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) |