Conjunct Indicative Neutral (#11)

Observation

ᐋᐦ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

aah nipaat.

…when she is asleep

The forms of the Conjunct Indicative Neutral (#11) are widely used. They are preceded by conjunct preverbs:

With the conjunct preverb ᐋᐦ aah, they indicate the present tense.

ᐋᐦ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

aah nipaat.

…when she is asleep

To indicate the past, the preverb ᒌᐦ chiih can be inserted after ᐋᐦ aah:

ᐋᐦ ᒌᐦ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

aah chiih nipaat.

…(when) she slept

With the preverb ᒑ chaa, they indicate future events.

ᐋᑯᑎᐦ ᒑ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

aakutih chaa nipaat.

This is where she will sleep

After the preverb ᑳ kaa, the forms of the CIN (#11) can indicate a relative clause, present or past:

ᑳ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

kaa nipaat.

…the one who is asleep’/ ‘the one who was asleep

or a subordinate clause in the past:

ᑳ ᐊᔨᒥᔮᓐ ᐅᑖᑯᔒᐦᒡ ᒌᐦ ᒥᐦᒑᑎᓈᓂᐤ᙮

kaa ayimiyaan utaakushiihch chiih mihchaatinaaniu.

When I spoke yesterday there were many people.

The Conjunct Indicative Neutral (#11) forms are also used for Questions.

For questions in the present tense you use initial change on the verb.

ᐊᐙᓐ ᓈᐹᑦ᙮

awaan naapaat.

Who is asleep?

For Past and Future questions, the verb itself is not changed, past and future conjunct preverbs are used:

ᐊᐙᓐ ᑳ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

awaan kaa nipaat.

Who was asleep?

ᐊᐙᓐ ᒑ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮

awaan chaa nipaat.

Who will sleep?

The following examples illustrate some common subordinate clauses with the CIN (#11):

ᓂᒋᔅᒑᔨᒫᐤ ᐊᐙᓐ ᐋᐦ ᒌᐦ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮	nichischaayimaau awaan aah chiih nipaat.	I know someone had slept here.
ᓂᒋᔅᒑᔨᒫᐤ ᐊᐙᓐ ᑳ ᓂᐹᑦ᙮	nichischaayimaau awaan kaa nipaat.	I know the person who slept here.

The following example from the legend Aahaapikw shows several uses of the Conjunct Indicative Neutral (#11) preceded by the conjunct preverb ᐋᐦ aah.

ᐋᑯᐦ ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᐊᐧᐋᔨᐤᐦ ᑳᓂᐧᐋᐱᒥᑯᒡᐦ ᐊᓂᔮ ᐋᐦ ᐅᔑᐦᐋᑦ ᐃᐦᐄᐲᐦ, ᒥᒄ ᓂᑎᐧᐄ ᒌᐦ ᐃᔑ ᐧᐋᐱᓈᐤ, ᒫᑐᔥᑖᐧᐋᐱᓈᑦ, ᐋᐦ ᐧᐄᐦ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᐱᒥᑯᑦ ᐊᐧᐋᔨᐤᐦ ᐋᐦ ᐄᑎᔥᑎᑭᐦᐧᐋᑦ ᐃᐦᐄᐲᐦ ᐋᐦ ᐅᔑᐦᐋᑦ᙮

aakuh anitaah awaayiuh kaaniwaapimikuchh aniyaa aah ushihaat ihiipiih, mikw nitiwii chiih ishi waapinaau, maatushtaawaapinaat, aah wiih kiniwaapimikut awaayiuh aah iitishtikihwaat ihiipiih aah ushihaat.

If someone tried to watch him make a net, Aahaapikw would become upset and throw the net into the fire, when someone tried to watch him as he was weaving the net he made.

Note: the 1p ending -chiht as in e naatachiht is sometimes pronounced as -tist, but it is not written as such.

Link to Conjugation Tables