Particle Structure

Simple and complex particles

Observation

ᔒᐹ		ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ
shiipaa		shiipaayaahtikw
under		under a tree
ᐋᐱᐦᑑ		ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᑲᓅ
aapihtuu		aapihtaaskanuu
half way		half way down the road

The words above are called particles. ᔒᐹ shiipaa under and ᐋᐱᐦᑑ aapihtuu 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. ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᑲᓅ aapihtaaskanuu half way along the road is also a particle made of two elements: the initial aapihtaa- half and the final -skinuu (the short form of the noun ᒣᔅᑭᓅ meskinuu road).

Examples:

Element		Element		Particle
ᔒᐹ		ᐋᐦᑎᒄ		ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ
shiipaa	+ (y) +	aahtikw		shiipaayaahtikw
under		tree		under a tree
ᐋᐱᐦᑑ		ᔅᑲᓅ		ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᑲᓅ
aapihtaa		skanuu		aapihtaaskanuu
half way		road		half way along the road

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

naache	later
REDUP + naache
naa + naache = naanaache	later on, in a moment
naanaache + DIM
naanaache + shiish = naanaacheshiish	a little later