VAI with explicit goals

Some verbs that look like VAI verbs in their word structure can nevertheless take a second role (an object or a goal). They can be used as intransitive verbs, or as transitive verbs.

• VAI with explicit goals that can be animate or inanimate
• VAI with explicit goals that can be only inanimate

VAI with explicit goals that can be animate or inanimate

Observation

ᒥᓂᐦᐧᑳᐤ		minihkwaau	S/he is drinking
ᒥᓂᐦᐧᑳᐤ ᑏᔨᐤ		minihkwaau tiiyiu	S/he is drinking tea
ᒥᓂᐦᐧᑳᐤ ᑑᑑᔑᓈᐳᐃᐦ		minihkwaau tuutuushinaapuih	S/he is drinking milk

There are some VAI with explicit goals whose goals can be either inanimate or animate third persons.

Examples:

ᐱᒥᐱᐦᐧᑖᐤ		pimipihtwaau	She runs carrying it
ᐱᒥᐱᐦᐧᑖᐤ ᒥᔥᑎᑯᔨᐤ		pimipihtwaau mishtikuyiu	She runs carrying the stick
ᐱᒥᐱᐦᐧᑖᐤ ᐅᑎᐧᐋᔑᔒᒻᐦ		pimipihtwaau utiwaashishiimh	She runs carrying her baby

VAI with explicit goals that can be only inanimate

Observation

ᓂᐲᐅᐦᑖᐤ		nipiiuhtaau	S/he wets it
ᓂᐲᐅᐦᑖᐤ ᐅᑳᓂᒌᒻ		nipiiuhtaau ukaanichiim	She wets her (own) sweater

Some VAI like ᓂᐲᐅᐦᑖᐤ nipiiuhtaau in the example above, can take an inanimate noun as goal (the inanimate noun ᐅᑳᓂᒌᒻ ukaanichiim). Such VAI verbs with explicit inanimate goals are sometimes called by linguists “pseudo-transitive verbs” or VTI 2. If they make their passive or unspecified actor forms like VTI verbs, in -kiniuu, we call them VAI+O. Other verbs, still make their unspecified actor form in -niuu, like regular VAI but nevertheless can take an inanimate goal, like ᒦᒋᐤ miichiu below.

ᒦᒋᐤ		miichiu	She eats it
ᒦᒋᐤ ᐧᐃᔮᓯᔨᐤ		miichiu wiyaasiyiu	She eats meat

They have corresponding VTA forms if an animate goal is used. For example:

ᒧᐧᐁᐤ ᐋᐃᐦᑯᓈᐤᐦ᙮

muweu aaihkunaauh.

She eats bannock (animate)