VAI (Verb Animate Intransitive)

Observation

ᒪᓯᓈᓲ ᓅᔑᒥᔥ᙮		masinaasuu nuushimish.	‘My grandchild’s name is on the list.’
ᐧᐁᔨᑳᐴ ᑌᐃᓰ ᒉ ᓃᒥᑦ᙮		weyikaapuu Daisy che niimit.	‘Daisy stands ready to dance.’
ᐅᑖᒥᑲᒋᔐᔑᓐ ᐧᒑᓐ᙮		utaamikachisheshin John.	‘John falls on his behind.’

Animate Intransitive verbs are verbs with usually one role (intransitive) filled by an animate subject.

VAI stems end in -n or in vowels.

Some Animate Intransitive verbs (VAI) have an Inanimate Intransitive verb (VII) partner that is spelled and pronounced the same. Most of these end in -payuu. [These are marked in the Southern dictionary as vai/vii.]

ᐧᐋᒋᐸᔫ ᓃᐱᓰ᙮		waachipayuu niipisii.	VII		‘The willow tree is bent.’
ᐧᐋᒋᐸᔫ ᒥᔥᑎᒄ᙮		waachipayuu mishtikw.	VAI		‘The tree is bent.’

Some Animate Intransitive verbs (VAI) can take an inanimate goal or object and make their passive (unspecified actor form) like Transitive Inanimate verbs. They are called VAI+O in the dictionary and Conjugation Guide.

Link to Conjugation Guide

Some Animate Intransitive verbs (VAI) can take goal or objects either explicit or implicit.

• VAI with explicit goals
• VAI with implicit goals