Body – the Noun Root
The most often used noun root in the Wyandot language is -a՚t- ‘body.’ It makes reference to there being a human or other animal involved. It is almost always incorporated into a verb.
skaaˀtat It is one body, she is one body, one person.
[skah-ah-tat]
s- repetitive prefix
ka- feminine-zoic singular agent[1] – she
-aˀt- noun root, ‘body’
-a noun suffix
-t- verb root, ‘to be one’ + stative aspect
yaaˀtaseh Her body is new (Snake Clan[2] female name).
[yah-ah-tah-seh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – she
-aˀt- noun root, ‘body’
-ase- verb root, ‘to be new’
-h stative aspect
ihaaˀtetsih He is tall.
[ee-hah-ah-teh-tseeh]
i- partitive – such
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-aˀt- noun root ‘body’
-ets- verb root ‘to be long, tall’
-ih stative aspect
iyaaˀtawaka She is short.
[ee-yah-ah-tah-wah-kah]
i- partitive – such
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-aˀt– noun root ‘body’
-awak- verb root ‘to be short’
-a stative aspect
ayaˀtarahaˀ She fell on it.
[ah-yah-ah-tah-rah-hah-ah]
a- factual
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – she
-aˀt- noun root – body
-a- noun suffix
-ra- verb root – to fall on-
-ha- inchoative root suffix
-ˀ punctual aspect
ahažaˀturęhąˀ He would find me.
[ah-hah-zhah-ah-too-ren-han-an]
a- optative
-haž- masculine singular agent + 1st person singular patient – he – me
-aˀt- noun root – body
-ure- verb root – to find
-hą- inchoative root suffix
-ˀ punctual aspect
šaˀkwahstih You are beautiful.
[shah-ah-kwah-steeh]
š- 2nd person singular agent – you
-aˀk[3]– noun root – body
-wahst- verb root – to be good, beautiful
-ih stative aspect
[1] When an -s- and a -y- come together like this, the -y- becomes a -k-.
[2] In the Snake clan’s story of origin, the first Snake clan woman’s body changes into that of a snake.
[3] Although this looks like the semi-reflexive voice is used here, it is the noun root for body. The -w- turns the -t- into a -k-