so little ground is there for the common opinion that the language is
destitute of abstract nouns. [Footnote: See, on this point, the remarks
of Dr Brinton to the same effect, in regard to the Aztec, Qquichua, and
other languages, with interesting illustrations, in his _"American
Hero Myths"_, p. 25]

The adjective, when employed in an isolated form, follows the
substantive; as _kanonsa kowa_, large house; _onkwe honwe_ (or
_onwe_) a real man. But, in general, the substantive and the
adjective coalesce in one word. _Ase_ signifies new, and added to
_kanonsa_ gives us _kanonsase_, new house. Karonta, tree, and
_kowa_, or _kowanen_, great, make together
_karontowanen_, great tree. Frequently the affixed adjective is
never employed as an isolated word. The termination _iyo_ (or
_iio_) expresses good or beautiful, and _aksen_, bad or ugly;
thus _kanonsiyo_, fine house, _kanonsasken_, ugly house. These
compound forms frequently make their plural by adding _s_, as
_kanonsiyos_, _kanonsaksens_.

The pronouns are more numerous than in any European language, and show
clearer distinctions in meaning. Thus, in the singular, besides the
ordinary pronouns, I, thou, he and she, the language possesses an
indeterminate form, which answers very nearly to the French
_on_. The first person of the dual has two forms, the one
including, the other excluding, the person addressed, and signifying,
therefore, respectively, "thou and I," and "he and I." The first person
plural has the same twofold form. The third persons dual and plural have
masculine and feminine forms. Thus the language has fifteen personal
pronouns, all in common use, and all, it may be added, useful in
expressing distinctions which the English can only indicate by