Demonstrative Pronouns

Observation

ᓂᐧᐋᐱᒫᐤ ᐆ ᓈᐹᐤ᙮		niwaapimaau uu naapaau.	I see this man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐱᒫᐤ ᐊᓐ ᓈᐹᐤ᙮		niwaapimaau an naapaau.	I see that man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐱᒫᐤ ᓈᐦ ᓈᐹᐤ᙮		niwaapimaau naah naapaau.	I see that man way over there.
ᐧᒫᐤ ᓘᐃᔅ᙮		mwaau Louise.	Here is Louise. (while pointing at her)

The words ᐆ uu, ᐊᓐ an, ᓈ naa are called demonstrative pronouns. There are two sets of demonstrative pronouns, each containing three members, depending on the distance from the speaker. The proximal ᐆ uu is used for something or someone that is really close to the speaker, and that the speaker can see. The distal ᐊᓐ an is used for someone or something specific that is a little bit further from the speaker. The remote ᓈ naa or ᓈᐦ naah is used for someone or something that is far away from the speaker. The same distinction of relative distance to the speaker is found in the ᐧᒫᐤ mwaau, ᐧᒫᓐ mwaan and ᒫᓈ maanaa set. This set is used with a gesture, pointing or handing something for the proximal pronouns and pointing for the distal and remote pronouns.

Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One

	Proximate						Obviative
	singular			plural			singular or plural
Proximal	ᐆ		uu	ᐅᒌ		uchii	ᐅᔮᐦ		uyaah
				ᐅᒋ		uchi	ᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ		uyaayiuh
Distal	ᐊᓐ		an	ᐊᓂᒌ		anichii	ᐊᓂᔮᐦ		aniyaah
				ᐊᓂᒋ		anichi	ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ		aniyaayiuh
Remote	ᓈᐦ		naah	ᓈᒌ		naachii	ᓈᔮᐦ		naayaah
				ᓈᒋ		naachi	ᓈᔮᔨᐤᐦ		naayaayiuh

Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One

Proximate

Obviative

singular

plural

singular

plural

Proximal

ᐆ

uu

ᐅᔮᐦ

uyaah

ᐅᔮ

uyaa

ᐅᔮᐦ

uyaah

ᐅᐦᐄ

uhii

ᐅᔮᔨᐤ

uyaayiu

ᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ

uyaayiuh

Distal

ᐊᓐ

an

ᐊᓂᔮᐦ

aniyaah

ᐊᓂᔮ

aniyaa

ᐊᓂᔮᐦ

aniyaah

ᐊᓂᐦᐄ

anihii

ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ

aniyaayiu

ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ

aniyaayiuh

Remote

ᓈ

naa

ᓈᔮᐦ

naayaah

ᓈᔮ

naayaa

ᓈᔮᐦ

naayaah

ᓈᐦᐄ

naahii

Examples:

ᐧᐋᐱᔓᐤ ᐅᔮᐦ ᓈᐹᐤᐦ᙮		waapimaau uyaah naapaauh.	S/he sees this man.
ᐧᐋᐱᔓᐤ ᐊᓂᔮᐦ ᓈᐹᐤᐦ᙮		waapimaau aniyaah naapaauh.	S/he sees that man.
ᐧᐋᐱᔓᐤ ᓈᔮᐦ ᓈᐹᐤᐦ᙮		waapimaau naayah naapaauh.	S/he sees that yonder man.

Demonstratives pronouns are found in verbless sentences, also called equational sentences, used to introduce people. The pronoun must be placed after the noun.

ᓘᐃᔅ ᐆ᙮		Louise uu.	This is Louise.
ᓘᐃᔅ ᐊᓐ᙮		Louise an.	That is Louise.
ᓘᐃᔅ  ᓈᐦ᙮		Louise naah.	That yonder is Louise.

Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two

	Proximate						Obviative
	singular			plural			singular or plural
Proximal	ᒫᐤ		maau	ᒫᐅᒌ		maauchii	ᒫᐅᔮᐦ		maauyaah
				ᒫᐅᒋ		maauchi	ᒫᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ		maauyaayiuh
Distal	ᒫᓐ		maan	ᒫᓂᒌ		maanichii	ᒫᓂᔮᐦ		maaniyaah
				ᒫᓂᒋ		maanichi	ᒫᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ		maaniyaayiuh
Remote	ᒫᓈ		maanaa	ᔓᓈᒌ		maanaachii	ᒫᓈᔮᐦ		maanaayaah
							ᒫᓈᔮᔨᐤᐦ		maanaayaayiuh

Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two

Proximate

Obviative

singular

plural

singular

plural

Proximal

ᒫᐤ

maau

ᒫᐅᐦᐄ

maauhii

ᒫᐅᔮ

maauyaa

ᒫᐅᔮᐦ

maauyaah

ᔓᐅᔮᔨᐤ

maauyaayiu

ᒫᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ

maauyaayiuh

Distal

ᒫᓐ

maan

ᒫᓂᐦᐄ

maanihii

ᒫᓂᔮ

maaniyaa

ᒫᓂᔮᐦ

maaniyaah

ᒫᓂᔮᔨᐤ

maaniyaayiu

ᒫᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ

maaniyaayiuh

Remote

ᒫᓈ

maanaa

ᒫᓈᐦᐄ

maanaahii

ᒫᓈᔮ

maanaayaa

ᒫᓈᔮᐦ

maanaayaah

ᒫᓈᔮᔨᐤ

maanaayaayiu

ᒫᓈᔮᔨᐤᐦ

maanaayaayiuh

Examples:

ᒫᐅᐦᐄ ᒋᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮		maauhii chimischisinh.	Here are your shoes.
ᒫᓂᐦᐄ ᒋᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮		maanihii chimischisinh.	There are your shoes.
ᒫᓈᐦᐄ ᒋᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮		maanaahii chimischisinh.	Way over there are your shoes.