And so the forms might be continued throughout all the objective persons—
| Mainwaindum ë yun, | Thou (who) makest me happy, &c. |
The basis of these compounds is minno, "good," and aindum, "the mind." Hence, minwaindum, "he happy." The adjective, in this connection, cannot be translated "good," but its effect upon the noun is to denote that state of the mind which is at rest with itself. The first change from this simple compound, is to give the adjective a verbal form; and this is effected by a permutation of the vowels of the first syllable—a rule of very extensive application—and by which, in the present instance, the phrase "he happy," is changed to "he makes happy," (mainwaindum.) The next step is to add the suffix personal pronouns, id, ik, aud, &c., rendering the expressions, "he makes me happy," &c. But, in adding these increments, the vowel e is thrown between the adjective-verb and the pronoun suffixed, making the expression, not mainwaindum-yun, but mainwaindum ëyun. Generally, the vowel e, in this situation, is a connective, or introduced merely for the sake of euphony. And those who maintain that it is here employed as a personal pronoun, and that the relative who is implied by the final inflection, overlook the inevitable inference, that if the marked e stands for me in the first phrase, it must stand for thee in the second, he in the third, us in the fourth, &c. As to the meaning and office of the final inflections id, ik, &c., whatever they may, in an involuted sense, imply, it is quite clear, by turning to the list of suffixed personal pronouns, and animate plurals, that they mark the persons, I, thou, he, &c., we, ye, they, &c.
Take, for example, minwaindumëigowaud, "he (who) makes them happy." Of this compound, minwaindum, as before shown, signifies "he makes happy." But as the verb is in the singular number, it implies that but one person is made happy; and the suffixed personal pronouns singular, mark the distinctions between me, thee, and he, or him.
Minwaindum-e-ig is the verb plural, and implies that several persons are made happy; and, in like manner, the suffixed personal pronouns plural, mark the distinctions between we, ye, they, &c.; for it is a rule of the language, that a strict concordance must exist between the number of the verb and the number of the pronoun. The termination of the verb consequently always indicates whether there be one or many objects to which its energy is directed. And as animate verbs can be applied only to animate objects, the numerical inflections of the verb are understood to mark the number of persons. But this number is indiscriminate, and leaves the sense vague until the pronominal suffixes are superadded. Those who, therefore, contend for the sense of the relative pronoun "who" being given in the last-mentioned phrase, and all phrases similarly formed by a succedaneum, contend for something like the following form of translation: "He makes them happy—him!" or "Him—he (meaning 'who') makes them happy."
The equivalent for what, is waygonain.
| What do you want? | Waygonain wau iauyun? |
| What have you lost? | Waygonain kau wonetöyun? |
| What do you look for? | Waygonain nain dahwau bundahmun? |
| What is this? | Waygonain ewinain maundun? |
| What will you have? | Waygonain kad iauyun? |
| What detained you? | Waygonain kau oon dahme egöyun? |
| What are you making? | Waygonain wayzhetöyun? |
| What have you there? | Waygonain e-mau iauyun? |
The use of this pronoun, like the preceding, appears to be confined to simple interrogative forms. The word auneen, which sometimes supplies its place, or is used for want of the pronoun which, is an adverb, and has considerable latitude of meaning. Most commonly, it may be considered as the equivalent for how, in what manner, or at what time.
| What do you say? | Auneen akeedöyun? |
| What do you call this? | Auneen aizheneekaudahmun maundun?(i.) |
| What ails you? | Auneen aindeeyun? |
| What is your name? | Auneen aizheekauzoyun? |
| Which do you mean, this or that? (an.) | Auneen ah-ow ainud, woh-ow gämau ewaidde? |
| Which do you mean, this or that? (in.) | Auneen eh-eu ewaidumun oh-oo gämau ewaidde? |
| Which boy do you mean? | Auneen ah-ow-ainud? |