{"id":5883,"date":"2011-11-01T10:31:41","date_gmt":"2011-11-01T14:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eastcree.org\/cree\/"},"modified":"2017-07-06T10:31:22","modified_gmt":"2017-07-06T14:31:22","slug":"word-structure","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.eastcree.org\/cree\/en\/grammar\/northern-dialect\/word-formation\/word-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"Word Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<\/a>The Structure of Cree Words<\/h1>\r\n

Initial, Medial, and Final<\/h3>\r\n
Observation<\/caption>\r\n
\u1516\u1433\u14c2\u146d\u14d0<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshaapunikin<\/td>\r\na needle for sewing<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1516\u1433\u148b\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshaapuchiu<\/td>\r\ns\/he is cold because the cold is coming through<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1516\u1433\u1431\u1528\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshaapupiyiu<\/td>\r\nit goes through it<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1516\u1427\u1439\u1525\u1456\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshaapwaashtaau<\/td>\r\nit shines through<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1516\u1427\u1439\u1431\u1426\u144e\u14bb<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshaapwaapihtim<\/td>\r\ns\/he sees through it, s\/he takes an x-ray of it<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

<\/a>
\r\nThe stems of these words have a meaning that includes the idea of through<\/em> and they have a common element \u1516\u1433<\/span> shaapu<\/span>. Most stems are made of smaller building blocks that can be recognized. An element like \u1516\u1433<\/span> shaapu<\/span> that is typically found at the beginning of the word, is called an initial<\/span>. Other elements can be found in other positions, like in the middle of the word stem, or at the end of it.<\/p>\r\n

<\/a>
\r\nAn element found in the middle position like -aapaach<\/span> string-like<\/span>, is called a medial<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n
\u140e\u1528\u1439\u1439\u148b\u14ef\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nwiipaapaachisiu<\/td>\r\nit (anim, string-like) is black<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14c3\u1426\u1456\u1439\u148b\u14c2\u14bb<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nniihtaapaachinim<\/td>\r\ns\/he lowers it using a rope<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u148b\u1505\u1431\u1473\u1439\u148b\u14ef\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nchispakaapaachisiu<\/td>\r\nit (anim, string-like) is thick<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

<\/a>
\r\nAn element found in the final position of the stem, before the inflection, like -n<\/span> by hand<\/span>, is called a final<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n
\u140b\u1525\u144e\u1419\u14c8\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\naashtiwaanaau<\/td>\r\ns\/he extinguishes, puts it (animate) out, by hand<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u148b\u14a5\u14c8\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nchiminaau<\/td>\r\ns\/he breaks off a piece of something (anim) by hand<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1439\u1426\u1473\u14c8\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\npaahkaanaau<\/td>\r\ns\/he bursts it (anim) with her\/his hand<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1511\u1513\u14c8\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshishunaau<\/td>\r\ns\/he rubs it on her\/him<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u1512\u1439\u14c8\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nshiipaanaau<\/td>\r\ns\/he pushes him\/her under by hand<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

<\/a>Stem, Derivation, and Composition<\/h3>\r\n

The process of assembling word stems can be done in three ways by: primary derivation, secondary derivation, and through composition.<\/p>\r\n

A stem formed by primary derivation<\/span>, called a primary stem, is made up of one or more elements that are not word stems themselves. For example, the verb \u1431\u14f1\u1438\u1528\u1424<\/span> pisupiyiu<\/span>, s\/he\/it goes slow<\/span> is made up of an initial pisu-<\/span> and a final piyi-<\/span> that are not words themselves.<\/p>\r\n
pisu<\/td>\r\npiyi<\/td>\r\nu<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
INITIAL<\/td>\r\nFINAL<\/td>\r\npersonal suffix<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
STEM<\/td>\r\nINFLECTION<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

A stem formed by secondary derivation<\/span>, called a secondary stem, is made up of an underlying word stem and at least another stem-building element. For example, the verb \u1431\u14f1\u1431\u1528\u1426\u1456\u1424<\/span> pisupiyihtaau<\/span> s\/he makes it go slow<\/span> is made up of the stem of the existing verb \u1431\u14f1\u1431\u1528\u1424<\/span> pisupiyiu<\/span> and the causative final -htaa<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n
pisu<\/td>\r\npiyi<\/td>\r\nhtaa<\/td>\r\nu<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
INITIAL<\/td>\r\nFINAL<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
INITIAL<\/td>\r\nFINAL<\/td>\r\npersonal suffix<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
STEM<\/td>\r\nINFLECTION<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

A stem formed through composition<\/span> contains independent elements, like two existing word stems, or a preform and another word stem. For example, the noun \u14a5\u1525\u144e\u146f\u14c8\u1439\u1424<\/span> mishtikunaapaau<\/span> carpenter<\/span> is made by conjoining two other noun stems: \u14a5\u1525\u144e\u1484<\/span> mishtikw<\/span> wood<\/span> and \u14c8\u1439\u1424<\/span> napaau<\/span> man<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n
\u14a5\u1525\u144e\u1484<\/td>\r\n+<\/td>\r\n\u14c8\u1439\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
mishtikw<\/td>\r\nnapaau<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
wood<\/td>\r\nman<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
STEM<\/td>\r\nSTEM<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14a5\u1525\u144e\u146f\u14c8\u1439\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
mishtikunaapaau<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
carpenter<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
STEM<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

The verb \u14a5\u152a\u148c\u1511\u1473\u1424<\/span> miyuchiishikaau<\/span> it is a nice day<\/span> is made by conjoining the preverb \u14a5\u152a<\/span> miyu<\/span> and the verb \u148c\u1511\u1473\u1424<\/span> chiishikaau<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n
\u14a5\u152a<\/td>\r\n+<\/td>\r\n\u148c\u1511\u1473\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
miyu<\/td>\r\nchiishikaau<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
good<\/td>\r\nit is day<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
PREVERB<\/td>\r\nVerb STEM<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
\u14a5\u152a\u148c\u1511\u1473\u1424<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
miyuchiishikaau<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
it is a nice day<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
STEM<\/td>\r\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
\r\n
<\/div>\r\n
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