VAI Summary

VAI or Animate Intransitive Verb Stems

Verb ending Stem Stem type Example Meaning
–iiw (stem-ii) vai stable kawíiw sleep
–eew (stem-ee) vai stable aaptóoneew speak
–aaw (stem-aa) vai stable níimaaw bring lunch
–uw (stem-ii) vai unstable apúw be there
–eew (stem-aa) vai unstable kúndkeew dance
–n (stem-n) vai consonant shungiixiin lie down
–d (stem-d) vai consonant und be so
–m (stem-m) vai consonant wum come from
–k (stem-k) vai consonant lpakw cry
–l (stem-l) vai consonant pumáashŭwihl swim
–am (stem-am) voti1a wuleelúndam feel good
–um (stem-um) voti1b amáashŭnum act oddly
–oow (stem-oo) voti2 piinjiipáhtoow hurry inside

VAI Vowel Stem Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
nu-(vowel stem)-m* I —
ku-(vowel stem)-m* You —
—-(vowel stem)-w He or She —
nu-(vowel stem)-hna We — (exclusive)
ku-(vowel stem)-hna We — (inclusive)
ku-(vowel stem)-hmwa Ye —
—-(vowel stem)-wak They —
—-(vowel stem)-n There is —

*(m) optionally drops

VAI Consonant Stem Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
nu-(consonant stem) I —
ku-(consonant stem) You —
—-(consonant stem) He or She —
nu-(consonant stem)-óhna We — (exclusive)
ku-(consonant stem)-óhna We — (inclusive)
ku-(consonant stem)-óhmwa Ye —
—-(consonant stem)-ook They —
—-(consonant stem)-un There is —

VAI Negative Indicative Mode

Paradigm Vowel Stems Paradigm Consonant Stems Meaning
mah nu-(stem)-wi mah nu-(stem)-oowi I — not
mah ku-(stem)-wi mah ku-(stem)-oowi You — not
mah —-(stem)-wi mah —-(stem)-oowi He or She — not
mah nu-(stem)-wíhna mah nu-(stem)-oowíhna We — not (exclusive)
mah ku-(stem)-wíhna mah ku-(stem)-oowíhna We — not (inclusive)
mah ku-(stem)-wíhmwa mah ku-(stem)-oowíhmwa Ye — not
mah —-(stem)-wíiwak mah —-(stem)-oowíiwak They — not
mah —-(stem)-wun mah —-(stem)-oowun There is not —

(Consonant stems insert (oo) before negative endings)

VAI Unstable Stems Indicative Mode

Stem ending vowel 3rd sg form 3rd pl form Negative 3rd sg form Negative 3rd pl form
(stem-aa) (stem-eew) (stem-eewak) mah (stem-eewi) mah (stem-eewiiwak)
(stem-ii) (stem-uw) (stem-uwak) mah (stem-iiwi) mah (stem-iiwiiwak)
(stem-pwii) (stem-puw) (stem-puwak) mah (stem-pwiiwi) mah (stem-pwiiwiiwak)

VAI Indicative Mode Variants

Stem type Variant
(stem-xiin) final (n) optionally drops in the 1st & 2nd sg
(stem-k) irregular ending in (kw) in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd sg
liitéeheew vai he thinks drops initial (l) before prefixes
uw vai ‘he says’ inserts (s) after prefixes
txii-katum inserts (und) after prefixes

VAI Subordinative Mode

Vowel stem paradigm Consonant stem paradigm Meaning
nu-(vowel stem)-n nu-(consonant stem)-un I —
ku-(vowel stem)-n ku-(consonant stem)-un You —
wu-(vowel stem)-n wu-(consonant stem)-un He or She —
nu-(vowel stem)-neen nu-(consonant stem)-uneen We — (exclusive)
ku-(vowel stem)-neen ku-(consonant stem)-uneen We — (inclusive)
ku-(vowel stem)-neewa ku-(consonant stem)-uneewa Ye —
wu-(vowel stem)-neewa wu-(consonant stem)-uneewa They —
—-(vowel stem)-n —-(consonant stem)-un There is —

VAI Negative Subordinative Mode

Vowel stem paradigm Consonant stem paradigm Meaning
mah nu-(vowel stem)-wun mah nu-(consonant stem)-oowun I — not
mah ku-(vowel stem)-wun mah ku-(consonant stem)-oowun You — not
mah wu-(vowel stem)-wun mah wu-(consonant stem)-oowun He or She — not
mah nu-(vowel stem)-wuneen mah nu-(consonant stem)-oowuneen We — not (exclusive)
mah ku-(vowel stem)-wuneen mah ku-(consonant stem)-oowuneen We — not (inclusive)
mah ku-(vowel stem)-wuneewa mah ku-(consonant stem)-oowuneewa Ye — not
mah wu-(vowel stem)-wuneewa mah wu-(consonant stem)-oowuneewa They — not
mah —-(vowel stem)-wun mah —-(consonant stem)-oowun There is not —

Conjunct Order Overview

Conjunct Mode Schema
Changed (initial change)-(conjunct endings)
Changed Subjunctive (initial change)-(conjunct endings)-(e)
Subjunctive (no initial change)-(conjunct endings)-(e)
Participles (initial change)-(conjunct endings)

VAI Conjunct – Consonant stems

Basic paradigm Meaning
(consonant stem)-aan I —
(consonant stem)-an You —
(consonant stem)-uk He or She —
(consonant stem)-eengw We — (exclusive)
(consonant stem)-eengw We — (inclusive)
(consonant stem)-eekw Ye —
(consonant stem)-óhtiit They —
Not attested There is —

VAI Conjunct – Consonant stems – Special cases

Form (stem-m) (stem-n) (stem-xiin) (consonant stem)
1st sg (stem-m)-aan (stem-n)-aan (stem-xiin)-aan (consonant stem)-awaan
2nd sg (stem-m)-an (stem-n)-an (stem-xiin)-an (consonant stem)-awan
3rd sg (stem)-ng (stem)-ng (stem-xiing) or (stem-xiit) (consonant stem)-uk
1st pl (stem-m)-eengw (stem-n)-eengw (stem-xiin)-eengw (consonant stem)-aweengw
2nd pl (stem-m)-eekw (stem-n)-eekw (stem-xiin)-eekw (consonant stem)-aweekw
3rd pl (stem-m)-óhtiit (stem-n)-óhtiit (stem-xiin)-óhtiit (consonant stem)-óhtiit

The relevant forms to the discussion above are in bold type.

The paradigm below illustrates a VAI with a stem ending in (ee).

VAI Conjunct – Vowel stems

Basic paradigm Meaning
(stem)-ay-aan I —
(stem)-ay-an You —
(stem)-ee-t He or She —
(stem)-ay-eengw We — (exclusive)
(stem)-ay-eengw We — (inclusive)
(stem)-ay-eekw Ye —
(stem)-ee-htiit They —
(stem)-ee-ng There is —

The paradigm below illustrates a VAI with a stem ending in (aa).

VAI Conjunct – Vowel stems

Basic paradigm Meaning
(stem)-ay-aan I —
(stem)-ay-an You —
(stem)-aa-t He or She —
(stem)-ay-eengw We — (exclusive)
(stem)-ay-eengw We — (inclusive)
(stem)-ay-eekw Ye —
(stem)-aa-htiit They —
(stem)-aa-ng There is —

The paradigm below illustrates a VAI with a stem ending in (ii).

VAI Conjunct – Vowel stems

Basic paradigm Meaning
(stem)-uy-aan I —
(stem)-uy-an You —
(stem)-ii-t He or She —
(stem)-uy-eengw We — (exclusive)
(stem)-uy-eengw We — (inclusive)
(stem)-uy-eekw Ye —
(stem)-ii-htiit They —
(stem)-ii-ng There is —

VOTI2 Conjunct

Basic paradigm Meaning
(stem)-aw-aan I —
(stem)-aw-an You —
(stem)-aakw He or She —
(stem)-aw-eengw We — (exclusive)
(stem)-aw-eengw We — (inclusive)
(stem)-aw-eekw Ye —
(stem)-oo-htiit They —
(stem)-aw-ung There is —

Class 2 VTI and VOTI stems ending in (oo) shift the (oo) to (aw) in the conjunct
except for 3rd p plural and all conjunct negative forms

VAI Negative Conjunct Mode

Vowel stem paradigm Consonant stem paradigm Meaning
mah (vowel stem)-waan mah (consonant stem)-oowaan I — not
mah (vowel stem)-wan mah (consonant stem)-oowan You — not
mah (vowel stem)-kw mah (consonant stem)-ookw He or She — not
mah (vowel stem)-weengw mah (consonant stem)-ooweengw We — not (exclusive)
mah (vowel stem)-weengw mah (consonant stem)-ooweengw We — not (inclusive)
mah (vowel stem)-weekw mah (consonant stem)-ooweekw Ye — not
mah (vowel stem)-htiikw mah wu-(consonant stem)-óhtiikw They — not
mah —-(vowel stem)-wung** mah —-(consonant stem)-oowung There is not —

VOTI2 stems ending in (oo) do not shift to (aw) before negative endings

VAI Imperative

Subject Vowel stem paradigm Consonant stem paradigm
2nd sg (You) (vowel stem)-l (consonant stem)-ih
2nd pl (Ye) (vowel stem)-kw (consonant stem)-ookw
1 + 2 (We) (vowel stem)-tookw (consonant stem)-ootookw

VAI Imperative Special Cases

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Subject VAI (stem-xiin) VOTI1a (stem-am) paradigm VOTI1b (stem-um) paradigm
2nd sg (You) (stem-xii)-l (stem)-ah (stem)-ih
2nd pl (Ye) (stem-xii)-kw (stem-am)-ookw (stem-um)-ookw
1 + 2 (We) (stem-xiin)-ootookw (stem-am)-ootookw (stem-um)-ootookw
2nd sg (Don’t you) chii (stem-xiin)-oowi chii (stem-am)-oowi chii (stem-um)-oowi
2nd pl (Don’t ye) chii (stem-xiin)-ooweekw chii (stem-am)-ooweekw chii (stem-um)-ooweekw

VAI Prohibitive Mode

Subject Vowel stem paradigm Consonant stem paradigm
2nd sg (You) chii (vowel stem)-wi chii (consonant stem)-oowi
2nd pl (Ye) chii (vowel stem)-weekw chii (consonant stem)-ooweekw

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