Sometimes a phrase involving a TA verb will use the inanimate subject ‘it‘.
For example: The rock killed him.
The inverse mode is used to accomplish this, and both objective and absolute forms can be constructed.
The objective forms are constructed by adding n endings to the inverse theme sign ukw. These n ending inverse forms are morphologically identical to the forms used for the inverse subordinative mode.
(stem) + (ukw) + (n endings)
VTA Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
Noun Optional Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| nu-(stem)-ukwun | it — me |
| ku-(stem)-ukwun | it — you |
| wu-(stem)-ukwun | it — him / her |
| nu-(stem)-ukwunaanah | it — us (exclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunaanah | it — us (inclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunaanookw | it — us all (inclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunaawah | it — you (pl) |
| wu-(stem)-ukwunaawah | it — them |
Examples:
nahnaaw vta kill s.o.
skwusaaw vta cut, carve s.o.
Nahnkwun.
It killed me.
Kunahnkwunaawah.
It killed you (pl).
Aθun wunahnkwun.
The rock, it killed him.
Xiikan ksukwusookwunaanah.
The knife cut us. (contraction -usw-ukw to -usookw)
Aθun kunahnkwun.
The rock, it killed you.
Aθun wunahnkwunaawah.
The rock killed them.
Nsukwusookwun.
It cuts me.
(nu)(sukw-usw)(ukw)(un)
Negative Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
These are formed as follows:
(stem)-(ukw)-(oow)-n endings
VTA Negative Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
Noun Optional Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ustah nu-(stem)-ukoowun | it — me not |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowun | it — you not |
| ustah wu-(stem)-ukoowun | it — him / her not |
| ustah nu-(stem)-ukoowunaanookw | it — us all not(exclusive) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunaanah | it — us not (inclusive) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunaanookw | it — us all not (inclusive) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunaawah | it — you (pl) not |
| ustah wu-(stem)-ukoowunaawah | it — them not |
Ustah nahnkóowun.
It didn't kill me.
Ustah knahnkóowun.
It killed you not.
Ustah xáchih-aθún wunahnkóowun.
The big rock killed him not
Xáchih-aθún ustah kumawih-nahnkóowun.
The big rock, it will not kill you.
Xiikan ustah nsukwusookoowun.
The knife it cut me not.
Xiikan piht aat ustah nsukwusookoowunaanah.
The knife might not cut us.
Xiikan usta=ch ksukwusookoowunaawah.
The knife will not cut you (pl).
Xáchih-aθún ustah wunahnkoowunaawah.
The big rock killed them not.
Plural Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
(stem)-(ukw)-(n endings, plurals)
VTA Plural Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
Noun Optional Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| nu-(stem)-ukwunah | they — me |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunah | they — you |
| wu-(stem)-ukwunah | they — him / her |
| nu-(stem)-ukwunaanąąn | they — us (exclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunaanąąn | they — us (inclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunaanookw | they — us all (inclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunaawąąn | they — you (pl) |
| wu-(stem)-ukwunaawąąn | they — them |
Kŭnahnkwúnah.
They (inanimate) killed you.
Aθúnan wŭnahnkwúnah.
The rocks they killed him
Xáchih-aθúnan kunahnukwúnah.
The big rocks killed you.
Xáchih-aθúnan wunahnkwunaawąąn.
The big rocks killed them.
Nsukwusookwunah.
They cut me.
Negative Plural Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
(stem)-(ukw)-(oow)-(n endings, plurals)
VTA Negative Inanimate Plural Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
Noun Optional Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ustah nu-(stem)-ukoowunah | they — me not |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunah | they — you not |
| ustah wu-(stem)-ukoowunah | they — him / her not |
| ustah nu-(stem)-ukoowunaanąąn | they — us not (exclusive) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunaanąąn | they — us not (inclusive) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunaanookw | they — us all not (all inclusive) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowunaawąąn | they — you (pl) not |
| ustah wu-(stem)-ukoowunaawąąn | they — them not |
Ustah kunahnukóowunah.
They killed you not.
Xiikan ustah wsukwusookoowunah.
The knives did not cut him.
Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Absolute Forms
(Noun required construction)
(stem)-(ukw)-(m endings)
VTA Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Absolute Forms
Noun Required Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| nu-(stem)-ukw | a, some noun(s) — me |
| ku-(stem)-ukw | a, some noun(s) — you |
| —-(stem)-ukw* | a, some noun(s) — him |
| nu-(stem)-ukóhnah | a, some noun(s) — us (excl) |
| ku-(stem)-ukóhnah | a, some noun(s) — us (incl) |
| ku-(stem)-ukóhnookw | a, some noun(s) — us all (incl) |
| ku-(stem)-ukóhmah | a, some noun(s) — you (pl) |
| —-(stem)-ukaak | a, some noun(s) — them |
* The third person subject forms may also be used for an animate subject.
The rest of this set is used only for inanimate absolute subjects
Kunahnukw kaakway.
Something killed you.
Xáchih-aθún anih-nahnukw.
A big rock killed him.
Xáchih-aθún ndunih-nahnukw.
A big rock killed me.
Kiinih-xiikan nsukwusookw.
A sharp knife cut me.
Kiinih-xiikan skwusookw.
A sharp knife cut him.
Aθúnan ąąm kunahnukw.
Some rocks could kill you.
Mchih-miitθuwąąkan nahnkaak.
Some bad food killed them.
Aθunan nsukwusookohnah..
Some rocks cut us.
Kuyaawah xiikan ksukwusookohmah?
Did the knife cut you (pl)?
Negative Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Absolute Forms
(stem)-(ukw)-(oowii)-(m endings)
VTA Negative Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Absolute Forms
Noun Required Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ustah nu-(stem)-ukoow | a, some noun(s) — me not |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoow | a, some noun(s) — you not |
| ustah —-(stem)-ukwoowih | a, some noun(s) — him not |
| ustah nu-(stem)-ukoowíhnah | a, some noun(s) — us not (excl) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowíhnah | a, some noun(s) — us not (incl) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowíhnookw | a, some noun(s) — us all not (incl) |
| ustah ku-(stem)-ukoowíhmah | a, some noun(s) — you (pl) not |
| ustah —-(stem)-ukoowíik | a, some noun(s) — them not |
Negative forms in inverse modes are interchangeable as far as use for objective and absolute sets are concerned. Otherwise said, negatives inverse forms do not specify for a objective versus absolute subject.
The 3rd forms of this set may also be used for an animate subject
Usta=ch kunahnkóow mtukwuθ.
A stick will kill you not.
Xáchih-aθun ustah anih-nahnkóowih.
A big rock killed him not.
Xáchih-aθunan ustah ndunih-nahnkóow.
Big rocks did not kill me.
Aθúnan ustah kŭnahnkóow.
Some rocks killed you not.
Xiikan usta=ch ksukwusookoowihnah.
A knife won't cut us.
Kiinih-aθún ustah nahnkoowíik.
A sharp rock killed them not.
Ustah kaakway nsukwusookoow.
Nothing cut me.
Mŭnaawąąkan-chih kŭnahnkoow.
Drinking won't kill you