VAI Indicative Mode Stable Stems

 

(1) Stable VAI stems ending in (ii):

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 may also be labeled vai-s (s for stable)

These stems are called stable because they do not shift the stem ending vowel before the 3rd person endings in indicative mode.

VAI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (ii)

Paradigm Meaning
nu-(stem-ii)-m* I —
ku-(stem-ii)-m* You —
—-(stem-ii)-w He or She —
nu-(stem-ii)-hna We — (exclusive)
ku-(stem-ii)-hna We — (inclusive)
ku-(stem-ii)-hmwa Ye —
—-(stem-ii)-wak They —
—-(stem-ii)-n There is —

*(m) optionally drops

Example: kawiiw vai-s he sleeps

ngáwi  or ngáwiim       I sleep  
káwi or káwiim              
kawíiw               
ngawíhna                 
kawíhna                
kawíhmwa             
kawíiwak             
X kawíin             There is sleeping  

VAI Negative Stable Stem (ii) Independent Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
mah nu-(stem-ii)-wi I — not
mah ku-(stem-ii)-wi You — not
mah —-(stem-ii)-wi He or She — not
mah nu-(stem-ii)-wíhna We — not (exclusive)
mah ku-(stem-ii)-wíhna We — not (inclusive)
mah ku-(stem-ii)-wíhmwa Ye — not
mah —-(stem-ii)-wíiwak They — not
mah —-(stem-ii)-wun There is not —

(Identical to the unstable stem paradigm ending in (ii))

Examples

mah nii ngawíiwu    I sleep not   
mah kii kawíiwu  
mah neeka kawíiwu  
mah niiloona ngawiiwíhna  
mah kiiloona kawiiwíhna  
mah kiiloowa kawiiwíhmwa  
mah neekáawa kawiiwíiwak  
mah kawíiwun  

Examples:

Nii ndóhpu-kawíim wuláakwe.   
I slept lots yesterday.  

(nu + tohpu pv lots => ndohpu-)   

Kii ha kóolu-káwiim?   
How did you sleep?  (did you sleep well?)  

Ngáwi éelki-neew-kulakíike.  
I slept until 4 o'clock.  

Néeka íiyaach kawíiw.   
He is still sleeping.  

Wéetu-ch ngawíhna.   
We'll sleep in awhile.  

wéetu pc  in awhile  

Ktaníisku-kawíhna.   
We love to sleep.  

aniisku pv habitually  

Yáanee móxa kawíhmwa.   
Ye always sleep alot.  

yáanee  pc  always, often  

Alíike amiimúnzak maw-kawíiwak.   
The kids reluctantly went to sleep.  

alíike PC  reluctantly   
maw pv go to do something  

Kawiin.   
There is sleeping  

Negative examples:

Íiyaach mah ngawíiwu.  
I'm not sleeping yet.  

Mah kŭmáwi-kawíiwu.  
I'm not going to sleep.  

Mah neeka káta-kawíiwu.  
He doesn't want to sleep.  

Niilóona mah uch ngawiiwíhna kway píiskeek.  
We won't sleep tonight.  

Áapwu kiilóona aa kŭmáwi-kawiiwíhna.  
We should not go to sleep early.  

aapwu pc   early, easily  

Kiilóowa aa kawiiwíhmwa eel-wáapang.  
Ye should not sleep because its morning.  

Neekáawa kawiiwíiwak.  
They are not sleeping.  

Mah kawíiwun.  
There is no sleeping.  

(2) Stable stems in (aa)

The dictionary lists these as ending in (-aaw) and all forms indicated in the dictionary listing use (aa) prior to endings, and they may also be labeled vai-s (s for stable)

 

VAI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (aa)

Paradigm Meaning
nu-(stem-aa)-m* I —
ku-(stem-aa)-m* You —
—-(stem-aa)-w He or She —
nu-(stem-aa)-hna We — (exclusive)
ku-(stem-aa)-hna We — (inclusive)
ku-(stem-aa)-hmwa Ye —
—-(stem-aa)-wak They —
—-(stem-aa)-n There is —

*(m) optionally drops

Example: níimaaw vai-s bring lunch along

níima  or níimaam       I bring lunch along  
kníima or kníimaam          
níimaaw                  
niimáhna                 
kniimáhna            
kniimáhmwa           
niimáawak            
X níimaan            There is bringing lunch along                                

VAI Negative Stable Stem (aa) Independent Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
mah nu-(stem-aa)-wi I — not
mah ku-(stem-aa)-wi You — not
mah —-(stem-aa)-wi He or She — not
mah nu-(stem-aa)-wíhna We — not (exclusive)
mah ku-(stem-aa)-wíhna We — not (inclusive)
mah ku-(stem-aa)-wíhmwa Ye — not
mah —-(stem-aa)-wíiwak They — not
mah —-(stem-aa)-wun There is not —

Negative examples

mah nii niimáawi    I bring lunch along not   
mah kii kniimáawi  
mah neeka niimáawi  
mah niiloona niimaawíhna  
mah kiiloona kniimaawíhna  
mah kiiloowa kniimaawíhmwa  
mah neekáawa niimaawíiwak  
mah niimáawun  

Examples using phrases

    Nii ngáta-níima(am)  
    Kii ha kníima?  
    Néeka mah niimáawi  
    Niilóona uch nmaw-miitsíhna, niimáhna  
    Ktáalu-niimáhna kway kiishkwihk  
    Kiilóowa aa kniimáhmwa   
    Neekáawa aníisku-niimáawak  

(3) VAI stems ending in (ee)

The dictionary lists many VAIs ending in (eew). These include the stable VAIs with stems ending in (ee) and the unstable VAIs with stems ending in (aa),

Note that unstable stems will list non 3rd person entries with endings preceded by (aa) whereas the stable stems list all forms with endings preceded by (ee).

VAI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (ee)

Paradigm Meaning
nu-(stem-ee)-m* I —
ku-(stem-ee)-m* You —
—-(stem-ee)-w He or She —
nu-(stem-ee)-hna We — (exclusive)
ku-(stem-ee)-hna We — (inclusive)
ku-(stem-ee)-hmwa Ye —
—-(stem-ee)-wak They —
—-(stem-ee)-n There is —

*(m) optionally drops

Example: alohkeew vai he works

ndalóhke or ndalóhkeem   I work  
ktalóhke or ktalóhkeem      
alóhkeew                 
ndalohkéhna              
ktalohkéhna              
ktalohkéhmwa             
alohkéewak           
X alóhkeen           There is working  

VAI Negative Stable Stem (ee) Independent Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
mah nu-(stem-ee)-wi I — not
mah ku-(stem-ee)-wi You — not
mah —-(stem-ee)-wi He or She — not
mah nu-(stem-ee)-wíhna We — not (exclusive)
mah ku-(stem-ee)-wíhna We — not (inclusive)
mah ku-(stem-ee)-wíhmwa Ye — not
mah —-(stem-ee)-wíiwak They — not
mah —-(stem-ee)-wun There is not —

Negatives

mah nii ndalohkéewu    I work not   
mah kii ktalohkéewu  
mah neeka alohkéewu  
mah niiloona ndalohkeewíhna  
mah kiiloona ktalohkeewíhna  
mah kiiloowa ktalohkeewíhmwa  
mah neekáawa alohkeewíiwak  
mah alohkéewun  

Examples using aaptóoneew vai he speaks

Ndaaptóoneem or ndaaptóone.   
I speak.  

Nii uch ndángii-aaptóone.   
I will speak a little.  

Kii ktaaptóoneem táhtaas.   
You sometimes speak.  

Néeka áalu-aaptóoneew.   
He is unable to speak.  

Niilóona msúchee ndaaptoonéhna.   
We hardly speak.  

msúchee hardly  

Kiilóona alíike ktaaptoonéhna.   
We relunctantly speak.   

alíike PC  reluctantly  

Kiilóowa mah ktaaptooneewíhmwa.   
Ye are not speaking.  

Neekáawa ndóhpu-aaptoonéewak.   
They speak much.  

Aaptóoneen.   
There is speaking.  

(4) stems ending in (oo)

These stems do not shift vowels in the indicative mode. Characteristic shifts do occur in other modes. Details will be provided in relevant chapters.

Technically VAIs with stems ending in (oo) are VOTIs, type 2.

(VOTI = Objectless Transitive Inanimate Verbs) These can be thought of as VTIs without an object. Since VOTIs conjugate just like VAIs I have introduced them here, and the phonological and morphologic changes they undergo will make the study of the VTIs ending in (oo) that much easier.

Types of VTIs will be explained later.

VAI/VOTI Stable Stem Independent Indicative Mode (oo)

Paradigm Meaning
nu-(stem-oo)-m* I —
ku-(stem-oo)-m* You —
—-(stem-oo)-w He or She —
nu-(stem-oo)-hna We — (exclusive)
ku-(stem-oo)-hna We — (inclusive)
ku-(stem-oo)-hmwa Ye —
—-(stem-oo)-wak They —
—-(stem-oo)-n There is —

*(m) optionally drops

Example: kshiilawéhtoow voti2 show off

ngushiilawéhto or ngushiilawéhtoom   I show off   
kushiilawéhto or kushiilawéhtoom    
kshiilawéhtoow               
ngushiilawehtóhna            
kushiilawehtóhna              
kushiilawehtóhmwa            
kshiilawehtóowak              
X kshiilawéhtoon             There is showing off                                 

VAI/VOTI Negative Stable Stem (oo) Independent Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
mah nu-(stem-oo)-wi I — not
mah ku-(stem-oo)-wi You — not
mah —-(stem-oo)-wi He or She — not
mah nu-(stem-oo)-wíhna We — not (exclusive)
mah ku-(stem-oo)-wíhna We — not (inclusive)
mah ku-(stem-oo)-wíhmwa Ye — not
mah —-(stem-oo)-wíiwak They — not
mah —-(stem-oo)-wun There is not —

Examples

mah nii ngushiilawehtóowu I show off not
mah kii kushiilawehtóowu
mah neeka kshiilawehtóowu
mah niiloona ngushiilawehtoowíhna
mah kiiloona kushiilawehtoowíhna
mah kiiloowa kushiilawehtoowíhmwa
mah neekáawa kshiilawehtoowíiwak
mah kshiilawehtóowun

Examples using piinjiipáhtoow voti2 he rushes inside

Shaa mbiinjiipáhto.  

shaa pc immediately  

Táhtaas kii kpiinjiipáhto.  

táhtaas  pc sometimes  

Néeka wíhwiing-piinjiipáhtoow.  

wíhwiing- pv  like to   

Chíingu mbiinjiipahtóhna. Niilóona móxa ngatoopwíhna.   

chíingu PC  some time ago  

Kiilóona uch kmaw-piinjiipahtóhna?  
Mah uch kmaw-piinjiipahtoowíhna.  

Kiilóowa ktaníisku-piinjiipahtóhmwa.  

aniisku- PV habitually  

Kunjóoka neekáawa piinjiipahtóowak.  

kunjóoka  PC recently  

x Pinjiipahtoon.  

Ambiguity or variability of unstable stems

Chaachiishamaaw vai-s play snowsnake

They play snow-snake.

Chaachiishamáawak vs chaachiishaméewak

(Some modern speakers shift the (aa) to (ee) whereas others use (aa) for all forms )

Snow Snake is a winter game.

It requires a “snake”, carved from a flat piece of wood with one end was curved up slightly. The other end was carved with notch for the hand to make it easy to throw.

A log is used to form a long path or a rut in the snow. Players take turns throwing the “snake” through the trough and the longer the distance the higher the score.

Go to VAI Practicum6 Stable Stems

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