Noun Stems ending with a consonant + w

Nouns ending with a soft or hidden -u (-w)

Some nouns have an -u that appears in some endings, instead of an -i. This is because their stem has a very soft -u which is not heard, nor written in the singular.

ᒨᔅ muus(w) (na) moose
3 ᒨᔅ Click here to hear this word muus
3p ᒨᓱᒡ Click here to hear this word muusuch
3′ / 3’p ᒨᔅᐦ Click here to hear this word muus-h
LOC ᒨᓱᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word muusuhch
DIM ᒨᔓᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word muushushish
POSS ᓂᒨᓱᒻ Click here to hear this word nimuusum
ᐊᑎᒻ atim(w) (na) dog
3 ᐊᑎᒻ Click here to hear this word atim
3p ᐊᑎᒧᒡ Click here to hear this word atimuch
3′ / 3’p ᐊᑎᒻᐦ Click here to hear this word atimh
LOC ᐊᑎᒧᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word atimuhch
DIM ᐊᑎᒧᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word atimushish

The possessive form of ᐊᑎᒻ atim uses another stem: ᐅᑖᒻᐦ utaamh (see word formation).

Nouns ending with -kw

These nouns have an -u that appears in the endings, instead of an -i. The -w of the stem ending -kw turns into a -u.

ᒥᔥᑎᒄ mishtikw (na) tree
3 ᒥᔥᑎᒄ Click here to hear this word mishtikw
3p ᒥᔥᑎᑯᒡ Click here to hear this word mishtikuch
3′ / 3’p ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐦ Click here to hear this word mishtikuh
LOC ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word mishtikuhch
DIM ᒥᔥᒋᑯᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word mishchikushish
POSS ᓂᒥᔥᑎᑯᒻ Click here to hear this word nimishtikum
ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᒄ miichisuunaahtikw (ni) table
0 ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᒄ Click here to hear this word miichisuunaahtikw
0p / 0’p ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐦ Click here to hear this word miichisuunaahtikuh
0′ ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᔫ Click here to hear this word miichisuunaahtikuyuu
LOC ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word miichisuunaahtikuhch
DIM ᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᔥ Click here to hear this word miichisuunaahtikush
POSS ᓂᒦᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᒄ Click here to hear this word nimiichisuunaahtikw
ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ utaapaanaaskw (na) sled
3 ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ Click here to hear this word utaapaanaaskw
3p ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᒡ Click here to hear this word utaapaanaaskuch
3′ / 3’p ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᐦ Click here to hear this word utaapaanaaskuh
LOC ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᐦᒡ Click here to hear this word utaapaanaaskuhch
DIM ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᑯᔑᔥ Click here to hear this word utaapaanaaskushish
POSS ᓅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ Click here to hear this word nuutaapaanaaskw

In the last example, ᓅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ nuutaapaanaaskw, the prefix undergoes some change. For more information, see stems starting with a vowel.