Mahican VTA Imperatives

VTAs can form commands involving a 3rd person or to the speaker (1st person)
help him! vs help me!

Imperative mode forms do not use prefixes. Negative commands are preceded by the particle chih or the variants chiinih or chiin. Delayed imperatives allow one to issue a command that should be executed at a later time.

Third person object forms are the same, whether singular (him) or plural (them).

awanaaw vta take s.o. away (s137) (P mlh32)


Awanah. Take him away. (Take them away)
Awanookw. Take (pl) him away. (s137)  (Take them away)
Awanąątąąw. Let's take him (or them) away. (you and I)
Awanąątookw. Let's all take him (or them) away. 

Awanih. Take me away. 
Awaniikw. Take me away. (you pl)
Awaniinaanah. Take us away. 

Awanąąmah. Take him away later. 
Awanąąmaakw. Take him away later. (you pl)
Awaniimah. Take me away later. 
Awaniimaakw.  Take us away later. 
Awaniimaakw.  Take me away later. (you pl)

Chih awanahan.  Don't take him away. 
Chih awanahaakw.  Don't take him away. (you pl)
Chih awanąąwiitąąw.  Let's not take him away. 
Chih awaniiwih. Don't take me away.
Chih awaniiwiikw.  Don't take me away.(you pl)
Chih awaniiwunaanah. Don't take us away. 

Paradigm for VTA 3rd Person Commands

Participants Imperative Paradigm Prohibitive Paradigm Delayed Imperative
(you) — him or them (stem)-ah chih (stem)-ahan (stem)-ąąmah
(you pl) — him or them (stem)-ookw chih (stem)-ahaakw (stem)-ąąmaakw
(we, you and I) — him or them (stem)-ąątąąw chih (stem)-ąąwiitąąw (stem)-ąąmaakw
(we all) — him or them (stem)-ąątookw chih (stem)-ąąwiitookw

Paradigm for VTA 1st Person Commands

Participants Imperative Paradigm Prohibitive Paradigm Delayed Imperative
(you) — me (stem)-ih* chih (stem)-iiwih** (stem)-iimah
(you pl) — me (stem)-iikw chii (stem)-iiwiikw (stem)-iimaakw
(we) — me (stem)-iinaanah chii (stem)-iiwunaanah (stem)-iimaakw

* variant : (stem)-iin
**variants: chih (stem-iiwun)

You- us uses the ‘n ending’ suffix perhaps because the subordinative mode which also uses n-endings can provide polite commands.

Imperative using the subordinative mode:

Use of the subordinative mode denotes a mild suggestion.
Although the interpretation is that of a command, these forms use a prefix and endings appropriate for the participant who is the object of the command.
Thus, these forms may be used for commands which specify another person who is involved. Negative forms are also prefixed and do not use a negative verb ending.

Ndaniitahamąąn.  
Let me think of him. 
Ndaniitahamąąnaanah. 
Let us think of him.  

Chih kwaxąąn. Don’t be afraid.  (s31)
Chih kwaxąąnaawah. Don’t be afraid.  
Chiinih kwaxiin. Don’t be afraid of me. (s31)

Injunctive Commands using Conjunct Mode

Uses a 3rd person conjunct form without initial change and a modified ending, the injunctive suffix -ch to form third person commands.



Anąąch.    
Let him be told. 
Poonunąąch. Let him be released. (P mlh35)

Examples:

ahkwanaaw bury s.o.

Ahkwanah. Bury them.  (Prince V)

akoonaaw hang up s.t. animate

Akoonah hooθ. Hang up the kettle. (s77)

akunahumawaaw serve s.o. (s124)

Chih ktakunahumawąąn. Don’t serve him. (s124) (subordinative)

anaanmaaw let s.o., allow s.o. to do something (P mlh37)(HA55)

Anaanmah pumawŭθiich! Let him live! (C Ps51.1)
Naanmih. Let me. (Sw26-j131)

anaaw say, tell s.o.

Anih. Say it to me (s118) (s25 90)
Aniinaanah nih anih. Tell just us, just tell us it is so. (s119) 2s-1p imp
Aniikw. Say it to me (you pl). (s118)
Aniimah. Tell me later. (delayed imp.)  corrected from ktuniimah (prefix removed)

Iikw A. Say A. (you pl)(s118)

anapamoxkanaaw let s.o. go (P mlh33)

Anapamoxkanookw. So let (pl) them go. (P mlh33)

aniimaaw judge s.o., measure s.o. up, check s.o. out (Matt7.2)

Niimah! Check him out! (TM9)

aniitahamaaw think about s.o.

Aniitahamąątookw. Let us all think about him. (s140) 

awatooxanaaw carry, bring s.t. animate (s47)

Awatooxanih. Bring it to me. (s47)

kąąnaaw put or hide s.o. away; keep s.o. back (Ps19.13)

Kąąnah. Keep him back.

kiikahaaw heal s.o. (s79)

Kiikahookw. Heal (you pl) him or them. 
Kiikahih. Heal me. (s19 42)

kootunupaaw fill s.t. animate (kettle) with water, liquid (s65)

Kootunupah. Fill it! 

ktumąąkaanŭmaaw be kind, merciful, compassionate toward s.o. (s51)

Ktumąąkaanmih. Show pity to me. (Ps51.1)(Sw165-j131)

kununaaw hold s.o., carry s.o. (using the hands)

Kakaanŭnih. Hold me (s82)

kunuθtáwaaw listen to s.o. (s92) (s79)

Kunuθtawih. Listen to me (s79)
Kunuθtawiikw. Listen (you pl) to me. (mlh31)

kwchiimoonaaw ask s.o. (TM7) (mlh29)(s34)

Kwchiimoonąh kiitahkanak. Ask your brothers. (s34)
Kwchiimooniimah. Ask me later. (s34) (delayed imp)
Kwchiimoonąąmah. Ask him later. (s34) (delayed imp)
Nuyaanah kwchiimooniimąąkw. Ask us later. (delayed imp)
kwiinawaaw look, seek, search, hunt for s.o.
Kwiinaw D. Look for D. (s123)
Kwiinawookw D. Look (pl) for D.  (s123)

kwxaaw be afraid of s.o.

Chih kwaxąąn. Don’t be afraid. (subord) (s31)
Chiin kwxąhan. Don’t be afraid (s32)
Chih kwaxąąnaawah. Don’t be afraid.  (subord)
Chiinih kwaxiin. Don’t be afraid of me. (subord) (s31)

mąąwiikwamaaw sleep with s.o.

Mąąwiikwamatookw. Let’s sleep together. (s20 48)

mamanaakhamawaaw write to s.o. , write for s.o.

Kumamănaakhamawiinaanah. Write in us. (mlh13)

maxkiinaaw color s.o. red (s49)

Chiin kumaxkiiniin. Don’t color me red.  (subord)

miisihaaw chase out, chase away (s47)

Miisihąh kiikiipsak. Chase out the chickens (s47)
Anih-miisihąh kooyak. Drive the cows out. (s47)
Miishihąątookw. Let’s chase (s.t.) away. (s147)

msąąnaaw think about s.o., remember s.o. (P mlh31) (mshąąnaaw) (Ps4.2)

Msąąniimah pąąyanih. Remember me when you come. (s115) (note delayed imp and -ih iterative suffix)
Mąąmsąąnookw. Think (you pl) about him. (s140)

mxaanŭmaaw respect, honor s.o. (s83) (HA62) (Watts7) (John3.16)

Maxaanmih. Respect me. (Xaanmih)
Mxaanmatąąw. Let's honor him. (s83)
Mxaanmah koox wąąk kŭkuk. Honor your father and mother. (HA62)

naawaaw see s.o. (s120)

Naawookw. Look (pl) at him. (s121)
Naawih. See me.

nahtamawaaw help s.o. (s80) (TM14) (TM6)(HA31)

Nahtamawatąąw. Let’s help. (s81)  
Nahtamawih. Help me.

nahnxawoonaaw prevent, hinder s.o. (s81) (HA74)

Chiin kunahnxawoonun. Don’t hinder me. (s82)

nanaaw fetch s.t.

Takwax nanah. Fetch bread. (s65)

nganaaw leave s.o. behind, abandon s.o. (TM18) (TM24)

Paaskuw kustay ngαnαh. Leave one cheek behind. Hurry up. (idiom) (Sw30-49av)

nohpąąnaaw remove s.o. (s115)(s42)

Nohpąąnah hoos, wsąąmih kshiikamiisuw.
Remove the kettle it is cooking too much (boiling over )(s115)(s42)

nxąąhaaw watch for s.o., watch out for s.o., be wary of s.o. (Matt7.15)

Nąąnxąąhookw. Beware (you pl.) of them. (Matt7.15)

pahkwąąsihaaw throw s.o. out, chase s.o. (s47)

Pahkwąąsihah nduyaaw. Chase the dog out. (s47)

pahkwaaychahaaw throw s.o. out, chase s.o. (s47)

Pahkwaaychahah pooshiis. Throw the cat out.

pakamaaw hit s.o. (s82)

Chih kpakamąąwun. Don’t hit him (s82)

paθuwamąąnaaw deny s.o. (HA47)

Chiin ąąm kpaθwamąąnąąnaanah. We should not deny him. (HA47)

poonunaaw leave s.o. alone, let go of s.o., release s.o. (P mlh35)

Poonunąh. Let go of him, leave him alone. (s90)
Chiin poonunihan. Don’t leave me. (s90)
Poonunąąch. Let him be released. (P mlh35)

punawaaw vta look at s.o.
irregular imperative punaw (s120) punawah (s99)

Punawih. (s120) Look at me. 
Chih punawiiwih. Don’t look at me.
Punaw! Look at him! (s26 98) (s120)
Punawiikw. (You pl) look at me 
Punawookw ktahawąąk. Look at them, your hearts (s120) 2p-3 (—)-ookw
Punawookw. Look (you pl) at him or her.

putawaaw hear s.o.

Putawih. Hear me. (s16) 
Putawih nah. Hear me for this, grant me a hearing. (s79) 
Putawiinaanah. Hear us, Grant us a hearing. (s79)

θąąθąąmchahaaw whip s.o. (s148)(P mlh35)

Θąąθąąmchahah. Punish him, give him the rod. (s149)

θooknąąnamaaw rain on s.o.

θooknąąnamiinaanah. Let it rain on us. (mlh25)

θookuniitawaaw sprinkle s.o.

Chiin θookuniitawiin. Don’t sprinkle me. (s133)

θuθkoomaaw spit at s.o.

Chiin kθuθkoomąąn. Don’t spit at him. (s133)

skwusaaw cut, carve s.o. (s19 35)

Skwusah paatkwayak. Dice the turnips.

takamaaw stab s.o. (s133)

Takamih=kah. Well stab me. 

tawunaaw open s.o. (s106)

Tawunah ktah. Open your heart. 

waawihaaw vta know s.o. (Watts5) (P mlh31) (s88) (Watts16)(HA54)

Waawihąątookw. Lets get acquainted. (s88)

wunuθtawaaw be obedient to s.o.; obey s.o. (s103)

Koox wawunθutawąh. Be obedient to your father. (s103)
Kooxwah wawunθutawookw. Be obedient to your father. (s103)
Wunuθtawawiitąąw. Let’s not be obedient to him (s105) 

wchiimaaw call, shout to s.o. (TM6) (s46)(HA94)

Wchiimąh Esther. Call Esther. (s46)

wchooθumaaw fill s.t. animate for smoking (pipe) (s65)

Wchooθumih. Give me a pipe of tobacco. (s65)
Wchooθumah. Fill it. (s109)

wθutamawaaw forgive s.o. (mlh4)

Wθutamawih. Forgive me. (mlh4)

xamaaw feed s.o.

Chih xamąąhan. Don’t feed him. (s23 69)

 

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