Demonstrative Pronouns

Observation

ᓂᐧᐋᐸᒫᐤ ᐆ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮		niwaapamaau uu naapeu.	I see this man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐸᒫᐤ ᐊᓐ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮		niwaapamaau an naapeu.	I see that man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐸᒫᐤ ᓈ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮		niwaapamaau naa naapeu.	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 (ᐊ)ᓈ (a) naa or (ᐊ) ᓀ (a) ne 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 ᐧᒫᓈ mwaanaa set. This set is used with a gesture, pointing or handing something for the proximal pronouns and pointing for the distal and remote pronouns. Sometimes there are several ways of pronouncing the pronouns, but they mean the same thing, like mwaau and maau.

	Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One
	Proximate						Obviative
	singular			plural			singular or plural
Proximal	ᐆ		uu	ᐆᒌ		uuchii	ᐆᔫᐦ		uuyuuh
				ᐆᒡ		uuch	ᐆᔦᔫᐦ		uuyeyuuh
Distal	ᐊᓐ		an	ᐊᓂᒌ		anichii	ᐊᓂᔫᐦ		aniyuuh
				ᐊᓂᒡ		anich	ᐊᓂᔦᔫᐦ		aniyeyuuh
Remote	ᐊᓈ		(a)naa	ᐊᓀᒌ		(a)nechii	ᐊᓀᔫᐦ		(a)neyuuh
	ᐊᐧᓈ		(a)nwaa	ᐊᓀᒡ		(a)nech

Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One

Proximate

Obviative

singular

plural

singular

plural

Proximal

ᐆ

uu

ᐆᔫᐦ

uuyuuh

ᐆᔫ

uuyuu

ᐆᔫᐦ

uuyuuh

ᐆᐦᐄ

uuhii

ᐆᔦᔫ

uuyeyuu

ᐆᔦᔫᐦ

uuyeyuuh

Distal

ᐊᓐ

an

ᐊᓂᔫᐦ

aniyuuh

ᐊᓂᔫ

aniyuu

ᐊᓂᔫᐦ

aniyuuh

ᐊᓂᐦᐄ

anihii

ᐊᓂᔦᔫ

aniyeyuu

ᐊᓂᔦᔫᐦ

aniyeyuuh

Remote

ᐊᓀ

(a)ne

ᐊᓀᔫᐦ

(a)neyuuh

ᐊᓀᔫ

(a)neyuu

ᐊᓀᔫᐦ

(a)neyuuh

ᐊᓀᐦᐄ

(a)nehii

Examples:

ᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᐆᔫᐦ ᓈᐯᐤᐦ᙮		waapameu uuyuuh naapeuh.	S/he sees this man.
ᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᐊᓂᔫᐦ ᓈᐯᐤᐦ᙮		waapameu aniyuuh naapeuh.	S/he sees that man.
ᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᐊᓀᔫᐦ ᓈᐯᐤᐦ᙮		waapameu (a)neyuuh naapeuh.	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 ᐊᓈ᙮		Louise (a)naa.	That yonder is Louise.

	Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two
	Proximate						Obviative
	singular			plural			singular or plural
Proximal	ᐧᒫᐤ		mwaau	ᐧᒫᐅᒌ		mwaauchii	ᐧᒫᐅᔫᐦ		mwaauyuuh
	ᒫᐤ		maau	ᒫᐅᒌ		maauchii	ᒫᐅᔫᐦ		maauyuuh
				ᐧᒫᐅᒡ		mwaauch	ᐧᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ		mwaauyeyuuh
				ᒫᐅᒡ		maauch	ᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ		maauyeyuuh
Distal	ᐧᒫᓐ		mwaan	ᐧᒫᓂᒌ		mwaanichii	ᐧᒫᓂᔫᐦ		mwaaniyuuh
	ᒫᓐ		maan	ᒫᓂᒌ		maanichii	ᒫᓂᔫᐦ		maaniyuuh
				ᐧᒫᓂᒡ		mwaanich	ᐧᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ		mwaaniyeyuuh
				ᒫᓂᒡ		maanich	ᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ		maaniyeyuuh
Remote	ᐧᒫᓈ		mwaanaa	ᐧᒫᓀᒌ		mwaanechii	ᐧᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ		mwaaneyeyuuh
	ᒫᓈ		maanaa	ᒫᓀᒌ		maanechii	ᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ		maaneyeyuuh
							ᐧᒫᓀᔫᐦ		mwaaneyuuh
							ᒫᓀᔫᐦ		maaneyuuh

	Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two
	Proximate				Obviative
	singular		plural		singular		plural
Proximal		ᐧᒫᐤ		ᐧᒫᐅᔫᐦ		ᐧᒫᐅᔫ		ᐧᒫᐅᔫᐦ
		mwaau		mwaauyuuh		mwaauyuu		mwaauyuuh
		ᒫᐤ		ᒫᐅᔫᐦ		ᒫᐅᔫ		ᒫᐅᔫᐦ
		maau		maauyuuh		maauyuu		maauyuuh
				ᐧᒫᐅᐦᐄ				ᐧᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ
				mwaauhii				mwaauyeyuuh
				ᒫᐅᐦᐄ				ᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ
				maauhii				maauyeyuuh
Distal		ᐧᒫᓐ		ᐧᒫᓂᔫᐦ		ᐧᒫᓂᔫ		ᐧᒫᓂᔫᐦ
		mwaan		mwaaniyuuh		mwaaniyuu		mwaaniyuuh
		ᒫᓐ		ᒫᓂᔫᐦ		ᒫᓂᔫ		ᒫᓂᔫᐦ
		maan		maaniyuuh		maaniyuu		maaniyuuh
				ᐧᒫᓂᐦᐄ		ᐧᒫᓂᔦᔫ		ᐧᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ
				mwaanihii		mwaaniyeyuu		mwaaniyeyuuh
				ᒫᓂᐦᐄ		ᒫᓂᔦᔫ		ᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ
				maanihii		maaniyeyuu		maaniyeyuuh
Remote		ᐧᒫᓀ		ᐧᒫᓀᔫᐦ		ᐧᒫᓀᔦᔫ		ᐧᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ
		mwaane		mwaaneyuuh		mwaaneyeyuu		mwaaneyeyuuh
		ᒫᓀ		ᒫᓀᔫᐦ		ᒫᓀᔦᔫ		ᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ
		maane		maaneyuuh		maaneyeyuu		maaneyeyuuh
				ᐧᒫᓀᐦᐄ		ᐧᒫᓀᔫ		ᐧᒫᓀᔫᐦ
				mwaanehii		mwaaneyuu		mwaaneyuuh
				ᒫᓀᐦᐄ		ᒫᓀᔫ		ᒫᓀᔫᐦ
				maanehii		maaneyuu		maaneyuuh

Examples:

ᒫᐤ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮		maau chimaschisin.	Here is your shoe.
ᐧᒫᐤ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮		mwaau chimaschisin.

ᒫᓐ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮		maan chimaschisin.	There is your shoe.
ᐧᒫᓐ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮		mwaan chimaschisin.

ᒫᓀ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮		maane chimaschisin.	Way over there is your shoe.
ᐧᒫᓀ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮		mwaane chimaschisin.

ᒸᓀᔫᐦ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮

mwaaneyuuh chimaschisinh.

Way over there are your shoes.