VAI Indicative Mode Unstable Stems

This chapter will focus on unstable stems, which are verb stems ending in a vowel that undergoes a shift in some forms only, as opposed to stable stems which use the same stem ending vowel in all forms.

(1a) Unstable VAI stems ending in (ii)

These verbs list in the dictionary as ending in (uw) which is the indicative 3rd person singular form. However the actual stem ending vowel is (ii).

This shift is triggered by the suffix used to indicate a 3rd person: (w) which is also present on the plural form of this ending (w-ak). Other endings do not induce this change, i.e. non 3rd person endings and the indicative mode negative endings use the actual stem vowel (ii)

VAI Stem Ending in (ii) Indicative Mode

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

* the (m) is optional, if omitted (ii) => (i)
Note vowel shift (ii) => (u) in 3rd person forms

VAI Negative Stem Ending in (ii) 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 —

Example: apúw vai he is there

ndápi  or ndápiim   I am there  
ktápi or ktápiim     
apúw               
ndapíhna              
ktapíhna              
ktapímwa               
apúwak            
X apiin           There is being there  

mah nii ndapíiwu    I am not there  
mah kii ktapíiwu  
mah neeka apíiwu  
mah niiloona ndapiiwíhna  
mah kiiloona ktapiiwíhna  
mah kiiloowa ktapiiwíhmwa  
mah neekáawa ktapiiwíiwak  
mah apíiwun  

Other examples:

Míitsuw. 
He eats.   

Miitsuwak. 
They eat.  
stem = (miitsii)  

Mah miitsíiwi. 
He eats not. 

Mah miitsiiwíiwak.  

Kii ha káta-míitsi?  
Nii uch nŭmíitsiim péexoot.  
(péexoot soon)   

Neeka áalu-míitsuw.  
He is unable to eat. 

Niilóona nuwíhwiing-miitsíhna.   
wíhwiing- pv  like to  

Kiilóona ktáapwi-miitsíhna  
áapwi- pv early, easily  
Kway shaa kiilóowa ha kŭmáw-miitsíhmwa.  
shaa pc immediately  
Neekáawa míitsuwak.  

Míitsiin. 
People are eating.  

Mahta yu apiiwíiwak. 
They aren't here.  
(apúw  stem = (apii) )

(1b) Other VAI stems ending in (ii)

Stems ending in (-pwii) (-mwii) and (-kwii) are a variant of the unstable stem ending in (ii). They undergo an additional phonological change in the 3rd person indicative mode forms where the ‘oh’ sound of the ‘uw’ ending causes the (w) preceding the (u) to drop off because the sounds blend together.

Neeka katóopuw.  
He is hungry. 

Neekáawa katóopuwak.  

Non 3rd person forms retain the original stem ending (-pwii)

 Nii ngatóopwi.
I am hungry.       

Negative forms, including the 3rd person forms retain the original stem ending (-pwii) as well:

Mah aween katoopwíiwu.   
Nobody is hungry.  

i.e : the negative ending does not trigger the shift from (ii) to (u)

VAI Stem Ending in (pwii) Indicative Mode

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

* the (m) is optional, if omitted (ii) => (i)
Note vowel shift and loss of w (pwii) => (pu) in 3rd person forms

VAI Negative Stem Ending in (pwii) Indicative Mode

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

Example: katoopuw vai he is hungry


ngatóopwi  or ngatóopwiim     I am hungry  
katóopwi or katóopwiim        
katóopuw                   
ngatoopwíhna           
katoopwíhna                  
katoopwíhmwa            
katóopuwak               
X katóopwiin               There is hunger  

mah nii ngatoopwíiwu           I am not hungry  
mah kii katoopwíiwu  
mah neeka katoopwíiwu  
mah niiloona ngatoopwiiwíhna  
mah kiiloona katoopwiiwíhna  
mah kiiloowa katoopwiiwíhmwa  
mah neekáawa katoopwiiwíiwak  
mah katoopwíiwun  

Stems ending in (mwii) and (kwii) follow the same pattern.

alumaláamuw vai start singing,   
shaaxkaachíimuw vai tell the truth,   
matákuw vai be badly dressed,   
neenáxkuw vai play ball,   

Go to VAI Practicum 4 Unstable Stems

(2) Unstable stems ending in (aa)

The dictionary lists these with an ending in (eew) and shows other forms listed for non 3rd person forms using (aa) before the endings

These stems shift from (aa) to (ee) before the (w) and (w-ak) endings for the 3rd person sg or pl indicative forms

The shift to (ee) also occurs for the 3rd person sg and pl negative endings

This latter shift is dissimilar to the behavior of stems in (ii) which only shift the stem vowel for the 3rd person endings and do not shift for the negatives.

 

VAI Stem Ending in (aa) Indicative Mode

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

* the (m) is optional, if omitted (aa) => (a)
Note vowel shift (aa) => (ee) in 3rd person forms

VAI Negative Stem Ending in (aa) Indicative Mode

Paradigm Meaning
mah nu-(stem-aa)-wi I — not
mah ku-(stem-aa)-wi You — not
mah —-(stem-ee)-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-ee)-wíiwak They — not
mah —-(stem-aa)-wun There is not —

** note vowel shift (aa) => (ee)

Example: chanáxeew vai hear incorrectly,


njánxa or njánxaam          I heard incorrectly  
kchánxa or kchánxaam         
chanáxeew                   
njanxáhna                   
kchanxáhna                
kchanxámwa                
chanaxéewak                   
X   chanáxeen             

mah nii njanxáawi            I did not hear incorrectly  
mah kii kchanxáawi  
mah neeka chanaxéewi  
mah niiloona njanxaawíhna  
mah kiiloona kchanxaawíhna  
mah kiiloowa kchanxaawíhmwa  
mah neekáawa chanaxeewíiwak  
mah chanaxáawun  

Beginning pattern (ch-)

(nu)-(ch) => (nj)  
(ku)-(ch) => (kch)  
(wu)-(ch) => (wch)  

Unstable VAIs in (aa) do shift to the (ee) form with negative endings (unlike the unstable stems in (ii) which fail to shift to (u) in negative forms)

Mah nii ngundkáawi, kéhla mah aween kundkéewi.  
I'm not dancing, really noone is dancing.  

Nii ha ngúndka uch waapánge?  
Mah nii ngata-kundkéewi waapánge.  
Péexoot kii aa kúndka.  
Láawatu kii kéhla móxa kúndkaam.  
(láawatu long ago)  
Neeka ha kata-kúndkeew kway kiishkwihk?  
Mahta neeka kundkéewi uch kway kiishkwihk?  
Niilóona ndáalu-kundkáhna, ndáapwii-miitsíhna.  
Méhch kiilóona kundkáhna.   
(mehch pc now)   
Kiilóowa msúchee kundkáhmwa piiskéeke.  
Neekáawa tángii-kundkéewak.  
Kúndkaan.   

Summary:

VAI Unstable Stems Indicative Mode

Stem ending vowel 3rd sg form 3rd pl form Negative 3rd sg form Negative 3rd pl form
(stem-aa) (stem-eew) (stem-eewak) mah (stem-eewi) mah (stem-eewiiwak)
(stem-ii) (stem-uw) (stem-uwak) mah (stem-iiwi) mah (stem-iiwiiwak)
(stem-pwii) (stem-puw) (stem-puwak) mah (stem-pwiiwi) mah (stem-pwiiwiiwak)

Go to VAI Practicum 5 Unstable Stems 2
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