Mahican VAI Indicative Stable Stems

 

(1) Stable VAI stems ending in (ii):

These stems are called stable because they do not shift the stem ending vowel before the 3rd person endings in indicative mode.

The dictionary lists these with an (iiw) ending, and all other forms indicated in the dictionary entry also use (ii) prior to the endings, which makes these verb easily identifiable. They are labeled as vai because there is no way to confuse these verbs with unstable verbs.

VAI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (ii)

Meaning Build Final form
I — nu(····ii)m nu·····ih
You — ku(····ii)m ku·····ih
He or She — —-(····ii)w ····iiw
We — (exclusive) nu(····ii)hnąą nu····ihnah
We — (inclusive) ku(····ii)hnąą ku(····)ihnah
We all — (inclusive) ku(····ii)hnookw ku(····)ihnookw
You (pl) — ku(····ii)hmąą ku····ihmah
They — —-(····ii)wak ····iiwak
There is — —(····ii)n ····iin

Note: Final reshaping of the endings is included in the final paradigm, including shortening of the final vowel ii in word final position which then takes a final -h

Example: kawiiw vai-s he sleeps


ngáwih I sleep.  
káwih              
kawíiw               
ngawíhnah                
kawíhnah                
kawihnookw
kawíhmah             
kawíiwak             
kawíin             

VAI Negative Stable Stem (ii) Independent Indicative Mode

Meaning Build Final form
I — not ustah nu(····ii)wii ustah nu····iiw
You — not ustah ku-(····ii)wii ustah ku····iiw
He or She — not ustah —-(····ii)wii ustah ····iiwih
We — not (exclusive) ustah nu(····ii)wíhnąą ustah nu····iiwíhnah
We — not (inclusive) ustah ku(····ii)wíhnąą ustah ku····iiwíhnah
We all — not (inclusive) ustah ku(····ii)wíhnookw ustah ku····iiwíhnookw
You (pl) — not ustah ku(····ii)wíhmąą ustah ku····iiwíhmah
They — not ustah —-(····ii)wíiwak ustah ····iiwíik
There is not — ustah —-(····ii)wun ustah ····iiwun

(This paradigm is identical to the unstable stem ending in (ii) negative form paradigm)

Examples

ustah ngawíiw    I sleep not   
ustah kawiiw
ustah kawíiwih
ustah  ngawiiwíhnah  
ustah kawiiwíhnah  
ustah kawiiwihnookw
ustah  kawiiwíhmah 
ustah kawiiwíik  
ustah kawíiwun  

Examples:

Nuyah ngawih wunąąkwah.   
I slept yesterday.  

Kuyah kóonu-káwih?   
How did you sleep?  (did you sleep well?)  

Naakmah ąąpchiiwih kawíiw.   
He is always sleeping.  

Ngataaw-kawíhnah.   
We want to sleep.  

Maxih kawíhmah.   
You (pl) sleep alot.  

Naakmąąwąh mawih-kawíiwak.   
They are going to sleep.  

mawih pv go to do something  

Kawiin.   
There is sleeping  

Negative examples:

Ustah ngawíiw.  
I'm not sleeping.  

Ustah kŭmáwih-kawíiw.  
I'm not going to sleep.  

Ustah naakmah kataaw-kawiiwih.  
He doesn't want to sleep.  

Nuyaanah ustah ngawiiwíhnah.  
We won't sleep.  

Nākmaawah ustah kawiiwíik.  
They are not sleeping.  

Ustah kawíiwun.  
There is no sleeping.  

(2) VAI stems ending in (aa)

The dictionary lists many VAIs ending in (aaw). These include the stable VAIs with stems ending in (aa) and the unstable VAIs with stems ending in (ąą),

The unstable stems which end in (ąą) shift this vowel to (aa) in the 3rd person forms of the independent indicative whereas the stable stems ending in (aa) use this vowel in all forms.

VAI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (aa)

Meaning Build Final form
I — nu(····aa)m nu····ah
You — ku(····aa)m ku····ah
He or She — —-(····aa)w ····aaw
We — (exclusive) nu(····aa)hnąą nu····ahnah
We — (inclusive) ku(····aa)hnąą ku····ahnah
We all — (inclusive) ku(····aa)hnookw ku····ahnookw
You (pl) — ku(····aa)hmąą ku····ahmah
They — —-(····aa)wak ····aak
There is — —-(····aa)n ····aan

Example: anahkaaw vai he works

ndanahkah   I work  
ktanahkah      
anahkaaw                 
ndanahkahnah              
ktanahkahnah      
ktanahkahnookw        
ktanahkahmah             
anahkaak           
X anahkaan  There is working  

VAI Negative Stable Stem (aa) Independent Indicative Mode

Meaning Build Final form
I — not ustah nu(····aa)wii ustah nu····aaw
You — not ustah ku(····aa)wii ustah ku(····aa)w
He or She — not ustah —-(····aa)wii ustah ····aawih
We — not (exclusive) ustah nu(····aa)wíhnąą ustah nu····aawíhnah
We — not (inclusive) ustah ku(····aa)wíhnąą ustah ku····aawíhnah
We all — not (inclusive) ustah ku(····aa)wíhnookw ustah ku····aawíhnookw
You (pl) — not ustah ku(····aa)wíhmąą ustah ku····aawíhmah
They — not ustah —-(····aa)wíiwak ustah ····aawíik
There is not — ustah —-(····aa)wun ustah ····aawun

Negatives

ustah ndanahkaaw  I work not   
ustah ktanahkaaw
ustah anahkaawih  
ustah ndanahkaawíhnah  
ustah ktanahkaawíhnah
ustah ktanahkaawíhnookw
ustah ktanahkaawíhmah  
ustah anahkaawiik  
ustah anahkaawun  

(VOTI = Objectless Transitive Inanimate Verbs) which end in aa conjugate as stable vai stems ending in aa

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