Demonstrative Pronouns

Observation
ᓂᐧᐋᐸᒫᐤ ᐆ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word niwaapamaau uu naapeu. I see this man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐸᒫᐤ ᐊᓐ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word niwaapamaau an naapeu. I see that man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐸᒫᐤ ᓈ ᓈᐯᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word niwaapamaau naa naapeu. I see that man way over there.
ᐧᒫᐤ ᓘᐃᔅ᙮ Click here to hear this word mwaau Louise. Here is Louise. (while pointing at her)

The words uu, ᐊᓐ an, naa are called demonstrative pronouns. There are two sets of demonstrative pronouns, each containing three members, depending on the distance from the speaker. The proximal uu is used for something or someone that is really close to the speaker, and that the speaker can see. The distal ᐊᓐ an is used for someone or something specific that is a little bit further from the speaker. The remote () (a) naa or () (a) ne is used for someone or something that is far away from the speaker. The same distinction of relative distance to the speaker is found in the ᐧᒫᐤ mwaau, ᐧᒫᓐ mwaan and ᐧᒫᓈ mwaanaa set. This set is used with a gesture, pointing or handing something for the proximal pronouns and pointing for the distal and remote pronouns. Sometimes there are several ways of pronouncing the pronouns, but they mean the same thing, like mwaau and maau.

  Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular or plural
Proximal Click here to hear this word uu ᐆᒌ Click here to hear this word uuchii ᐆᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word uuyuuh
      ᐆᒡ Click here to hear this word uuch ᐆᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word uuyeyuuh
Distal ᐊᓐ Click here to hear this word an ᐊᓂᒌ Click here to hear this word anichii ᐊᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyuuh
      ᐊᓂᒡ Click here to hear this word anich ᐊᓂᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyeyuuh
Remote ᐊᓈ Click here to hear this word (a)naa ᐊᓀᒌ Click here to hear this word (a)nechii ᐊᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word (a)neyuuh
ᐊᐧᓈ   (a)nwaa ᐊᓀᒡ Click here to hear this word (a)nech      
  Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular plural
Proximal Click here to hear this word uu ᐆᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word uuyuuh ᐆᔫ Click here to hear this word uuyuu ᐆᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word uuyuuh
      ᐆᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word uuhii ᐆᔦᔫ Click here to hear this word uuyeyuu ᐆᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word uuyeyuuh
Distal ᐊᓐ Click here to hear this word an ᐊᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyuuh ᐊᓂᔫ Click here to hear this word aniyuu ᐊᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyuuh
      ᐊᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word anihii ᐊᓂᔦᔫ Click here to hear this word aniyeyuu ᐊᓂᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyeyuuh
Remote ᐊᓀ Click here to hear this word (a)ne ᐊᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word (a)neyuuh ᐊᓀᔫ Click here to hear this word (a)neyuu ᐊᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word (a)neyuuh
      ᐊᓀᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word (a)nehii            

Examples:

ᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᐆᔫᐦ ᓈᐯᐤᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word waapameu uuyuuh naapeuh. S/he sees this man.
ᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᐊᓂᔫᐦ ᓈᐯᐤᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word waapameu aniyuuh naapeuh. S/he sees that man.
ᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᐊᓀᔫᐦ ᓈᐯᐤᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word waapameu (a)neyuuh naapeuh. S/he sees that yonder man.

Demonstratives pronouns are found in verbless sentences, also called equational sentences, used to introduce people. The pronoun must be placed after the noun.

ᓘᐃᔅ ᐆ᙮ Click here to hear this word Louise uu. This is Louise.
ᓘᐃᔅ ᐊᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word Louise an. That is Louise.
ᓘᐃᔅ ᐊᓈ᙮ Click here to hear this word Louise (a)naa. That yonder is Louise.
  Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular or plural
Proximal ᐧᒫᐤ Click here to hear this word mwaau ᐧᒫᐅᒌ Click here to hear this word mwaauchii ᐧᒫᐅᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word mwaauyuuh
ᒫᐤ Click here to hear this word maau ᒫᐅᒌ Click here to hear this word maauchii ᒫᐅᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word maauyuuh
      ᐧᒫᐅᒡ Click here to hear this word mwaauch ᐧᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word mwaauyeyuuh
      ᒫᐅᒡ Click here to hear this word maauch ᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word maauyeyuuh
Distal ᐧᒫᓐ Click here to hear this word mwaan ᐧᒫᓂᒌ Click here to hear this word mwaanichii ᐧᒫᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word mwaaniyuuh
ᒫᓐ Click here to hear this word maan ᒫᓂᒌ Click here to hear this word maanichii ᒫᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word maaniyuuh
      ᐧᒫᓂᒡ Click here to hear this word mwaanich ᐧᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word mwaaniyeyuuh
      ᒫᓂᒡ Click here to hear this word maanich ᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word maaniyeyuuh
Remote ᐧᒫᓈ Click here to hear this word mwaanaa ᐧᒫᓀᒌ Click here to hear this word mwaanechii ᐧᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word mwaaneyeyuuh
ᒫᓈ Click here to hear this word maanaa ᒫᓀᒌ Click here to hear this word maanechii ᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word maaneyeyuuh
            ᐧᒫᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word mwaaneyuuh
            ᒫᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word maaneyuuh
  Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular plural
Proximal Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᐤ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᐅᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᐅᔫ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᐅᔫᐦ
mwaau mwaauyuuh mwaauyuu mwaauyuuh
Click here to hear this word ᒫᐤ Click here to hear this word ᒫᐅᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word ᒫᐅᔫ Click here to hear this word ᒫᐅᔫᐦ
maau maauyuuh maauyuu maauyuuh
    Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᐅᐦᐄ     Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ
    mwaauhii     mwaauyeyuuh
    Click here to hear this word ᒫᐅᐦᐄ     Click here to hear this word ᒫᐅᔦᔫᐦ
    maauhii     maauyeyuuh
Distal   ᐧᒫᓐ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓂᔫ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓂᔫᐦ
mwaan mwaaniyuuh mwaaniyuu mwaaniyuuh
Click here to hear this word ᒫᓐ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓂᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓂᔫ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓂᔫᐦ
maan maaniyuuh maaniyuu maaniyuuh
      ᐧᒫᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓂᔦᔫ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ
    mwaanihii mwaaniyeyuu mwaaniyeyuuh
    Click here to hear this word ᒫᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓂᔦᔫ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓂᔦᔫᐦ
    maanihii maaniyeyuu maaniyeyuuh
Remote Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀᔦᔫ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ
mwaane mwaaneyuuh mwaaneyeyuu mwaaneyeyuuh
Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀᔫᐦ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀᔦᔫ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀᔦᔫᐦ
maane maaneyuuh maaneyeyuu maaneyeyuuh
    Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀᔫ Click here to hear this word ᐧᒫᓀᔫᐦ
    mwaanehii mwaaneyuu mwaaneyuuh
    Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀᔫ Click here to hear this word ᒫᓀᔫᐦ
    maanehii maaneyuu maaneyuuh

Examples:

ᒫᐤ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word maau chimaschisin. Here is your shoe.
ᐧᒫᐤ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word mwaau chimaschisin.
ᒫᓐ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word maan chimaschisin. There is your shoe.
ᐧᒫᓐ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word mwaan chimaschisin.
ᒫᓀ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word maane chimaschisin. Way over there is your shoe.
ᐧᒫᓀ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ᙮ Click here to hear this word mwaane chimaschisin.
ᒸᓀᔫᐦ ᒋᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word mwaaneyuuh chimaschisinh. Way over there are your shoes.