VTA You-Me and Me-You Forms, also called local forms, allow one to say things like “I love you” and “You love me.”
Direct and inverse modes have one mandatory 3rd person participant. These local forms do not.
Overview of Local Forms
| Me-You Forms | You-Me Forms | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg Subject | 1st pl Subject | 2nd sg Subject | 2nd pl Subject |
| I —- you | We —- you | You —- me | Ye —- me |
| I —- ye | We —- ye | You —- us | Ye —- us |
These are formed using the general template :
(ku)-(stem)-(direction marker)-(endings)
The ‘you-me’ direction marker is (ii)
‘Me-you’ uses (ul)
All local forms use the (ku) prefix except local conjunct forms (to be described later)
You-Me Forms
You-me forms in the indicative mode add m endings to the (ii) direction marker. The (m) may be omitted in which case the final long vowel (ii) shortens to (i)
VTA Indicative You-Me Forms
| Participants | Paradigm |
|---|---|
| You —- me | ku-(stem)-ii(m) |
| Ye —- me | ku-(stem)-íhmwa |
| You —- us | ku-(stem)-íhna |
| Ye —- us | ku-(stem)-íhna |
Kŭnéewi.
You see me.
Kŭnéewiim.
You see me.
Kii ha kpwáawii-néewi?
pwáawii- pv unable to
Kii ha knéewi palí?
Kŭneewíhmwa.
Ye see me.
palí pc elsewhere, somewhere else
Kŭneewíhna.
You or ye see us.
Kchanustawíhmwa.
chanustáweew misunderstand s.o., mishear s.o.
Ktalóoli.
Kii kshíingi-alóoli keetúnge.
Kway kii ktásku-alóoli.
alóoleew hire s.o.
shiingi- PV unwillingly, refuse to do
asku- pv must, have to
Kii aa njíhnal kulustáwi.
Kiilóowa aa kihkuloolíhmwa.
Kiilóowa aa kihkuloolíhna.
kŭlustáweew listen to s.o.
kihkulóoleew talk to s.o.
njihnal pc more
Kpayaxkáhi.
(payaxkahw)ee+w shoot s.o.
Ktúli.
Ktalúmu-li.
alumu- pv begin to
Go to VTA You-Me and Me-You Practicum I
You-me negatives
(ku)-(stem)-(ii)-(wii)-(m ending)
VTA Indicative You-Me Negative Forms
| Participants | Paradigm |
|---|---|
| You —- me not | mah ku-(stem)-iiwi |
| Ye —- me not | mah ku-(stem)-iiwíhmwa |
| You —- us not | mah ku-(stem)-iiwíhna |
| Ye —- us not | mah ku-(stem)-iiwíhna |
Kii mah kuneewíiwi.
You see me not.
Mah kuneewiiwíhmwa.
Ye see me not.
Kŭneewiiwíhna.
You or ye see us.
Kchansutawiiwíhmwa.
chanustáweew misunderstand s.o., mishear s.o.
Ktaloolíiwi.
alóoleew hire s.o.
Kii aa kulustawíiwi.
Kiilóowa aa kihkulooliiwíhmwa.
Kiilóowa aa kihkulooliiwíhna.
kŭlustáweew listen to s.o.
kihkulóoleew talk to s.o.
Kpayaxkahíiwi.
(payaxkahw)ee+w shoot s.o.
Ktulíiwi.
Go to VTA You-Me and Me-You Practicum II
Me-You Forms
Me-you forms in the indicative mode add m endings to the (ul) direction marker. The (m) drops after the consonant ending of (ul) and (oo) is inserted before the plural m endings.
VTA Indicative Me-You Forms
| Participants | Paradigm |
|---|---|
| Me, I —- you | ku-(stem)-ul |
| Me, I —- ye | ku-(stem)-ulóhmwa |
| We —- you | ku-(stem)-ulóhna |
| We —- ye | ku-(stem)-ulóhna |
Láapii uch kŭnéewul.
I'll see you later.
Kŭneewulóhmwa.
I see ye.
Kŭneewulóhna.
We see you or ye.
Kchansutoolóhmwa.
chanustáweew misunderstand s.o., mishear s.o.
Ktalóolul.
alóoleew hire s.o.
Nii aa kulústool.
Niilóona aa kihkuloolulóhmwa.
Niilóona aa kihkuloolulóhna.
kŭlustáweew listen to s.o.
kihkulóoleew talk to s.o.
Kpayaxkáhool.
(payaxkahw)ee+w shoot s.o.
Ktúlul.
Go to VTA You-Me and Me-You Practicum III
Negatives form as if AI stems in -ii and in -ul
(ku)-(stem)-(ul)-(oowii)-(ending)
VTA Indicative Me-You Negative Forms
| Participants | Paradigm |
|---|---|
| Me, I —- you not | mah ku-(stem)-ulóowi |
| Me, I —- ye not | mah ku-(stem)-uloowíhmwa |
| We —- you not | mah ku-(stem)-uloowíhna |
| We —- ye not | mah ku-(stem)-uloowíhna |
Mah kŭnéewulóowi.
I see you not.
Mah kŭneewuloowíhmwa.
We see ye not.
Mah kŭneewuloowíhna.
You or ye see us not.
Mah kchanustooloowíhmwa.
chanustáweew misunderstand s.o., mishear s.o.
Ktaloolulóowi.
alóoleew hire s.o.
Mah nii aa kŭlustoolóowi.
Niilóona mah aa kihkulooluloowíhmwa.
Niilóona mah aa kihkulooluloowíhna.
kŭlustáweew listen to s.o.
kihkulóoleew talk to s.o.
Mah kpayaxkahoolóowi.
(payaxkahw)ee+w shoot s.o.
Mah ktululóowi.
Go to VTA You-Me and Me-You Practicum IV
VTA Indicative Me-You Special Cases
| Structure | Form |
|---|---|
| ku-(stem-aw)-ul | ku-(stem)-ool |
| ku-(stem-uw)-ul | ku-(stem)-ool |
| ku-(stem-ahw)-ul | ku-(stem-ah)-ool |
| ku-(stem-ushw)-ul | ku-(stem-ush)-ool |
| ku-(stem-usw)-ul | ku-(stem-us)-ool |
| ku(mwuhw)ul | ku-(mwuh)-ool |
Stems ending in (aw) contract with (ul) to (ool) then (un) is added to form (oolun)
Nal kuchansutóolun.
Then I misunderstood you.
(ku)-(chanusutaw)-(ul)-(un)
chanustáweew misunderstand s.o., mishear s.o.
Go to VTA You-Me and Me-You Practicum V
Subordinatives form as if AI stems in -ii and in -ul
Nal kŭnéewiin.
Then you saw me.
Nal kŭneewiinéewa.
Then ye saw me.
Nal kŭneewíineen.
Then you saw us.
Nal mahta kŭneewíiwun.
Then you saw me not.
Nal kunéewŭlun.
Then I saw you.
Nal kuneewulunéewa.
Then I saw ye.
Nal kuneewulúneen.
Then we saw you.
Nal mah kuneewulóowun.
Then I saw you not.
(Paradigms : reference Ives Goddard Delaware Verbal Morphology)