Nouns Inflected for Number

Observation
ᐊᐧᐋᔥ Click here to hear this word awaash a child SINGULAR
ᐊᐧᐋᔕᒡ Click here to hear this word awaashach children PLURAL

The word above comes in two forms: ᐊᐧᐋᔥ awaash and ᐊᐧᐋᔕᒡ awaashach. The second form is made up of the first form plus an ending: awaash + ach.

The form ᐊᐧᐋᔥ awaash is called the stem of the noun. When the form ᐊᐧᐋᔥ awaash is used without any ending, it is called SINGULAR. It means that there is just one. When the second form ᐊᐧᐋᔕᒡ awaashach is used, with the ending -ach , it is called PLURAL, and it means that there is more than one. This appears clearly when you use ‘one’, ‘two’ or ‘three’ with the noun:

ᐯᔭᒄ ᐊᐧᐋᔥ Click here to hear this word peyakw awaash one child singular
ᓃᔓ ᐊᐧᐋᔕᒡ Click here to hear this word niishu awaashach two children plural
ᓂᔥᑐ ᐊᐧᐋᔕᒡ Click here to hear this word nishtu awaashach three children plural

This distinction between one and more than one is called NUMBER.

Some nouns take another ending for their plural.

ᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ Click here to hear this word maschisin a shoe ᐊᔥᑐᑎᓐ Click here to hear this word ashtutin a hat
ᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ Click here to hear this word maschisinh shoes ᐊᔥᑐᑎᓐ Click here to hear this word ashtutinh hats

These nouns are called INANIMATE (see Gender).