Identification Pronouns

Observation

ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐤ ᐋ ᓂᑳᐧᐄ᙮

chiki chii aau aa nikaawii.

Could that be my mother?

The pronoun ᐋᐤ aau behaves like a verb in that it can be preceded by preverbs of modality and tense. On the other hand , it cannot be inflected for first and second person. In the data collected so far, it is always followed by the yes/no question marker ᐋ aa. The pronoun aau is used in a dubitative sense, when you wonder about the identity of a person or object, but does not carry dubitative inflection.

Proximate

Obviative

singular

plural

singular

plural

Animate

ᐋᐤ

aau

ᐋᐅᐧᐃᒡ

aauwich

ᐋᐅᔨᐤᐦ

aauyiuh

ᐋᐅᔨᐤᐦ

aauyiuh

Inanimate

ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓐ

aauwin

ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓐᐦ

aauwinh

ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤ

aauwiniyiu

ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤᐦ

aauwiniyiuh

Examples:

ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᔨᐤᐦ ᐋ ᐅᑳᐧᐄᐦ᙮		Chiki chii aauyiuh aa ukaawiih.	Could that be her/his mother?
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᐧᐃᒡ ᐋ ᓂᑎᐧᐋᔑᔒᒥᒡ᙮		Chiki chii aauwich aa nitiwaashishiimich.	Could those be my children?
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓐᐦ ᐋ ᓂᒑᐧᑳᓂᒻᐦ᙮		Chiki chii aauwinh aa nichaakwaanimh.	Could those be my things?
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐋ ᐅᒑᐧᑳᓂᒻᐦ᙮		Chiki chii aauwiniyiuh aa uchaakwaanimh.	Could that be her/his things?