(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