(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 all — (exclusive) | nu(····ii)hnookw | nu····ihnookw |
| 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
ngawihnookw
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 all — not (exclusive) | ustah nu(····ii)wíhnookw | ustah nu····iiwíhnookw |
| 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 ngawiiwihnookw
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?)
Nāākmah ąąpchiiwih kawíiw.
He is always sleeping.
Ngatāāw-kawíhnah.
We want to sleep.
Maxih kawíhmah.
You (pl) sleep alot.
Nāākmąąwąh 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 nāākmah katāāw-kawiiwih.
He doesn't want to sleep.
Nuyāānah ustah ngawiiwíhnah.
We won't sleep.
Nākmāāwah ustah kawiiwíik.
They are not sleeping.
Ustah kawíiwun.
There is no sleeping.
(2) VAI stems ending in (āā)
The dictionary lists many VAIs ending in (āāw). These include the stable VAIs with stems ending in (āā) and the unstable VAIs with stems ending in (ąą),
The unstable stems which end in (ąą) shift this vowel to (āā) in the 3rd person forms of the independent indicative whereas the stable stems ending in (āā) use this vowel in all forms.
VAI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (āā)
| Meaning | Build | Final form |
|---|---|---|
| I — | nu(····āā)m | nu····ah |
| You — | ku(····āā)m | ku····ah |
| He or She — | —-(····āā)w | ····āāw |
| We — (exclusive) | nu(····āā)hnąą | nu····ahnah |
| We all — (exclusive) | nu(····āā)hnookw | nu····ahnookw |
| We — (inclusive) | ku(····āā)hnąą | ku····ahnah |
| We all — (inclusive) | ku(····āā)hnookw | ku····ahnookw |
| You (pl) — | ku(····āā)hmąą | ku····ahmah |
| They — | —-(····āā)wak | ····āāk |
| There is — | —-(····āā)n | ····āān |
Example: anahkāāw vai he works
ndanahkah I work
ktanahkah
anahkāāw
ndanahkahnah
ndanahkahnookw
ktanahkahnah
ktanahkahnookw
ktanahkahmah
anahkāāk
X anahkāān There is working
VAI Negative Stable Stem (āā) Independent Indicative Mode
| Meaning | Build | Final form |
|---|---|---|
| I — not | ustah nu(····āā)wii | ustah nu····āāw |
| You — not | ustah ku(····āā)wii | ustah ku(····āā)w |
| He or She — not | ustah —-(····āā)wii | ustah ····āāwih |
| We — not (exclusive) | ustah nu(····āā)wíhnąą | ustah nu····āāwíhnah |
| We all — not (exclusive) | ustah nu(····āā)wíhnookw | ustah nu····āāwíhnookw |
| We — not (inclusive) | ustah ku(····āā)wíhnąą | ustah ku····āāwíhnah |
| We all — not (inclusive) | ustah ku(····āā)wíhnookw | ustah ku····āāwíhnookw |
| You (pl) — not | ustah ku(····āā)wíhmąą | ustah ku····āāwíhmah |
| They — not | ustah —-(····āā)wíiwak | ustah ····āāwíik |
| There is not — | ustah —-(····āā)wun | ustah ····āāwun |
Negatives
ustah ndanahkāāw I work not
ustah ktanahkāāw
ustah anahkāāwih
ustah ndanahkāāwíhnah
ustah ndanahkāāwíhnookw
ustah ktanahkāāwíhnah
ustah ndanahkāāwíhnookw
ustah ktanahkāāwíhmah
ustah anahkāāwiik
ustah anahkāāwun
(VOTI = Objectless Transitive Inanimate Verbs) which end in āā conjugate as stable vai stems ending in āā