II. Elision.
A great number of Fuyuge words terminate in an open syllable of which the vowel is generally e. This syllable is usually omitted at the end of a phrase, and nearly always when the following word commences with a consonant. But if the following word begins with a vowel the final e only falls away. Thus the complete form of a word is rarely used, except to avoid confusion, or for the sake of emphasis. The following are examples:
ovo(le), pig: ovol’ ovoge, boar, ovo momombe, sow.
ifa(ne), beautiful: ifa ta, very fine, ifan’ aka, less fine.
da(le), who? nu da? who art thou? dal’ aua? who is this?
i(nde), to give: ne i, give me, ne ind’ u, give it to me.
-a(le), with: andal’ a? with what? indiv’ al’ ongai, cut with the knife.
a(le), here: a mo ma? must I put it here? al’ itatsi, he will sleep here.
u(ne), and: kitoval’ u kene, black parroquet and white, amb’ un’ ale, banana and sugar cane.
Note (1). The b in an elision sometimes changes to p. Ex. obe, bud, op’indie, to bud.