time:

dayahaddakuba, I walked.

bujahaddakuba, thou walked.

lijahaddakuba, he walked.

tujahaddakuba, she walked.

wayahaddakuka, we walked.

hujahaddakuba, you walked.

nayahaddakuba, they walked.

Future:

dayahaddipa, I shall walk.

bujahaddipa, thou wilt walk.

lijahaddipa, he will walk.

tujahaddipa, she will walk.

wayahaddipa, we shall walk.

hujahaddipa, you will walk.

nayahaddipa, they will walk.

OPTATIVE MOOD.

Present:

dayahaddama or dayahaddinnika, I may walk.

First preterite:

dayahaddinnikabima.

Second preterite[TN-3]

dayahaddinbunama.

Third preterite:

dayahaddinnikubama.

IMPERATIVE MOOD.

bujahaddate or bujahaddalte, walk thou.

hujahaddate or hujahaddalte, walk ye.

nayahaddate, let them walk.

wayahaddali, let us walk.

PARTICIPLES.

ayahaddinnibi, to have walked to-day.

ayahaddinnibuna, to have walked yesterday.

ayahaddinnikuba, to have walked.

ayahaddinnipa, to be about to walk.

GERUND.

ayahaddinti.

ayahaddinnibia.

The following forms also belong to this verb:

ayahaddinnibiakubama, to may or can walk.

ayahaddahalin, one who walks there (infinitive form).

As in all polysynthetic languages, other words and particles can be incorporated in the verb to modify its meaning, thus:

dayahaddaruka, as I was walking.

dayahaddakanika, I walk a little.

dayahaddahittika, I walk willingly.

In this way sometimes words of formidable length are manufactured, as:

ma.s.sukussukuttunnuanikaebibu, you should not have been washed to-day.

Negation may be expressed either by the prefix _m_ or _ma_, as _mayahaddinikade_, I do not walk (where the prefix throws the p.r.o.noun to the end of the word, and gives it the form appropriate for that position), or else by the adverb _kurru_, not. But if both these negatives are used, they make an affirmative, as _madittinda kurru Gott_, I am not unacquainted with G.o.d.