History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan Part 7

O-me-shaw-way-e-maw; Uncle. O-nou-shay-e-maw; Aunt.

We-taw-wis-see-maw; Male cousin. We-ne-mo-shay-e-maw; Fem. cous.

Diminutive nouns take the same modifications as the nouns from which they are derived.

Verbs and adjectives are modified to agree with the animate or inanimate nouns to which they belong, as will be ill.u.s.trated hereafter.

p.r.o.nOUNS.

Personal p.r.o.nouns have no distinction of gender in the third person singular. A peculiarity of this language is the two forms for the first person plural. These two forms for p.r.o.nouns, and for verbs in all moods and tenses, are like each other except in the first syllable. In one form the first syllable is always "Ke," and in the other "Ne." The form commencing with Ke is used only when speaking to one person, and that commencing with Ne, which might be called the multiple form, is used whenever more than one person is addressed, even though no word may appear in the sentence indicating how many. This is an idiosyncracy which perhaps would never have been developed, certainly would not be perpetuated, in any except an unwritten language. It is of no effect except in a language always colloquial. The multiple form will be given in this grammar as the first person plural, and, whether indicated or not, the other may be understood as being the same with the change of the first syllable from Ne to Ke.

PERSONAL p.r.o.nOUNS.

Sing. Pl.

1st. p.--Neen or nin, I, ( Ne-naw-wind, (mult.), We.

( Ke-naw-wind,) We.

2d p.--Keen or kin, Thou or you, Ke-naw-waw, You.

3d p.--Ween or win, He or she, We-naw-waw, They.

When these personal p.r.o.nouns are connected with other words, or when they become subjects or objects of verbs, the first syllable only is used, or p.r.o.nounced. In the third person of verbs the p.r.o.noun is entirely omitted.

Sing. Pl.

Ne wob, I see, Ne wob-me, We see.

Ke wob, You see, Ke wob-em, You see.

Wo-be, He or she sees, Wo-be-wog, They see.

The whole p.r.o.noun is sometimes used when the emphatic or intensive form is desired, as,

Sing.--Neen-ne wob, I myself see.

Keen-ke wob, You yourself see.

Ween wo-be, He himself, or she herself sees.

Pl.--Ne-naw-wind ne-wob-me, We ourselves see.

Ke-naw-waw ke-wob-em, You yourself see.

We-naw-waw wo-be-wog, They themselves see.

POSSESSIVE p.r.o.nOUNS..

Ne-daw-yo-em, Mine, Ne-daw-yo-em-e-naw, Ours.

Ke-daw-yo-em, Thine, Ke-daw-yo-em-e-waw, Yours.

O-daw-yo-em, His or hers, O-daw-yo-em-e-waw, Theirs.

Emphatic form--nin ne-daw-yo-em, etc., throughout all the different persons. When these possessive p.r.o.nouns are used with nouns, nearly all the syllables are omitted, except the first, which is added to the noun in the plural; as--

Sing. Pl.

Ne we-ok-won, My hat, Ne we-ok-won-e-naw, Our hat.

Ke we-ok-won, Your hat, Ke we-ok-won-e-waw, Your hat.

O we ok-won, His hat, O we-ok-won-e-waw, Their hat.

The emphatic form, "my own hat," is made by prefixing the personal p.r.o.nouns, as--

Sing. Pl.

Neen ne we-ok-won, Ne-naw-wind ne we-ok-won-e-naw, Keen ke we-ok-won, Ke-naw-waw ke we-ok-won-e-waw, Ween o we-ok-won, We-naw-waw o we-ok-won-e-waw.

THE IMPERSONAL p.r.o.nOUN.

The impersonal p.r.o.noun "maw-got," plural "maw-got-on," may be represented by the English impersonal or neuter p.r.o.noun It, but it has a wider significance. The inanimate subject of a verb is also represented by maw-got or maw-got-on. Wa-po-tchin-ga maw-got, or wa-po- tchin-ga-sa maw-got, it strikes; plural, wa-po-tchin-ga maw-got-on, or wa-po-tchin-ga-sa maw-got-on, they strike.

Au-no-ke maw-got, It works. Pe-me-say maw-got, It walks.

Ne-bo-we maw-got, It stands. Wo-be maw-got, It sees.

Pe-me-baw-to maw-got, It runs.

Au-nish, interrogative p.r.o.noun what; au-naw-tchi, relative p.r.o.noun what; e-we, relative p.r.o.noun that.

ADJECTIVES.

Adjectives take two forms, to agree with the animate or inanimate nouns to which they belong.

Comparison of adjectives is made by other words: O-ne-zhe-she (inanimate o-ne-zhe-shin), good; Maw-maw-me (or ne-go-ne) o-ne-zhe (or -shin), better; Au-pe-tchi o-ne-zhe-she (or -shin), best. A fourth degree is sometimes used: Maw-mo-me o-ne-zhe-she (or -shin), very best.

The words "Me-no" and "Maw-tchi" or "Mau-tchi," do not change when used with other words, and they are the most common adjectives in the Ottawa and Chippewa languages; they are used as adverbs, as well as adjectives.

"Me-no," is equivalent to good, right, and well; and "Man-tchi," is equivalent to bad, wicked, evil; as Me-no au-ne-ne, good man; Me-no au- quay, good woman; Me-no au-way-sin, good animal; Me-no au-ky, good land; Me-no waw-bo-yon, good blanket; Me-no e-zhe-wa-be-sy, good behavior, or kind; Me-no au-no-ky, he works well, or doing good business; Me-no pe-maw-de-sy, he is well; Me-no au-yaw, he is getting well, or convalescent from sickness; Me-no au-no-kaw-so-win, good utensil, or handy instrument; Me-no wau-gaw-quat, good ax; Me-no ke- zhi-gut, good day, or pleasant weather; Me-no au-no-kaw-tchi-gon, good goods, or nice goods; Me-no e-zhe-wa-be-sy, he or she is kind or good; Me-no maw-tchaw maw-got, it goes well, etc.

The word "Mau-tchi" is equally useful; as, Mau-tchi an-ne-ne, bad man; Mau-tchi au-quay, bad woman; Mau-tchi e-zhe-wa-be-sy, bad behavior, or wicked person; Mau-tchi mau-ne-to, evil spirit, or the devil; Mau-tchi ke-ge-to, wicked language, or profanity; Mau-tchi wau-gaw-quat, bad ax; Mau-tchi ke-zhwa, vulgar speaker; Man-tchi no-din, bad wind; Mau-tchi au-naw-quot, bad cloud; Mau-tchi ke-zhe-got, bad day, or rough weather; Mau-tchi wig-wom, bad house, or wicked house; Mau-tchi au-no-ke-win, bad business, etc.

Another adjective equally comprehensive is Kwaw-notch: Kwaw-notch au- ne-ne, well-behaved man; Kwaw-notch au-quay, pretty woman; Kwaw-notch au-no-ke-win, good business; Kwaw-notch au-no-kaw-tchi-gon, nice goods; Kwaw-notchi-won, pretty or nice (inanimate); Kwaw-notchi-we, pretty (animate); Au-pe-tchi kwaw-notchi-we au-quay, very pretty woman.

The following ill.u.s.trate the changes of form in adjectives for animate and inanimate:

Animate. Inanimate.

Me-no-e-zhe-wa-be-sy, Me-no-e-zhe-wa-bawt, Kind, mild.

Ke-no-sy, Ke-nwa, Long, tall.

Ke-zhe-we-sy, Ke-zhe-waw, Hard.

Mush-kaw-we-sy, Mush-kaw-waw, Strong.

Ke-zhe-kaw, or ke-zhe-be-so, Ke-zhe-be-ta, Swift, fleet.

Ko-se-gwan-ny, Ko-se-gwan, Heavy.

Maw-tchi-e-zhe-wa-be-sy, Maw-tchi-e-zhe-wa-bot, Bad.

Ma-tchaw-yaw-au-wish, Ma-tchaw-yaw-e-wish, Wicked.

We-saw-ge-sy, We-saw-gun, Bitter.