These pronouns are exclusively employed as suffixes,—and as suffixes to the descriptive compound substantives, adjectives and verbs. Both the rule and examples have been stated under the head of the substantive, p. 43. and adjective, p. 81. Their application to the verb will be shown, as we proceed.
2. Relative Pronouns. In a language which provides for the distinctions of person by particles prefixed or suffixed to the verb, it will scarcely be expected, that separate and independent relative pronouns should exist, or if such are to be found, their use, as separate parts of speech, must, it will have been anticipated, be quite limited—limited to simple interrogatory forms of expression, and not applicable to the indicative, or declaratory. Such will be found to be the fact in the language under review; and it will be perceived, from the subjoined examples, that in all instances, requiring the relative pronoun who, other than the simple interrogatory forms, this relation is indicated by the inflections of the verb, or adjective, &c. Nor does there appear to be any declension of the separate pronoun, corresponding to whose, and whom.
The word Ahwaynain, may be said to be uniformly employed in the sense of who, under the limitations we have mentioned. For instance.
| Who is there? | Ahwaynain e-mah ai-aud? |
| Who spoke? | Ahwaynain kau keegœdood? |
| Who told you? | Ahwaynain kau ween dumoak? |
| Who are you? | Ahwaynain iau we yun? |
| Who sent you? | Ahwaynain waynönik? |
| Who is your father? | Ahwaynain kös? |
| Who did it? | Ahwaynain kau tödung? |
| Whose dog is it? | Ahwaynain way dyid? |
| Whose pipe is that? | Ahwaynain döpwaugunid en-eu? |
| Whose lodge is it? | Ahwaynain way weegewomid? |
| Whom do you seek? | Ahwaynain nain dau wau bumud? |
| Whom have you here? | Ahwaynain oh omau ai auwaud? |
Not the slightest variation is made in these phrases, between who, whose, and whom.
Should we wish to change the interrogative, and to say, he who is there; he who spoke; he who told you, &c., the separable personal pronoun ween (he) must be used in lieu of the relative, and the following forms will be elicited.
| Ween, kau unnönik, | He (who) sent you. |
| Ween, kau geedood, | He (who) spoke. |
| Ween, ai-aud e-mah, | He (who) is there. |
| Ween, kau weendumoak, | He (who) told you. |
| Ween, kau tö dung, | He (who) did it, &c. |
If we object that, that in these forms, there is no longer the relative pronoun who, the sense being simply, he sent you, he spoke, &c., it is replied that if it be intended only to say, he sent you, &c., and not he who sent you, &c., the following forms are used.