Page:An introduction to Indonesian linguistics, being four essays.djvu/51

SECTION III: THE FORMATION OF THE WORD-
BASE FROM THE ROOT.

Preliminary Observations.

63.   The word-base may be formed from the root in five different ways: first, the root itself may be a word-base; or, secondly, the reduplicated root; or, thirdly, two or more roots are combined; or, fourthly, formatives are added to the root; or, fifthly, a meaningless pĕpĕt is prefixed to the root.

The Root as Word-base.

64.   Among the roots that can serve as word-bases we will proceed from the obscure formations of the emotional impulses to the clearer ones of the reason, thus mentioning first the interjections and ending with the words of form.*

65.   The IN languages possess, to begin with, such interjections as are evoked by internal psychological processes, e.g., ah used as an expression of mental anguish, etc., etc.

66.   In the second place, there are the interjections that are elicited by some external event:

I.   The interjection directly imitates by its sound the external event. Of such cases, which are numerous in most of the IN languages, let two be adduced as specimens:

a. Toba: sar, “ a rushing sound ”.

Mai.: sar, sir, sur, “ a rushing sound ”.

Day.: sar, “ rustling ”, sur, “hissing”.

Jav. : sěr, “ whirring ”.

Bĕsĕmah: sar, “ hissing, as when water falls on fire ”.

Gayo: sur, exclamation when one sees a suddenly appearing ray of light.

Sund. : ser, exclamation of sudden anger.

* [See also Essay II, §§ 81 seqq.]