Noun Stems ending with a consonant + w

• Nouns ending with a soft or hidden -u (-w)
• Nouns ending with -kw

Nouns ending with a soft or hidden -u (-w)

Some nouns have an -u that appears in some endings, instead of an -i. This is because their stem has a very soft -u which is not heard, nor written in the singular.

ᒨᔅ muus(w) (na) moose

3	ᒨᔅ		muus
3p	ᒨᓱᒡ		muusuch
3′ / 3’p	ᒨᔅᐦ		muus-h
LOC	ᒨᓱᐦᒡ		muusuhch
DIM	ᒨᔓᔑᔥ		muushushish
POSS	ᓂᒨᓱᒻ		nimuusum

ᐊᑎᒻ atim(w) (na) dog

3	ᐊᑎᒻ		atim
3p	ᐊᑎᒧᒡ		atimuch
3′ / 3’p	ᐊᑎᒻᐦ		atimh
LOC	ᐊᑎᒧᐦᒡ		atimuhch
DIM	ᐊᑎᒧᔑᔥ		atimushish

The possessive form of ᐊᑎᒻ atim uses another stem: ᐅᑖᒻᐦ utaamh (see word formation).

Nouns ending with -kw

These nouns have an -u that appears in the endings, instead of an -i. The -w of the stem ending -kw turns into a -u.

ᒥᔥᑎᒄ mishtikw (na) tree

3	ᒥᔥᑎᒄ		mishtikw
3p	ᒥᔥᑎᑯᒡ		mishtikuch
3′ / 3’p	ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐦ		mishtikuh
LOC	ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐦᒡ		mishtikuhch
DIM	ᒥᔥᒋᑯᔑᔥ		mishchikushish
POSS	ᓂᒥᔥᑎᑯᒻ		nimishtikum

ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᒄ miichisuunaahtikw (ni) table

0	ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᒄ		miichisuunaahtikw
0p / 0’p	ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐦ		miichisuunaahtikuh
0′	ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᔫ		miichisuunaahtikuyuu
LOC	ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐦᒡ		miichisuunaahtikuhch
DIM	ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᔥ		miichisuunaahtikush
POSS	ᓂᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᒄ		nimiichisuunaahtikw

ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ utaapaanaaskw (na) sled

3	ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ		utaapaanaaskw
3p	ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᒡ		utaapaanaaskuch
3′ / 3’p	ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᐦ		utaapaanaaskuh
LOC	ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᐦᒡ		utaapaanaaskuhch
DIM	ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᔑᔥ		utaapaanaaskushish
POSS	ᓅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ		nuutaapaanaaskw

In the last example, ᓅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ nuutaapaanaaskw, the prefix undergoes some change. For more information, see stems starting with a vowel.