Noun Stems ending with a vowel + u

  • Noun Stems ending with -uu
  • Noun Stems ending with -iu
  • Noun Stems ending with -aau

Noun Stems ending with -uu

These nouns end in a long -uu in the singular and keep this long -uu with all the other inflectional endings. The i of the suffix is dropped.

ᐋᒨ aamuu (na) bee
3 ᐋᒨ Click here to hear this word aamuu
3p ᐋᒨᒡ Click here to hear this word aamuuch
3′ / 3’p ᐋᒨᐦ Click here to hear this word aamuuh
LOC ᐋᒨᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word aamuuhch
DIM ᐋᒨᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word aamuushish
POSS ᓂᑖᒨᒻ Click here to hear this word nitaamuum

Noun Stems ending with -iu

These nouns have an -i before the final -u that you cannot hear in the singular, plural or obviative but that you can hear clearly in the locative, diminutive and possessive, where the -u is dropped.

ᐱᒋᐤ pichiu (na) gum
3 ᐱᒋᐤ Click here to hear this word pichiu
3p ᐱᒋᐅᒡ Click here to hear this word pichiuch
3′ / 3’p ᐱᒋᐅᐦ Click here to hear this word pichiuh
LOC ᐱᒌᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word pichiihch
DIM ᐱᒌᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word pichiishish
POSS ᓂᐱᒌᒻ Click here to hear this word nipichiim
ᐱᔑᐤ pishiu (na) lynx
3 ᐱᔑᐤ Click here to hear this word pishiu
3p ᐱᔑᐅᒡ Click here to hear this word pishiuch
3′ / 3’p ᐱᔓᐦ Click here to hear this word pishiuh
LOC ᐱᔒᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word pishiihch
DIM ᐱᔒᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word pishiishish
POSS ᓂᐱᔒᒻ Click here to hear this word nipishiim
ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤ kaahkaachiu (na) crow
3 ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐤ Click here to hear this word kaahkaachiu
3p ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐅᒡ Click here to hear this word kaahkaachiuch
3′ / 3’p ᑳᐦᑳᒋᐅᐦ Click here to hear this word kaahkaachiuh
LOC ᑳᐦᑳᒌᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word kaahkaachiihch
DIM ᑳᐦᑳᒌᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word kaahkaachiishish
POSS ᓂᑳᐦᑳᒌᒻ Click here to hear this word nikaahkaachiim

Note: These nouns have been spelled ᐱᒎ pichuu, ᐱᔔ pishuu and ᑳᐦᑳᒎ kaahkaachuu in the past. The spelling with -iu reflects the pronunciation of elder speakers and shows the ending of the stem. It also relates a noun like ᐱᒋᐤ pichiu to a verb like ᐱᒌᐧᐋᔅᑯᓐ pichiiwaaskun it has gum on it.

Noun Stems ending with -aau

Nouns ending with -aau do not keep their -u in the locative, simulative and possessive. The first vowel of the suffixes (i) also disappears in all the endings. The stem and the suffix undergo a contraction.

ᓈᐹᐤ naapaau (na) man
3 ᓈᐹᐤ Click here to hear this word naapaau
3p ᓈᐹᐅᒡ Click here to hear this word naapaauch
3′ / 3’p ᓈᐹᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word naapaauh
LOC (not used-but see simulative inflection)
SIM ᓈᐹᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word naapaahch
POSS ᓂᓈᐹᒻ Click here to hear this word ninaapaam