Sometimes a VTA needs the inanimate subject ‘it‘.
For example: The rock killed him.
There is a way to do this using inverse mode, and both objective and absolute forms can be constructed.
The objective forms are constructed by adding n endings to (ukw). These are morphologically identical to the forms used for the inverse subordinative mode, which has not been discussed yet.
(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)-ukwuneen | it — us (exclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwuneen | it — us (inclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwuneewa | it — ye |
| wu-(stem)-ukwuneewa | it — them |
(some say -ukoon instead of -ukwun)
Examples:
Níhlkwun.
It killed me.
Kunihlkwunéewa.
It killed ye.
Máxkii-asún wuníhlkwun.
The red rock, it killed him.
Máxkii-asún kuníhlkwun.
The red rock, it killed you.
Kíishooxkw kŭloosóokwun-uch.
The sun will burn you.
ku(loosw)ukw+un
Kiishuwúpuy nuloosóokwun.
The hot water burned me.
Kiishuwúpuy nuloosóokwŭneen.
The hot water burned us.
Kiishuwúpuy ha kuloosookwunéewa?
Did the hot water burn ye?
Xwáchii-asún wunihlkwunéewa.
The big rock killed them.
Ndumshóokwun.
It cuts me.
(nu)(tum-ushw)(ukw)(un)
Kuloosóokwun ha kehkshúteek.
Did the stove burn you?
Go to Inanimate Subject VTA Practicum I
Negative Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
These are formed as follows:
(stem)-(ukw)-(oowu)-(n endings)
VTA Negative Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
Noun Optional Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mah nu-(stem)-ukoowun | it — me not |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowun | it — you not |
| mah wu-(stem)-ukoowun | it — him / her not |
| mah nu-(stem)-ukoowuneen | it — us not(exclusive) |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowuneen | it — us not (inclusive) |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowuneewa | it — ye not |
| mah wu-(stem)-ukoowuneewa | it — them not |
Mah nihlkóowun.
It didn't kill me.
Mah knihlkóowun.
It killed you not.
Mah xwáchii-asún wunihlkóowun.
The big rock killed him not
Xwáchii-asún mah uch kunihlkóowun.
The big rock, it will not kill you.
Kiishuwúpuy mah nŭloosookóowun.
The hot water burned me not
Kiishuwúpuy piht eet mah nŭloosookóowŭneen.
The hot water might not burn us.
Kiishuwúpuy mah uch ktáhwu-loosookoowunéewa.
The hot water will not burn ye much.
Xwáchii-asún mah wunihlkoowunéewa.
The big rock killed them not.
Ndumshóokoowun.
It cuts me not.
Kŭloosóokoowun.
It burns you not.
Go to Inanimate Subject VTA Practicum II
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)-ukwunal | they — me |
| ku-(stem)-ukwunal | they — you |
| wu-(stem)-ukwunal | they — him / her |
| nu-(stem)-ukwuneen* | they — us (exclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwuneen* | they — us (inclusive) |
| ku-(stem)-ukwuneewa* | they — ye |
| wu-(stem)-ukwuneewa* | they — them |
(*identical to sg subject forms*)
Kŭnihlkwúnal.
They (inanimate) killed you.
Asúnal wŭnihlkwúnal.
The rocks they killed him
Xwáchii-asúnal kunihlukwúnal.
The big rocks killed you.
Xwáchii-asúnal wunihlkwunéewa.
The big rocks killed them.
Ndumshóokwunal.
They cut me.Go to Inanimate Subject VTA Practicum III
Negative Plural Inanimate Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
(stem)-(ukw)-(oowu)-(n endings, plurals)
VTA Negative Inanimate Plural Subject Inverse Indicative Objective Forms
Noun Optional Construction
| Paradigm | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mah nu-(stem)-ukoowunal | they — me not |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowunal | they — you not |
| mah wu-(stem)-ukoowunal | they — him / her not |
| mah nu-(stem)-ukoowuneen* | they — us not(exclusive) |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowuneen* | they — us not (inclusive) |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowuneewa* | they — ye not |
| mah wu-(stem)-ukoowuneewa* | they — them not |
(*identical to sg subject negative forms*)
Mah kunihlukóowunal. They killed you not.
Go to Inanimate Subject VTA Practicum IV
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)-ukóhna | a, some noun(s) — us (excl) |
| ku-(stem)-ukóhna | a, some noun(s) — us (incl) |
| ku-(stem)-ukóhmwa | a, some noun(s) — ye |
| —-(stem)-ukook* | 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
Kuníhlukw kweekw.
Something killed you.
Xwáchii-asún níhlukw.
A big rock killed him.
Maxkii-asúnal kuníhlukw.
Some red rocks killed you.
Kiishuwúpuy nulóosookw.
Some hot water burned me.
Kiishuwúpuy nuloosookóhna.
Some hot water burned us.
Kiilóowa ha kiishuwúpuy kuloosookóhmwa?
Did some hot water burn ye?
Xwáchii-asún níhlkook.
A big rock killed them.
Paxkshíikan ndumshóokw.
A knife cut me.Go to Inanimate Subject VTA Practicum V
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 |
|---|---|
| mah nu-(stem)-ukoowi | a, some noun(s) — me not |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowi | a, some noun(s) — you not |
| mah —-(stem)-ukwoowi | a, some noun(s) — him not |
| mah nu-(stem)-ukoowíhna | a, some noun(s) — us not (excl) |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowíhna | a, some noun(s) — us not (incl) |
| mah ku-(stem)-ukoowíhmwa | a, some noun(s) — ye not |
| mah —-(stem)-ukoowíiwak | 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
Mahtá-ch knihlkóowi míhtkwus.
A stick will kill you not.
Xwáchii-asún mah nihlkóowi.
A big rock killed him not.
Asúnal mah kŭnihlkóowi.
Some rocks killed you not.
Kiishuwúpuy mah uch nihlkoowíhna.
Some hot water won't kill us.
Xwáchii-asún mah nihlkoowíiwak.
A big rock killed them not.
Mah kweekw ndumshookóowi.
Nothing cut me.
Wŭlaapsheengwéehkwun.
wu(laapusheenkweeh)ukwun
It (of a branch) grazes his eye
(Reference John O'Meara The Delaware Stem)
Mŭneewáakan-uch kŭníhlkwun.
Drinking will kill you
(Reference John O'Meara The Delaware Stem)Go to Inanimate Subject VTA Practicum VI
(Paradigms Reference Ives Goddard Delaware Verbal Morphology)