Alternative Pronouns

Observation
ᑯᑎᒃ ᓂᑭ ᐋᐱᒋᐦᐋᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word kutik niki aapichihaau. I will use another one.

The word ᑯᑎᒃ kutik in the above example is called an alternative pronoun. It is used to express the concept ‘other’. Alternative pronouns take inflection and are found alone or with a noun.

ᑯᑎᒃ ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ ᓂᑭ ᐋᐱᒋᐦᐋᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word kutik utaapaanaaskw niki aapichihaau. I will use another toboggan.
ᑯᑎᒃ ᓂᑭ ᐋᐱᒋᐦᐋᐤ ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ᙮ Click here to hear this word kutik niki aapichihaau utaapaanaaskw. I will use another toboggan.

Alternative pronouns:

Proximate
Obviative
singular plural singular plural
Animate ᑯᑎᒃ Click here to hear this word kutik ᑯᑎᑭᒡ Click here to hear this word kutikich ᑯᑎᒃᐦ Click here to hear this word kutikh ᑯᑎᒃᐦ Click here to hear this word kutikh
Inanimate ᑯᑎᒡ Click here to hear this word kutich ᑯᑎᒃᐦ Click here to hear this word kutikh ᑯᑎᒋᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word kutichiyiu ᑯᑎᒃᐦ Click here to hear this word kutikh
ᑯᑎᒃ Click here to hear this word kutik

Younger speakers often use the new form, considered incorrect, ᑯᑎᑭᔨᐤ kutikiyiu, instead of ᑯᑎᒋᔨᐤ kutichiyiu.

When used with ᐊᐧᐋᓐ awaan or ᒑᐧᑳᓐ chaakwaan, ᑯᑎᒃ kutik means ‘someone else’ or ‘something else’.

ᑯᑎᒃ ᐊᐧᐋᓐ ᓂᑭ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᒄ᙮ Click here to hear this word kutik awaan niki wiichihiikw. Someone else will help me.
ᑯᑎᒡ ᒑᐧᑳᓐ ᓂᑭ ᐋᐱᒋᐦᑖᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word kutich chaakwaan niki aapichihtaan. I will use something else.