Mahican VII Conjunct Participles

 

Participles are verbs in conjunct mode that function as a noun or expand the meaning of a noun.

English uses participles also:

A 'boiled' egg  
A 'smiling' face  

Mahican participles can vary in meaning depending on which part of the verb gets the main focus. One could say that participles may be based on one of verb participants, referred to as the ‘head’ of the phrase.

This point is mostly relevant to other verb types that have more than one participant, however preverbs may sometimes become the head or focal point of a participle.

Where it was. When it happened. 

VIIs are simple verbs, so participles are straightforward.

They are formed using initial change and normal conjunct endings.

VII participles may be translated using the gloss ‘it which’ where ‘it’ represents the inanimate noun that the verb would use as its subject.

For example, the verb máxkaayuw = it is red.

Its participle is formed by using initial change (a => aa) and use of the conjunct ending (k) on the verb stem (maxkaay).

Maaxkaayuk. 'It which is red' or more simply put, 'the red one.'  

Ahtaaw maaxkaayuk.  
It is still there, the red one.  

Waanihk.  
That which is good, the good one.  

Nah ahtaaw waanihk.  
The nice one is there.  

Aanihk.  
The rotted one.  

Maaxuwaayuk.   
The old one. (from the verb mxuwaayuw)   


Wąąpakah.   
When its dawn. Tomorrow.   
from the verb wąąpan vii be dawn   

Kaasxuk.  
The wind.   
The verb is (ksaxun)   

Participles may take the plural conjunct ending -kih

Ahtaan maaxkaayukih.  
They are still there, the red ones.  

Waanihkih.  
Those which are good, the good ones.  


Aanihkih.  
The rotted ones.  

Maaxuwaayukih.   
The old ones. (from the verb mxuwaayuw)   

Participles may take preverbs:

Chkiiwiisih-maaxkaayuk.   
The little red one.  

Aatan-taahaayuk.  
Where its cold. The cold place.   
thaayuw vii be cold   

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