Dubitative Pronouns

Use a dubitative pronoun to wonder about:

Dubitative pronouns for people or things

Observation
ᒑᐧᑳᒋᒑ ᐆ ᑳ ᒦᒋᔮᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word chaakwaachichaa uu kaa miichiyaan. Whatever could I be eating?
ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑ ᐅᔮ ᐅᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word awaachichaa uyaa umischisin. Whose shoe could this be?

ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑ awaachichaa and ᒑᐧᑳᒋᒑ chaakwaachichaa are made up of the pronouns ᐊᐧᐋᓐ awaan and ᒑᐧᑳᓐ chaakwaan plus the dubitative inflection. They are used when there is doubt about the person or the thing being discussed. They correspond to English ‘whoever / whatever could s/he/it be’.

Proximate Obviative
singular plural singular plural
Animate Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑ Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑᓂᒌ Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᔨᒋᒑᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᔨᒋᒑᓂᐦᐄ
awaachichaa awaachichaanichii awaayichichaanihii awaayichichaanihii
Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑᓂᒡ Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᔨᒋᒑᓐᐦ Click here to hear this word ᐊᐧᐋᔨᒋᒑᓐᐦ
awaachichaanich awaayichichaanh awaayichichaanh
Inanimate Click here to hear this word ᒑᐧᑳᒋᒑ Click here to hear this word ᒑᐧᑳᒋᒑᓐᐦ Click here to hear this word ᒑᐧᑳᔨᒋᒑ Click here to hear this word ᒑᐧᑳᔨᒋᒑᓐᐦ
chaakwaachichaa chaakwaachichaanh chaakwaayichichaa chaakwaayichichaanh
Click here to hear this word ᒑᐧᑳᒋᒑᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word ᒑᐧᑳᔨᒋᒑᓂᐦᐄ
chaakwaachichaanihii chaakwaayichichaanihii

Examples:

ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑ ᐊᓂᔮ ᑳ ᐃᐦᑑᑎᐦᒃ᙮ Click here to hear this word awaachichaa aniyaa kaa ihtuutihk. Whoever can have done it?
ᐊᐧᐋᒋᒑ ᐊᓂᔮᐦ ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word awaachichaa aniyaah utaapaanaaskwh. Whoever can that toboggan belong to?
ᒑᐧᑳᒋᒑ ᑳ ᐃᔑᓈᑯᐦᒡ᙮ Click here to hear this word chaakwaachichaa kaa ishinaakuhch. Whatever can it be?
ᒑᐧᑳᔨᒋᒑ ᐊᓂᔮ ᑳ ᐋᔨᒨᑎᐦᒃ᙮ Click here to hear this word chaakwaayichichaa aniyaa kaa aayimuutihk. Whatever can s/he be talking about?