VTA verbs have conjunct forms corresponding to Direct, Inverse, Local (You-Me, Me-You) and Passive construction patterns.
Conjunct forms do not use prefixes. The endings indicate who is participating in the action.
The VTA conjunct has the same four modes as other verb types:
Changed Conjunct (CC)
VTA specific conjunct endings, with initial change
(a => aa u=> aa)
Changed Subjunctive Conjunct (CSC) mode
adds (-ah) to the endings, with initial change.
Subjunctive Conjunct Mode (CC)
Adds (-ah) to regular conjunct endings but without initial change
Participles
VTA specific conjunct endings, with initial change
This chapter assumes one has become familiar with the various modes of the conjunct from the study of prior chapters. Examples of conjugated forms using all conjunct modes will be provided. There will be a separate chapter dedicated to the VTA participles however. The bulk of this chapter will be devoted to the manner of forming VTA conjunct forms.
VTA Direct Conjunct
The conjunct endings for VTAs in direct mode are called the ‘at’ endings. The (ąą) direction marker is found in all but the the 2nd person forms, and in all the negative conjunct forms.
Basic paradigm | Meaning |
---|---|
(stem)-ąąyah | I — him |
(stem)-at | You — him |
(stem)-ąąt | He or She — him |
(stem)-ąąyaak | We — (exclusive) — him |
(stem)-ąąyakw | We — (inclusive) — him |
(stem)-ąąyaakw | You (pl) — him |
(stem)-ąhtiit | They — him |
(stem)-ąąmuk | — him |
When used as conjunct verbs (not participles) these forms are the same for a sg and pl object (him, her, them).
Naawaaw vta see s.o.
naawąąyah
naawat
naawąąt
naawąąyaak
naawąąyakw
naawąąyaakw
naawáhtiit
x naawąąmuk
Examples
Nhah Mbąąn aatan-nąąt.
I came when he was talking to him.
(changed conjunct)
Aatan-naawąąyah naakmah wuθkiinúwuw.
When I saw him he was a young man.
(changed subjunctive conjunct)
Wąąk mbah ngataaw-naawąąyąąnah.
I'll be back if I want to see him.
(subjunctive conjunct)
Note that the 3rd person non participle conjunct forms do not use obviative or plural endings. The vta 3rd person conjunct forms can use plural and obviative endings however this only occurs when a conjunct form is used as a participle in which case the participle adds proximate plural endings if required to fit the plural status of the head of the participle when it is proximate but the endings will be obviative if the head of the participle is obviative.
The man loves her (obv), the one (obv) he was looking for.
Niimanaaw wtahwąąnąąn kwiinawąąchih.
The man (prox), he (prox) who loves her, is looking for her (obv).
Niimanaaw ahwąąnąąt wkwinawąąn.
The man loves them (pl obv), the ones (pl obv) he was with.
Niimanaaw wtahwąąnąąwąą wiichaawąąchii.
The man (prox) is he who seeks them (prox), the loved ones (pl obv)
Niimanaaw kwiinawąąt ahwąąnąąchii.
Who is he who Redeems them - the ones who are elected by God? (HA21Q)
Awaanii=k nah pahkwąąxkunąąt Pahtamawąąs nootnąąchii?
VTA Negative Conjunct Mode – Direct
Paradigm | Meaning |
---|---|
ustah (stem)-ąąwah | I — him not |
ustah (stem)-ąąwat | You — him not |
ustah (stem)-ąąkw | He or She — him not |
ustah (stem)-ąąwaak | We — him not (exclusive) |
ustah (stem)-ąąwakw | We — him not (inclusive) |
ustah (stem)-ąąwaakw | You (pl) — him not |
ustah (stem)-ąhtiikw | They — him not |
ustah (stem)ąąmookw | — him not |
Examples:
ustah naawąąwah
ustah naawąąwat
ustah naawąąkw
ustah naawąąwaakw
ustah naawąąwakw
ustah naawahtiikw
x ustah naawąąmookw
(stem)-(ąą) + (w) + (conjunct ending)
Note the 3rd person negatives (-ąąkw) and (-ąhtiikw)
(wk) word final clusters shift to =>(kw)
Nhah mbąąn aatan- ustah -nąąkw.
I came when he was not talking to him.
(changed conjunct)
Aatan- ustah -kwiinawąąwah ustah naakmah wuθkiinúwiiwih.
When I did not seek him he was not a young man.
(changed subjunctive conjunct)
Wąąk=chih ustah mbąąw ngataaw- ustah -naawąąwąąnah.
I'll won't be be back if I do not want to see him.
(subjunctive conjunct)
VTA Conjunct Local Me-You Forms
The You-Me and Me-You conjunct forms use the (ii) theme sign followed by the ‘an’ endings, the same ones used for the VAI conjunct.
Forms using the direction marker (ii) form the conjunct as if they were VAIs ending in (ii) and those using the marker (un) conjugate as if a consonant ending VAI.
Participants | Paradigm | Negative Paradigm |
---|---|---|
I —— you | (stem)-un-an | ustah (stem)-un-oowan |
I —— you pl | (stem)-un-aakw | ustah (stem)-un-oowaakw |
We —-you | (stem)-un-akw | ustah (stem)-un-oowakw |
We —- you pl | (stem)-un-akw | ustah (stem)-un-oowakw |
Examples
Naawŭnan.
I see you.
Naawŭnaakw.
I see you (pl).
Naawŭnakw.
We see you or you (pl).
Ustah naawŭnóowan.
I see you not.
Ustah naawŭnóowaakw.
I see you (pl) not.
Ustah naawŭnóowakw
We see you or you (pl) not.
Nhah pąąn aatan-naawunan.
He came when I saw you.
(changed conjunct)
Aatan-naawunaakwah kooθkiinuwihmah.
When I saw you (pl), you (pl) were young men.
(changed subjunctive conjunct)
Wąąk nhah mbąąnaanah ngátaaw-naawŭnakwah.
We'll be back if we want to see you.
(subjunctive)
VTA Conjunct Local You-Me Forms
The direction marker (ii) requires an intercalated (y) before the vowel initial conjunct endings (an) (akw) and (aakw). The vowels shift as usual:
(ii) + (y) + (an) => (uyan)
Participants | Paradigm | Negative Paradigm |
---|---|---|
You — me | (stem)-uyan | ustah (stem)-iiwan |
You (pl) — me | (stem)-uyaakw | ustah (stem)-iiwaakw |
You — us | (stem)-uyakw | ustah (stem)-iiwakw |
You (pl) — us | (stem)-uyakw | ustah (stem)-iiwakw |
Naawŭyan.
You see me.
Naawŭyaakw.
You see me.
Naawŭyakw.
You or ye see me.
ustah naawíiwan.
You see me not.
ustah naawíiwaakw.
You (pl) see me not.
ustah naawíiwakw.
You or you (pl) see me not.
The Mahican conjunct has special forms other than inverse forms to express ‘he-me’ and ‘they-me’.
VTA Conjunct He-Me Forms
Participants | Paradigm | Negative Paradigm | Plural participle |
---|---|---|---|
He — me | (stem)-ii-t | ustah (stem)-ii-kw | (stem)-ii-chiik |
Naawiit.
He sees me.
Ustah naawiikw.
He sees me not.
These ‘additional forms’ using the direction marker (ii) will be repeated further down in the charts for the conjunct inverse forms, where this form uses (ii) as an alternative to the form built with the (ukw) direction marker. The inanimate version of the form, it – me is formed as expected with (ukw) + (ah) The direction marker (ii) should still be considered an inverse marker for obviation marking purposes.
VTA Animate and Inanimate Subject Inverse Conjunct Mode
Paradigm | Meaning |
---|---|
(stem)-ukwah | He, it, or they — me |
(stem)-ukwan | He, it, or they — you |
(stem)-ukwuk | He, it, or they — him / her |
(stem)-ukwaak | He, it, or they — us (exclusive) |
(stem)-ukwakw | he,they;it,they — us (inclusive) |
(stem)-ukwaakw | He, it, or they — you (pl) |
(stem)-ukwhtiit | He, it, or they — them |
Naawaaw vta see s.o.
Naawŭkwah.
He saw me.
Naawiit.
He saw me. (alternate local inverse form)
Naawŭkwąąnah.
If he saw me. (with modal ending)
Naawŭkwan.
He saw you.
Naawŭkwuk.
He (obv) saw him.
Naawŭkwakw.
He saw us.
Naawŭkwaakw.
He saw you (pl).
Naawŭkwhtiit.
He (obv) saw them.
Other examples
skwusaaw vta cut, carve s.o.
Skwusukwąąnah.
If it cuts me.
Aatanih-paasookwąąnah ngataaw-anumθih.
When he brought me I wanted to leave.
(changed subjunctive conjunct)
Naawíitah numawih-anumθih.
If he sees me I am going to leave.
Negative inverse mode conjunct forms are formed regularly:
(ukw)+(oo-w-ah) => ukoowah
(ukw)+(oo-w-uk) => ukookw => ukookw
The weak (u) in ukw often drops when preceded by long vowel.
VTA Negative Animate and Inanimate Subject Inverse Conjunct Mode
Paradigm | Meaning |
---|---|
ustah (stem)-ukoowah | He, it, or they — me not |
ustah (stem)-ukoowan | He, it, or they — you not |
ustah (stem)-ukookw | He, it, or they — him / her not |
ustah (stem)-ukoowaak | He, it, or they — us not (exclusive) |
ustah (stem)-ukoowakw | He, it, or they — us not (inclusive) |
ustah (stem)-ukoowaakw | He, it, or they — you (pl) not |
ustah (stem)-ukwhtiikw | He, it, or they — them not |
Naawaaw vta see s.o.
Ustah naawŭkóowah or ustah naawiikw
Ustah naawŭkóowan
Ustah naawŭkookw
Ustah naawŭkóowaak
Ustah naawŭkóowakw
Ustah naawŭkóowaakw
Ustah naawŭkwhtiikw
Aatanih- ustah -kwiinąąkoowąąnah ngataaw-anumθih.
When he did not look for me I wanted to leave.
(changed subjunctive conjunct)
Ustah numawih-nąąw aatan- ustah - nukoowąąn.
I am not going to talk to her when she doesn't talk to me.
(changed conjunct)
Ustah naawíikwah numawih-anumθih.
If he does not see me I will want to leave.
VTA Indefinite Subject Conjunct Mode
Indefinite subject forms for the VTA conjunct form regularly using (ukaa) followed by conjunct endings of the ‘an’ endings set with appropriate morphosyntatic modifications. These are the same endings used for the VAI conjunct.
ukaa + an endings (ukaa + y + an = ukayan)
As is the case for the indicative mode passives, the 3rd person forms are formed using the X form of the direct mode paradigm: (stem)-(umuk).
Paradigm | Meaning |
---|---|
(stem)-ukayah | I was —- |
(stem)-ukayan | You were —- |
(stem)-ąąmuk | He was —- |
(stem)-ukayaak | We (exclusive) were —- |
(stem)-ukayakw | We (inclusive) were —- |
(stem)-ukayaakw | You (pl) were —- |
(stem)-ąąmuk | They were —– |
Naawŭkáyah.
I was seen.
Naawŭkáyan.
You were seen.
Naawąąmuk.
He was seen.
Naawŭkáyakw.
We were seen. (inclusive)
Naawŭkáyaakw.
You (pl) were seen
Naawąąmuk
They were seen.
Muskąąkayąąnah.
If I am found.
VTA Negative Indefinite Subject Conjunct Mode
Paradigm | Meaning |
---|---|
ustah (stem)-ukaawah | I was not —- |
ustah (stem)-ukaawan | You were not —- |
ustah (stem)-ąąmookw | He was not —- |
ustah (stem)-ukaawaak | We (exclusive) were not —- |
ustah (stem)-ukaawakw | We (inclusive) were not —- |
ustah (stem)-ukaawaakw | You (pl) were not —- |
ustah (stem)-ąąmookw | They were not —– |
Ustah naawŭkaawah
Ustah naawŭkaawan
Ustah naawąąmookw
Ustah naawŭkaawaak
Ustah naawŭkaawakw
Ustah naawŭkaawaakw
Ustah naawąąmookw