Derived Verbs (Secondary)

Verbs of Being (“to be…”)

Observation
ᐅᐦᑖᐧᐄ + ᒫᐆ ᐅᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐆ
uhtaawii + maau + u = Click here to hear this word uhtaawiimaauu
he is a father he is a father

The verb ᐅᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐆ uhtaawiimaauu he is a father is derived by taking the noun ᐅᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐤ uhtaawiimaau a father and adding the verb suffix -u at the end to make a verb meaning he is a father

Verbs expressing kinship:

Noun “S/he Is…” “I Am…”
ᐅᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐤ ᐅᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐆ ᓅᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐅᓐ
Click here to hear this word uhtaawiimaau Click here to hear this word uhtaawiimaauu Click here to hear this word nuuhtaawiimaaun
a father he is a father I am a father
ᐅᑳᐧᐄᒫᐤ ᐅᑳᐧᐄᒫᐆ ᓅᑳᐧᐄᒫᐅᓐ
Click here to hear this word ukaawiimaau Click here to hear this word ukaawiimaauu Click here to hear this word nuukaawiimaaun
a mother she is a mother I am a mother
ᐅᔅᑌᓯᒫᐤ ᐅᔅᑌᓯᒫᐆ ᓅᔅᑌᓯᒫᐅᓐ
Click here to hear this word ustesimaau Click here to hear this word ustesimaauu Click here to hear this word nuustesimaaun
an older brother he is an older brother I am an older brother
ᐅᐦᑯᒥᒫᐤ ᐅᐦᑯᒥᒫᐆ ᓅᐦᑯᒥᒫᐅᓐ
Click here to hear this word uhkumimaau Click here to hear this word uhkumimaauu Click here to hear this word nuuhkumimaaun
a grandmother she is a grandmother I am a grandmother
ᐅᒧᔓᒥᒫᐤ ᐅᒧᔓᒥᒫᐆ ᓅᒧᔓᒥᒫᐅᓐ
Click here to hear this word umushumimaau Click here to hear this word umushumimaauu Click here to hear this word nuumushumimaaun
a grandfather he is a grandfather I am a grandfather

 

For the second person personal prefix of possessed forms, the variant kuu- is used, not chu-.

ᑰᐦᑖᐧᐄᒫᐅᓐ ᐋ Click here to hear this word kuuhtaawiimaaun aa? Are you a father?

Other verbs:

Noun Verb “S/he is…” Verb “I am…”
ᓈᐯᐤ ᓈᐯᐆ ᓂᓈᐯᐅᓐ
Click here to hear this word naapeu Click here to hear this word naapeuu Click here to hear this word ninaapeun
a man he is a man I am a man
ᐊᐧᐋᔥ ᐊᐧᐋᔑᔫ ᓂᑕᐧᐋᐦᐃᔪᓐ
Click here to hear this word awaash Click here to hear this word awaashiyuu Click here to hear this word nitaawaashiyun
child s/he is young I am young

 

Often these forms are used by children when playing pretend games.

Noun Verb “S/he is…” Verb “I am…”
ᐊᑎᒽ ᐊᑎᒨ ᓂᑕᑎᒧᓐ
Click here to hear this word atimw Click here to hear this word atimuu Click here to hear this word nitatimun
dog s/he is a dog I’m a dog
ᐅᑖᐹᓐ ᐅᑖᐹᓅ ᓅᑖᐹᓄᓐ
Click here to hear this word utaapaan Click here to hear this word utaapaanuu Click here to hear this word nuutaapaanun
car s/he is a car I’m car

ᐅᑖᐹᓅ utaapaanuu also means (more commonly) s/he has a car. But this verb is not a I have a car.