VTA imperative mode includes the possibility of expressing a command to someone that refers the action toward a 3rd person or to the speaker (1st person)
help him! vs help me!
VTA 3rd Person Commands
| Participants | Imperative Paradigm | Prohibitive Paradigm |
|---|---|---|
| (you) — him or them | (stem) | chii (stem)-aawi |
| (ye) — him or them | (stem)-ooh | chii (stem)-aaweekw |
| (we) — him or them | (stem)-aatookw | chii (stem)-aawiitookw* |
* This form is expected but is not attested
The verb stem alone = command for him or them
(the default settings for vta verbs is to talk about him, them)
Examples:
Wíichum.
Help him.
Chii wiichŭmáawi.
Don't help him
Chíile păkamáawi.
Don't hit him.
Kiish aa yo lun eemhwáanus?
Can you hand me the spoon?
Punáw na!
Look at that (animate)
Ul.
Tell him.
Ahl.
Put them down.
Nihl.
Kill him.
Atéemush.
Cut him (tree) up.
(ateemushw)
Loos.
Burn him.
(loosw)
Ktam.
Eat him up.
(kutamw)
Kíishiih.
Finish making (cigarette).
Moh or Mwuh
Eat him.
(mwhuw-)
Wíichŭmooh.
(ye) Help them or help him.
Chii pakamáaweekw.
Don't hit them. (ye)
Chíile nihláaweekw.
Don't kill them.
Kwiilawáatookw tetahwuníikees.
Lets go look for a policeman.
Miil Meelis pambíilal.
Give Mary the book. (reference O'Meara; Delaware Resource)
Special stems:
Stems ending in (ahw) => (ahw-aw) => (ahaw)
but only if (ahw) follows a strong vowel
Otherwise stems ending in (ahw) drop the final (w)
Shíip'haw na pámbiil.
Spread out the paper.
(shiipahw-)
Káas'haw.
Wipe him off
(kaasahw-)
Kpah.
Shut him in.
(kupawh-)VTA 1st Person Commands
| Participants | Imperative Paradigm | Prohibitive Paradigm |
|---|---|---|
| (you) — me | (stem)-iil | chii (stem)-iiwi |
| (ye) — me | (stem)-iikw | chii (stem)-iiweekw |
| (we) — me | (stem)-iineen | chii (stem)-iiwuneen* |
| variant => | chii (stem)-iiweengw* | |
| variant => | chii (stem)-iiheengw* |
Adding (-l) or (-kw) (like vai’s ) colored with (ii) directs the command to ‘me’ => (-iil) (-iikw)
Chíile wiichumáawi, wíichŭmiil.
Don’t help him, help me.
Ahliil.
Put me down.
Chkáwiish liil.
Tell me slowly.
Péeshŭwiil niik eemhwáansak.
Chii pakamíiwi.
Don’t hit me.
Punáwiikw.
Ye look at me.
Chii nihlíiweekw.
Ye don’t kill me.
Chíile nihlíiweengw.
Don’t kill us.
(Reference Ives Goddard Delaware Verbal Morphology, pg ix)
Chii kihkuloolíiweekw.
Ye don’t talk to me.
Chii kàanzhalaamwìhtawíiweekw.
Ye don’t yell at me.
kaanzhalaamwíhtaweew
yell at s.o.You- us uses the ‘n ending’ suffix perhaps because the subordinative mode which also uses n-endings can provide polite commands.
Ye – us uses the same ending, interpretation is therefore context driven.
Kihkuloolíineen.
Talk to us.
Líineen.
Tell us.
Wiicheewíineen.
Come with us.
[wiichéeweew accompany s.o.]
Chii wiicheewiiwúneen.
Don't come with us.
[negative form -ii+wu+neen]
Laachiimoolíineen.
Tell us about it.
laachiimóoleew vta tell s.o. about s.t.
Tawún
Open it. (s.t. animate)
tawúneew vta open s.t. animate
Punáw eemhwáaanus.
Look at the spoon.
Tihtpíhtaw
Wave at him/her
Tihtpihtáwiil
Wave at me
Tihtpihtawíineen
Wave at us
Chii tihtpihtawíiwŭneen
Don't wave at us
Xámooh
(ye) Feed him
Punáwooh
(ye) Look at him/them
Looh
(ye) Tell him Other types of imperatives:
(1) Non verb related commands
akáawee pc hurry up
haaw ha let’s go(2) 3rd person polite imperatives
Subjunctive conjunct mode with (uch)
Kihkulooláate-uch.
Let him talk to him.
(3) Subordinative mode imperatives
Ndáyŭwaan na móhkamuy.
Let me have that ice.
[ayúweew vta get,buy,have s.o ]
Ndúlaan.
Let me tell her.
Kwiichíiwaan.
Go with her.
Mwuhaan niil óhpunal.
Let him eat those potatoes.
(subordinative verbs tend not to use plural or obviative endings)
Numwuhaan niik óhpunak.
Let me eat those potatoes.
Mwuhaanéewa niil óhpunal.
Let them eat those potatoes.
Ngulustawáaneen.
Let us listen to him.
(4) aayee pc emphatic particle
Áayee ma kpúnawi.
‘Please look at me’(5) Preverb (kiish-) able to with (aa) could, should
Kiish-aa-pámbiil-péeshŭwaaw?
Can you please bring the book?