Alternative Pronouns
ᑯᑕᒃ ᓂᑲ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᐋᐤ᙮ | ![]() |
kutak nika aapachihaau. | I will use another one. |
The word ᑯᑕᒃ kutak in the above example is called an alternative pronoun. Alternative pronouns take inflection and are found alone or with a noun.
ᑯᑕᒃ ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ ᓂᑲ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᐋᐤ᙮ | ![]() |
kutak utaapaanaaskw nika aapachihaau. | I will use another toboggan. |
Alternative pronouns:
Proximate | Obviative | |||||||
singular | plural | singular | plural | |||||
Animate | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒃ | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᑲᒡ | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒃᐦ | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒃᐦ |
kutak | kutakach | kutakh | kutakh | |||||
Inanimate | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒡ / ᑯᑕᒃ | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒃᐦ | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒋᔫ | ![]() |
ᑯᑕᒃᐦ |
kutach / kutak | kutakh | kutachiyuu | kutakh |
Younger speakers are often using a new form, considered incorrect, ᑯᑕᑭᔫ kutakiyuu, instead of ᑯᑕᒋᔫ kutachiyuu.
When used with ᐊᐧᐁᓐ awen or ᒉᐧᑲᓐ chekwan, ᑯᑕᒃ kutak means ‘someone else’ or ‘something else’.
ᑯᑕᒃ ᐊᐧᐁᓐ ᓂᑲ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᒄ᙮ | ![]() |
kutak awen nika wiichihiikw. | Someone else will help me. |
ᑯᑕᒡ ᒉᐧᑲᓐ ᓂᑲ ᐋᐸᒋᐦᑖᓐ᙮ | ![]() |
kutach chekwan nika aapachihtaan. | I will use something else. |