Identification Pronouns

Observation
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐤ ᐋ ᓂᑳᐧᐄ᙮ Click here to hear this word chiki chii aau aa nikaawii. Could that be my mother?

The pronoun ᐋᐤ aau behaves like a verb in that it can be preceded by preverbs of modality and tense. On the other hand , it cannot be inflected for first and second person. In the data collected so far, it is always followed by the yes/no question marker aa. The pronoun aau is used in a dubitative sense, when you wonder about the identity of a person or object, but does not carry dubitative inflection.

Proximate Obviative
singular plural singular plural
Animate ᐋᐤ Click here to hear this word aau ᐋᐅᐧᐃᒡ Click here to hear this word aauwich ᐋᐅᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word aauyiuh ᐋᐅᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word aauyiuh
Inanimate ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓐ Click here to hear this word aauwin ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓐᐦ Click here to hear this word aauwinh ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤ Click here to hear this word aauwiniyiu ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤᐦ Click here to hear this word aauwiniyiuh

Examples:

ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᔨᐤᐦ ᐋ ᐅᑳᐧᐄᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word Chiki chii aauyiuh aa ukaawiih. Could that be her/his mother?
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᐧᐃᒡ ᐋ ᓂᑎᐧᐋᔑᔒᒥᒡ᙮ Click here to hear this word Chiki chii aauwich aa nitiwaashishiimich. Could those be my children?
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓐᐦ ᐋ ᓂᒑᐧᑳᓂᒻᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word Chiki chii aauwinh aa nichaakwaanimh. Could those be my things?
ᒋᑭ ᒌ ᐋᐅᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤᐦ ᐋ ᐅᒑᐧᑳᓂᒻᐦ᙮ Click here to hear this word Chiki chii aauwiniyiuh aa uchaakwaanimh. Could that be her/his things?