Demonstrative Pronouns

Observation
ᓂᐧᐋᐱᒫᐤ ᓈᐹᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word niwaapimaau uu naapaau. I see this man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐱᒫᐤ ᐊᓐ ᓈᐹᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word niwaapimaau an naapaau. I see that man.
ᓂᐧᐋᐱᒫᐤ ᓈᐦ ᓈᐹᐤ᙮ Click here to hear this word niwaapimaau naah naapaau. 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  naa or ᓈᐦ naah 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 ᒫᓈ maanaa set. This set is used with a gesture, pointing or handing something for the proximal pronouns and pointing for the distal and remote pronouns.

Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular or plural
Proximal Click here to hear this word uu ᐅᒌ Click here to hear this word uchii ᐅᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word uyaah
      ᐅᒋ Click here to hear this word uchi ᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word uyaayiuh
Distal ᐊᓐ Click here to hear this word an ᐊᓂᒌ Click here to hear this word anichii ᐊᓂᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyaah
      ᐊᓂᒋ Click here to hear this word anichi ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyaayiuh
Remote ᓈᐦ Click here to hear this word naah ᓈᒌ Click here to hear this word naachii ᓈᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word naayaah
      ᓈᒋ Click here to hear this word naachi ᓈᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word naayaayiuh
Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set One
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular plural
Proximal Click here to hear this word uu ᐅᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word uyaah ᐅᔮ Click here to hear this word uyaa ᐅᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word uyaah
      ᐅᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word uhii ᐅᔮᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word uyaayiu ᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word uyaayiuh
Distal ᐊᓐ Click here to hear this word an ᐊᓂᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyaah ᐊᓂᔮ Click here to hear this word aniyaa ᐊᓂᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyaah
      ᐊᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word anihii ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word aniyaayiu ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word aniyaayiuh
Remote Click here to hear this word naa ᓈᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word naayaah ᓈᔮ Click here to hear this word naayaa ᓈᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word naayaah
      ᓈᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word naahii            

Examples:

ᐧᐋᐱᔓᐤ ᐅᔮᐦ ᓈᐹᐤᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word waapimaau uyaah naapaauh. S/he sees this man.
ᐧᐋᐱᔓᐤ ᐊᓂᔮᐦ ᓈᐹᐤᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word waapimaau aniyaah naapaauh. S/he sees that man.
ᐧᐋᐱᔓᐤ ᓈᔮᐦ ᓈᐹᐤᐦ᙮   waapimaau naayah naapaauh. 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 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  ᓈᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word Louise naah. That yonder is Louise.
Animate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular or plural
Proximal ᒫᐤ Click here to hear this word maau ᒫᐅᒌ Click here to hear this word maauchii ᒫᐅᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word maauyaah
      ᒫᐅᒋ Click here to hear this word maauchi ᒫᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word maauyaayiuh
Distal ᒫᓐ Click here to hear this word maan ᒫᓂᒌ Click here to hear this word maanichii ᒫᓂᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word maaniyaah
      ᒫᓂᒋ Click here to hear this word maanichi ᒫᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word maaniyaayiuh
Remote ᒫᓈ Click here to hear this word maanaa ᔓᓈᒌ Click here to hear this word maanaachii ᒫᓈᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word maanaayaah
            ᒫᓈᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word maanaayaayiuh
Inanimate Demonstrative Pronouns – Set Two
  Proximate Obviative
  singular plural singular plural
Proximal ᒫᐤ Click here to hear this word maau ᒫᐅᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word maauhii ᒫᐅᔮ Click here to hear this word maauyaa ᒫᐅᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word maauyaah
            ᔓᐅᔮᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word maauyaayiu ᒫᐅᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word maauyaayiuh
Distal ᒫᓐ Click here to hear this word maan ᒫᓂᐦᐄ Click here to hear this word maanihii ᒫᓂᔮ Click here to hear this word maaniyaa ᒫᓂᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word maaniyaah
            ᒫᓂᔮᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word maaniyaayiu ᒫᓂᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word maaniyaayiuh
Remote ᒫᓈ Click here to hear this word maanaa ᒫᓈᐦᐄ   maanaahii ᒫᓈᔮ Click here to hear this word maanaayaa ᒫᓈᔮᐦ Click here to hear this word maanaayaah
            ᒫᓈᔮᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word maanaayaayiu ᒫᓈᔮᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word maanaayaayiuh

Examples:

ᒫᐅᐦᐄ ᒋᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word maauhii chimischisinh. Here are your shoes.
ᒫᓂᐦᐄ ᒋᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word maanihii chimischisinh. There are your shoes.
ᒫᓈᐦᐄ ᒋᒥᔅᒋᓯᓐᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word maanaahii chimischisinh. Way over there are your shoes.