Hesitation Pronouns

Observation

ᐋᐃᐦ ᒌ ᒧᐧᐋᐤ  ᓂᒫᔅᐦ᙮

aaih … chii muwaau … nimaash.

Uh … s/he ate … fish.

Pronouns like ᐋᐃᐦ aaih are used when a speaker cannot think of a particular noun. They act as placeholders for that noun. They are inflected, like other pronouns, indicating that the speaker is aware of the gender (animate or inanimate), number (singular or plural) and obviation status of the missing noun.

Proximate

Obviative

singular

plural

singular

plural

Animate

ᐋᐃ

aai

ᐋᐃᒡ

aaich

ᐋᐃᐦ

aaih

ᐋᐃᐦ

aaih

Inanimate

ᐋᐃ

aai

ᐋᐃᐦ

aaih

ᐋᐃᔨᐤ

aaiyiu

ᐋᐃᔨᐤᐦ

aaiyiuh

Examples:

ᐋᐃᒡ ᒌ ᑎᑯᔑᓂᒡ  ᐁᓛ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒫᕐᑭᕇᑦ᙮

aaich… chii tikushinich…elaa kiyaah maarkiriit.

Uh… they arrived… Ella and Marguerite.