Be Friends -atęru-
There is no noun root meaning ‘friend’ or verb root that means ‘be a friend’. Instead, the verb root -atęru- means ‘be friends. It always takes a dual or a plural form.
ǫnyatęruʼ We two are friends.
[on-yah-ten-roo-oo]
ǫy- 1st person dual patient – we two
-atęru- verb root – be friends
-ˀ stative aspect
If you say ‘kweh ǫnyatęruʼ it is the Wyandot equivalent of ‘hello, my friend.’
ǫmatęruʼ We (p) are friends, my friends.
[on-mah-ten-roo-oo]
ǫm- 1st person plural patient – we (more than two)
-atęru- verb root – be friends
-ˀ stative aspect
You can say Kweh ǫmatęruʼ. to greet a group of people (like Chief does at meetings), which is the Wyandot equivalent of ‘hello, my friends.’
tundatęruh They (two) are friends.
[t-hoon-dah-ten-rooh]
-t- dualic
-und- masculine dual patient – they (two)
-atęru- verb root – be friends
-h stative aspect
ąˀǫnyatęruhstaˀ We two have become friends.
[ah-ah-on-yah-ten-rooh-stah-ah]
ąˀ- factual
-ǫny- 1st person dual patient – we two
-atęru- verb root – be friends
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix
-aˀ punctual aspect
ahundatęruhstaˀ They (m) became friends.
[ah-hoon-dah-teh-rooh-stah-ah
a- factual
-hund- masculine plural patient – they (m)
-atęru- verb root – be friends
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix
-aˀ punctual aspect