Difficult and Easy
Difficult -ˀndoron-
uˀndurǫˀ It is difficult.
[oo-oon-doo-ron-on]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient – it
-ˀnduron- verb root -be difficult-
-ˀ stative aspect
aˀwandurǫh It is difficult, tiring for me.
[ah-ah-wan-doo-ronh]
aˀw- factual
a- 1st person singular patient – me
-ndurǫ- verb root – be difficult
-h punctual aspect
teyandurǫˀ It is not difficult.
[teh-yan-doo-ron-on]
te- negative
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – it
-ndurǫ- verb root – be difficult
-ˀ stative aspect
This verb root also means ‘to be valuable.’ In a humorous part of the story Tawidiˀa And His Uncle (Barbeau 1915:224-33, 1960:40-4, 235-55). The uncle tells him to invite ”those who are valuable“, meaning the chiefs. As the nephew who misunderstands an uncle’s instructions, a stock comic figure in traditional Wyandot stories, he instead takes the most difficult path he can.
Easy -esa-
ukyesandi It becomes easy.
[oo-kyeh-san-dee]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient – it
-ky- semi-reflexive
-esa- verb root – be easy
-nd- inchoative root suffix
-i stative aspect
yakyesaˀs It is easy for me.
[yah-kyeh-sah-ahs]
y- 1st person singular agent – me
-aky- semi-reflexive
-esa- verb root – be easy
-ˀs habitual aspect
ehakyesahaˀ It will become easy for him.
[eh-hah-kyeh-sah-hah-ah]
e- future
-h- masculine singular agent- he
-aky- semi-reflexive
-esa- verb root – be easy
-ha- inchoative root suffix
-ˀ punctual aspect