A Grammar of the Yoruba Language

is contracted into naja; tàn iná, "light fire," into tanná; as shown in the following Table—

1. When the verb is in a, as, ka iwe, "to read book," into kawe.
2. . . . . . . . . e, as, ke ode, "to make proclamation," into kede.
3. . . . . . . . . ẹ, as, kẹ okùn, "to set snare," into kẹkùn.
4. . . . . . . . . i, as, bí ọmọ, "to bear a child," into bimmọ.
5. . . . . . . . . o, as, kó ille, "to rob a house," into kolle.
6. . . . . . . . . ọ, as, mọ ille, "to build a house," into mọlle.
7. . . . . . . . . u, as, kù elubó, "to sift flour," into kulubó.

Sometimes, however, the vowel of the verb is cut off, and that of the noun is lengthened; as, fọnnahan for fi ọnnahan, "to show the road;" kọrún for kì ọrún, "to fulfil five days;" kánu for ko ánu, "to be sorry for;" kegàn for kó ègan, "to reproach."

When two vowels of the same kind follow each other, one only is retained; as, naja for na aja, "to beat a dog;" kije for kì ije, "to fulfil seven days;" mọ̀nna for mọ ọnna, "to know the road."

Sometimes a change of the vowels takes place, and another vowel is substituted; as, da iró, "to make a stand," into duro; sa iré, "to run," into sure; sọ ire, "to bless" or "wish happiness," into sure; wi ire, "to pronounce a blessing from the gods," into wure.

ARTICLE.

No article has yet been discovered, and probably there is none. That which appears to resemble this part of speech is a demonstrative pronoun, na, "that;" kinni na, "that thing;" ọkọnri na, "that man;" ille na,

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