Noun Stems ending with a vowel + u

• Noun Stems ending with -uu
• Noun Stems ending with -iu
• Noun Stems ending with -aau

Noun Stems ending with -uu

These nouns end in a long -uu in the singular and keep this long -uu with all the other inflectional endings. The i of the suffix is dropped.

ᐋᒨ aamuu (na) bee

3	ᐋᒨ		aamuu
3p	ᐋᒨᒡ		aamuuch
3′ / 3’p	ᐋᒨᐦ		aamuuh
LOC	ᐋᒨᐦᒡ		aamuuhch
DIM	ᐋᒨᔑᔥ		aamuushish
POSS	ᓂᑖᒨᒻ		nitaamuum

Noun Stems ending with -iu

These nouns have an -i before the final -u that you cannot hear in the singular, plural or obviative but that you can hear clearly in the locative, diminutive and possessive, where the -u is dropped.

ᐱᒋᐤ pichiu (na) gum

3	ᐱᒋᐤ		pichiu
3p	ᐱᒋᐅᒡ		pichiuch
3′ / 3’p	ᐱᒋᐅᐦ		pichiuh
LOC	ᐱᒌᐦᒡ		pichiihch
DIM	ᐱᒌᔑᔥ		pichiishish
POSS	ᓂᐱᒌᒻ		nipichiim

ᐱᔑᐤ pishiu (na) lynx

3	ᐱᔑᐤ		pishiu
3p	ᐱᔑᐅᒡ		pishiuch
3′ / 3’p	ᐱᔓᐦ		pishiuh
LOC	ᐱᔒᐦᒡ		pishiihch
DIM	ᐱᔒᔑᔥ		pishiishish
POSS	ᓂᐱᔒᒻ		nipishiim

ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤ kaahkaachiu (na) crow

3	ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤ		kaahkaachiu
3p	ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐅᒡ		kaahkaachiuch
3′ / 3’p	ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐅᐦ		kaahkaachiuh
LOC	ᑳᐦᑳᒌᐦᒡ		kaahkaachiihch
DIM	ᑳᐦᑳᒌᔑᔥ		kaahkaachiishish
POSS	ᓂᑳᐦᑳᒌᒻ		nikaahkaachiim

Note: These nouns have been spelled ᐱᒎ pichuu, ᐱᔔ pishuu and ᑳᐦᑳᒎ kaahkaachuu in the past. The spelling with -iu reflects the pronunciation of elder speakers and shows the ending of the stem. It also relates a noun like ᐱᒋᐤ pichiu to a verb like ᐱᒌᐧᐋᔅᑯᓐ pichiiwaaskun it has gum on it.

Noun Stems ending with -aau

Nouns ending with -aau do not keep their -u in the locative, simulative and possessive. The first vowel of the suffixes (i) also disappears in all the endings. The stem and the suffix undergo a contraction.

ᓈᐹᐤ naapaau (na) man

3	ᓈᐹᐤ		naapaau
3p	ᓈᐹᐅᒡ		naapaauch
3′ / 3’p	ᓈᐹᐤᐦ		naapaauh
LOC	(not used-but see simulative inflection)
SIM	ᓈᐹᐦᒡ		naapaahch
POSS	ᓂᓈᐹᒻ		ninaapaam