Author:  Simon Singh
Viewed: 27 - Published at: a year ago

a Navajo verb is conjugated not solely according to its subject, but also according to its object. The verb ending depends on which category the object belongs to: long {e.g., pipe, pencil}, slender and flexible {e.g., snake, thong}, granular {e.g., sugar, salt}, bundled {e.g., hay}, viscous {e.g., mud, feces} and many others. The verb will also incorporate adverbs, and will reflect whether or not the speaker has experienced what he or she is talking about, or whether it is hearsay. Consequently, a single verb can be equivalent to a whole sentence, making it virtually impossible for foreigners to disentangle its meaning.

( Simon Singh )
[ The Code Book: The Science of ]
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