{"id":105,"date":"2009-12-08T11:24:42","date_gmt":"2009-12-08T16:24:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wp\/?page_id=104"},"modified":"2017-07-25T12:02:53","modified_gmt":"2017-07-25T16:02:53","slug":"inflections-gender","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.eastcree.org\/cree\/en\/grammar\/northern-dialect\/nouns\/inflections-gender\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender Inflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<\/a>Nouns Inflected for Gender<\/strong><\/h1>\r\n
Observation<\/caption>\r\n
\u14c2\u1427\u140b\u1431\u14ab\u1427\u1403\u14a1 \u140a\u14c2\u148c \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1511\u14a1\u166e<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nniwaapimaawich anichii awaashishich.<\/td>\r\nI see those children.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14c2\u1427\u140b\u1431\u1426\u1456\u14d0 \u140a\u14c2\u1426\u1404 \u14a5\u1505\u148b\u14d0\u1426\u166e<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nniwaapihtaan anihii mischinh.<\/td>\r\nI see those shoes.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

In the examples above, \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1511\u14a1<\/span> awaashishich<\/span> ‘children’ and \u14a5\u1505\u148b\u14d0\u1426<\/span> mischinh<\/span> ‘shoes’ do not have the same plural<\/a> endings: -ich<\/strong><\/span> and -h<\/strong><\/span>. Notice also that different verb forms are used.<\/p>\r\n

Nouns in East Cree fall into two classes: ANIMATE (children) and INANIMATE (shoe).<\/p>\r\n
Noun Animate (na)<\/span><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1439\u1528\u1484 \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1525<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\npaayikw awaashish<\/td>\r\none child<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14c3\u1513 \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1511\u14a1<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nniishu awaashishich<\/strong><\/td>\r\ntwo children<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
Noun Inanimate (ni)<\/span><\/th>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1439\u1528\u1484 \u14a5\u1505\u148b\u14d0<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\npaayikw mischin<\/td>\r\none shoe<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14c3\u1513 \u14a5\u1505\u148b\u14d0\u1426<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nniishu mischinh<\/strong><\/td>\r\ntwo shoes<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

The plural ending -ich<\/strong><\/span> is used with the animate stem \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1525<\/span> awaashish<\/span> and the plural ending -h<\/strong><\/span> is used with the inanimate stem mischin<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n

Animate nouns are used for humans, animals, and in general all living creatures, including trees and some plants. Also included are some personal belongings such as pants and sleds. (animate)<\/p>\r\n
\u1431\u1528\u148c\u1505<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\npiyichiis<\/td>\r\npair of pants<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1431\u1528\u148c\u14ef\u14a1<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\npiyichiisich<\/td>\r\npair(s) of pants<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14a5\u1525\u144e\u1484<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nmishtikw<\/td>\r\ntree<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14a5\u1525\u144e\u146f\u14a1<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nmishtikuch<\/td>\r\ntree(s)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1405\u1456\u1439\u14c8\u1505\u1484<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nutaapaanaaskw<\/td>\r\nsled<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1405\u1456\u1439\u14c8\u1505\u146f\u14a1<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nutaapaanaaskuch<\/td>\r\nsled(s)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

However, unless you are a fluent speaker, you can never know for sure if something is going to be animate or inanimate in the language. This is why we say that GENDER is a grammatical distinction. It is a distinction made in the language, not necessarily always in the outside world.<\/p>\r\n

Animate and inanimate nouns are used with different verbs:<\/p>\r\n
\u14c2\u1427\u140b\u1431\u14ab\u1424 \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1525<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nniwaapimaau awaashish<\/td>\r\n(animate)<\/td>\r\nI see a child<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14c2\u1427\u140b\u1431\u1426\u1456\u14d0 \u14a5\u1505\u148b\u14d0<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nniwaapihtaan mischin<\/td>\r\n(inanimate)<\/td>\r\nI see a shoe<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

Animate and inanimate nouns also have their own sets of demonstrative pronouns<\/a>:<\/p>\r\n
\u140a\u14c2\u148c \u140a\u1427\u140b\u1511\u1511\u14a1<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nanichii awaashishich<\/td>\r\n(animate plural)<\/td>\r\nthose children<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u140a\u14c2\u1426\u1404 \u14a5\u1505\u148b\u14d0\u1426<\/td>\r\n\"Click<\/td>\r\nanihii mischinh<\/td>\r\n(inanimate plural)<\/td>\r\nthose shoes<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
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