Particle Structure

Observation

ᔒᐹ		ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ
shiipaa		shiipaayaahtikw
under		under a tree
ᐋᐱᐦᑎᐤ		ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᓂᐤ
aapihtiu		aapihtaaskiniu
half way		half way down the road

The words above are called particles. ᔒᐹ shiipaa under and ᐋᐱᐦᑎᐤ aapihtiu half way are simple particles. ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ shiipaayaahtikw under a tree is made of two elements: the initial shiipaa- under and the noun final -aahtikw tree, attached together by the connector y. ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᓂᐤ aapihtaaskiniu half way along the road is also a particle made of two elements: the initial aapihtaa- half and the final -skiniu (the short form of the noun ᒫᔅᑭᓂᐤ maaskiniu road).

Examples:

Element		Element		Particle
ᔒᐹ		ᐋᐦᑎᒄ		ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ
shiipaa	+ (y) +	aahtikw		shiipaayaahtikw
under		tree		under a tree
ᐋᐱᐦᑎᐤ		ᔅᑭᓂᐤ		ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᑭᓂᐤ
aapihtiu		skaniu		aapihtaaskaniu
half way		road		half way along the road

Some particles are made by reduplication or can bear a diminutive suffix:

naachaa	later
REDUP + naachaa
naa + naachaa = naanaachaa	later on, in a moment
naanaachaa + DIM
naanaachaa + shiish = naanaachaashiish	a little later