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Some verbs are exclusively transitive so as to turn reflexive or
passive, if used without suffix, f. i. toqupoq he killed himself. Certain
affixes render these verbs halftransitive, viz. having no definite object,
whereas an object still can be indicated by the modalis, f. i. inungmik
toqutsivoq he has killed a man, he is a murderer.
The passive form is not indicated by flexion, but merely by
affixes.
The negation is expressed by a peculiar affix-stem ͟′ ngit added
to the end vowel of the verb in question and inflected in a
somewhat different way from the ordinary conjugation. The indicative
without suffix is: 3d pers. ngilaq, 2d pers. ngilatit, 1st pers. ngilanga.
As exceptional differences in Greenland occur: goq and gâ for
voq and vâ, in Labrador koq and kâ for poq and pâ. In Labr. there
exist no verbs of the 5th class and what appears most remarkable,
no verbal participle. Certain e-suffixes have also disappeared.
The MACKENZIE GRAMMAR GIVES a numerous collection of
forms differing from the system here proposed. Most of them spring
from the usual difficulties in acquiring Ihe first information by
questioning the natives. In fact the only task I have attempted in this
part of the grammar is to trace the similarities and to point out
among the differences a few as probably authentic.
It is said that the verbs without suffix generally end in toaq,
joaq, joq, toq, taq, raq; with suffix in a, ja, va, ra and ga.
Five conjugations are said to exist:
(1) for verbs ending in toaq, rtoaq and ktoaq — evidently
corresponding to the first 3 classes of verbs in Greenl., but with t instead
of p, reminding us of the nominal participle,
(2) for -joaq, evidently the ending -voq in Greenl., where also
joq exceptionally occurs,
(3) for -raq?
(4) for -oq, apparently the same as 2,
(5) for -ik, probably a confounding of nominal and verbal forms.
The interrogative and optative agree tolerably well with Greenl.,
and so does still more the infinitive.
It is an interesting fact, that the negative form with its flexions
has maintained the t of the stem, but as for the rest is quite alike
the Greenl.
The scanty sources of information we hitherto have been
possessed of with regard to the GRAMMAR OF THE WESTERN DIALECTS,
have received a valuable addition by a list of flexional forms added
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