Part 7 (1/2)

O-me-shaw-way-e-maw; Uncle. O-nou-shay-e-maw; Aunt.

We-taw-wis-see-maw; Male cousin. We-ne-mo-shay-e-maw; Fem. cous.

Diminutive nouns take the same modifications as the nouns from which they are derived.

Verbs and adjectives are modified to agree with the animate or inanimate nouns to which they belong, as will be ill.u.s.trated hereafter.

p.r.o.nOUNS.

Personal p.r.o.nouns have no distinction of gender in the third person singular. A peculiarity of this language is the two forms for the first person plural. These two forms for p.r.o.nouns, and for verbs in all moods and tenses, are like each other except in the first syllable. In one form the first syllable is always ”Ke,” and in the other ”Ne.” The form commencing with Ke is used only when speaking to one person, and that commencing with Ne, which might be called the multiple form, is used whenever more than one person is addressed, even though no word may appear in the sentence indicating how many. This is an idiosyncracy which perhaps would never have been developed, certainly would not be perpetuated, in any except an unwritten language. It is of no effect except in a language always colloquial. The multiple form will be given in this grammar as the first person plural, and, whether indicated or not, the other may be understood as being the same with the change of the first syllable from Ne to Ke.

PERSONAL p.r.o.nOUNS.

Sing. Pl.

1st. p.--Neen or nin, I, ( Ne-naw-wind, (mult.), We.

( Ke-naw-wind,) We.

2d p.--Keen or kin, Thou or you, Ke-naw-waw, You.

3d p.--Ween or win, He or she, We-naw-waw, They.

When these personal p.r.o.nouns are connected with other words, or when they become subjects or objects of verbs, the first syllable only is used, or p.r.o.nounced. In the third person of verbs the p.r.o.noun is entirely omitted.

Sing. Pl.

Ne wob, I see, Ne wob-me, We see.

Ke wob, You see, Ke wob-em, You see.

Wo-be, He or she sees, Wo-be-wog, They see.

The whole p.r.o.noun is sometimes used when the emphatic or intensive form is desired, as,

Sing.--Neen-ne wob, I myself see.

Keen-ke wob, You yourself see.

Ween wo-be, He himself, or she herself sees.

Pl.--Ne-naw-wind ne-wob-me, We ourselves see.

Ke-naw-waw ke-wob-em, You yourself see.

We-naw-waw wo-be-wog, They themselves see.

POSSESSIVE p.r.o.nOUNS..

Ne-daw-yo-em, Mine, Ne-daw-yo-em-e-naw, Ours.

Ke-daw-yo-em, Thine, Ke-daw-yo-em-e-waw, Yours.

O-daw-yo-em, His or hers, O-daw-yo-em-e-waw, Theirs.

Emphatic form--nin ne-daw-yo-em, etc., throughout all the different persons. When these possessive p.r.o.nouns are used with nouns, nearly all the syllables are omitted, except the first, which is added to the noun in the plural; as--

Sing. Pl.

Ne we-ok-won, My hat, Ne we-ok-won-e-naw, Our hat.