Particle Structure

Observation
ᔒᐹ ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ
shiipaa shiipaayaahtikw
under under a tree
ᐋᐱᐦᑎᐤ ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᓂᐤ
aapihtiu Click here to hear this word aapihtaaskiniu
half way half way down the road

The words above are called particles. ᔒᐹ shiipaa under and ᐋᐱᐦᑎᐤ aapihtiu 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. ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᓂᐤ aapihtaaskiniu half way along the road is also a particle made of two elements: the initial aapihtaa- half and the final -skiniu (the short form of the noun ᒫᔅᑭᓂᐤ maaskiniu road).

Examples:
Element Element Particle
ᔒᐹ ᐋᐦᑎᒄ ᔒᐹᔮᐦᑎᒄ
shiipaa + (y) + aahtikw shiipaayaahtikw
under tree under a tree
ᐋᐱᐦᑎᐤ ᔅᑭᓂᐤ ᐋᐱᐦᑖᔅᑭᓂᐤ
aapihtiu skaniu Click here to hear this word aapihtaaskaniu
half way road half way along the road
Some particles are made by reduplication or can bear a diminutive suffix:
naachaa later
 
REDUP + naachaa
naa + naachaa = naanaachaa later on, in a moment
 
naanaachaa + DIM
naanaachaa + shiish = naanaachaashiish a little later