Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language by Ivens, Walter G.

There is no preface of n in the sound of d.

In many words a t has been dropped: _angi_ to cry, Oceanic _tangi_; _asi_ sea, Oceanic _tasi_; _ola_ canoe, Florida _tiola_, Sa'a _'iola_.

There is no w in Lau. Where it occurs in Sa'a its place is supplied in Lau by q, the sound of which is kw or ku: _qalu_ eight, Sa'a _walu_. In Lau the island Ulawa is known as Ulaqa. A q in Lau may represent an h in Sa'a: _qai_, the reciprocal prefix, is in Sa'a _hai_. The letter gw may represent a q (pw) in Sa'a: _gwou_ head, Sa'a _qau_; _gwini_ wet, Sa'a _qini_; _gwou_ deserted, Mota _wou_. The sound of d is not followed by r, as is the case in Sa'a, nor is d before i sounded any way differently, as is the case in Sa'a. Nasal m, i.e., mw, is not so common a sound as it is in Sa'a, but it is heard in _mwane_ male, _mwela_ child.

There is an interchange between n and l: _nima_ or _lima_ five; _daluma_ middle, Sa'a _danume_; _inala_ to discern, Sa'a _ilala_. Both l and r are used and the sounds are distinct; both sounds are trilled.

ARTICLES.

(a) Demonstrative: Singular, _na, si; ta, te, ke; maae; fe_. Plural, _gi; mwai, ote_.

(b) Personal: _a, ni_.

_Na_ denotes a, any, the, and is put to more general use than the corresponding _nga_ in Sa'a; _na_ is used with both singular and plural: _na noni_ the body; _na sasigamu_ your brethren. The conjunction _ma_ (=and) coalesces with _na_; _mana Mwela_ and the Son. _Na_ is used with the interrogative _taa_ what.

2. _Si_ is more definite and particular in meaning than _na_ and denotes a part, a piece, any; it is more or less equivalent to _me'i_ in Sa'a: _si doo ne_ the thing; _gamelu ka ania si taa_ what are we to eat? _si ere_ a firestick; _si doo gu saea na_ that which I said; _na_ may be prefixed: _na si baea taa ne_ what words? _si_ can not be used of the plural.

3. _Ta_ means a certain one, every, at all, just, only, and is the same as the numeral _ta_ one: _ta_ may precede the article _fe_; _ta fe uo_ every hill, _ni_ may follow _ta_: _tani aiai_ some, other. _ta_ may mean only: _ta ro ai_ only two people; _ta_ may be used with the numerals, _ta ro mwane_ two men; _ta ro tangale penny_ 200 pence.

_Te_ has practically the same meanings as _ta_: _te geni sarii_ a maiden; _te taifilia_ he alone; _te aiai falaete_ one person only. _Te_ is used of units (as _ata_ in Sa'a), _te fiu fe doo_ only seven things; _te ai ma te ai_ one by one; _too te ai_ singly. _Si_ may follow both _ta_ and _te_: _ta si fou_ a certain rock, _te si na doo_ everything; _te_ may be used as equivalent to the conjunction and: _te na Mwela_ and the Son.

_Ke_ is used as _te_: _ke si gula iidimani_ a small piece; _ro kesi kurui bata_ two small pieces of money. _Ke_ and _si_ may be combined and used with _te_: _e langi asia na teke si doo_ there is nothing at all.