Handbook of the Fijian Language
By Rev. William Moore

Contents

Preface

I-The key to the Language

II-The Alphabet

III-The Articles

IV-The Nouns

V-Adjectives

VI-Numerals

VII-Pronouns

VIII-Verbs

IX-Adverbs

X-Prepositions

XI-Conjunction

XII-Interjections

XIII-Useful words to be learnt first

XIV-Useful sentences on landing

XV-Household words, &c.

XVI-Words for garden, plantation, &c.

XVII-Words for boating and canoes

XVIII-Words for part of the human body

XIX-Words for relationship

XX-Words for naturalist and botanist

XXI-Words requiring care with AI

XXII-A short vocabulary

Preface

The first edition of this little book owed its appearance to a request from HBM Consul (Captain HM Jones, VC) that I should prepare a small Handbook for Immigrants, more simple and less expensive than our present books. In sending out the second edition, I may say that I make no pretensions to originality, except in plan. Although I have made preparations for greatly enlarging and otherwise improving this little Key, yet, in deference to the opinion of others, it is now reprinted with only some few corrections and additions, to meet a pressing want.

Excerpt from Chapter I

A cava oqo? What’s this? You have the Key wherewith to open your way into the language in the above sentence, pronounced in English Ah thava ongo? If you can procure a native, do so by all means, and, placing the Alphabet before you, ply him with your Key A cava oqo? until you get the proper sounds. Be careful of B, C, D, G, Q, and do not proceed until you have mastered your Alphabet. This done, begin at once to note down everything around you. Pointing at a stone, use your Key, A cave oqo? The answer will be, A vatu.
Oqo, this. Oqori, that (near). Ko ya, that (distant) Keep…

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