Diminutive Aspect Suffix
The diminutive (dm) either indicates small size or of a relationship in which one is older than others, such as with one’s children, siblings, nephews and grandchildren, other relatives and pets. With rare exceptions, it only appears with the stative aspect.
Relationships
hǫteyę՚ąhą They (m) are siblings
[hon-teh-yen-an-han]
hǫ- masculine plural agent – they (m)
-te- semi-reflexive voice
-yę- verb root – to be siblings
-՚- stative aspect
-ąhą diminutive aspect suffix
tsiyęˀąhąˀ You two are siblings, your younger sibling.
[tsee-yen-en-an-han-an]
tsi- 2nd person dual agent – you two
-yę- verb root – to be siblings
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ąhąˀ diminutive aspect suffix
ežateyęˀąhą They two (m) are siblings (older and younger). [eh-zhah-teh-yen-en-an-han
e- partitive
-ž- masculine dual agent – they two (m)
-ate- semi-reflexive voice
-yę- verb root – to be siblings
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ąhą diminutive aspect suffix
šęˀąˀ You have her as child, your daughter.
[shen-en-an-an]
š- 2nd person agent + feminine-zoic singular patient – you – her
-ę- verb root – to have as child
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ąˀ diminutive aspect suffix
humęˀąh He has him as child, his son.
[hoo-men-en-anh]
hum- masculine singular agent + masculine singular patient – he – him
-ę- verb root – to have as child
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ąh diminutive aspect suffix
hamęmątęˀą He has him as nephew.
[hah-men-man-ten-en-an]
ham- masculine singular agent + masculine singular patient – he – him
-ęmątę- verb root – to be nephew to
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ą diminutive aspect suffix
sǫmąhšutaˀah He is our grandparent, our grandfather.
[son-mahn-shoo-ah-ah]
sǫm- masculine singular patient + 1st person plural patient – he – our
-ąhšut- verb root – to be grandparent to
-aˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
Possessions
yenęuˀah my little pot
[yen-nen-oo-oo-ah]
ye- 1st person singular agent – my
-nęu- verb root – to be a pot, kettle
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
hutuyęˀah It is his axe.
[hoo-too-yen-en-ah]
hu- masculine singular patient – his
-tuyḛ- verb root – to be an axe
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
husenęˀąh She is his domestic animal, pet.
[hoo-seh-nen-en-anh]
hu- feminine singular agent + masculine singular patient
-senę- verb root – to be a domestic animal to
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ąh diminutive aspect suffix
Younger Ones
yawiˀtsinǫhąˀ She is a little girl.
[yah-wee-ee-tsee-non-han-an]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – she
-wiˀtsinǫ verb root – to be a girl
-hą- stative aspect
-ˀ diminutive aspect suffix
hǫmęhtsęhtiˀah He is a little boy.
[hon-menh-tsenh-tee-ee-ah]
h- masculine singular agent – he
-ǫmęhtsęti- verb root – to be a boy
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
Small Size
With the verb root -a- -to be of a magnitude, quantity, size-
iwaˀžah It is a little.
[ee-wah-ah-zhah]
iw- partitive – such
-a- verb root – to be a quantity
-ˀž- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
atehimęndaˀžah They two (m) had few words.
[ah-teh-hee-men-dah-ah-zhah]
a- factual
-te- dualic
-hi- masculine dual agent – they two (m)
-męnd- noun root – word
-a- verb root – to be a quantity
-ˀ- stative aspect
-žah diminutive aspect suffix
hatindušražaˀ They (m) are the little turtle shells (Small or Striped Turtle clan)
[hah-teen-doo-shrah-zhah-ah]
hati- masculine plural agent – they (m)
-ndušr- noun root – shell
-a- verb root – to be a quantity
-ž- stative aspect
-aˀ diminutive aspect suffix
yanęwaˀžah a little piece of bone
[yah-nen-wah-ah-zhah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – it
-nęw- noun root – bone
-aˀ- verb root – to be a quantity
-ž- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
With Verbs – to be small
awahka A little (while), something little .
[ah-wah-kah]
awahk- feminine-zoic singular agent – it + verb root – to be small + stative aspect
-a- diminutive aspect suffix
uskęnyąˀšah. It is very small.
[oos-ken-yan-an-shah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient – it
-skęnyą՚- verb root – to be small
-š- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix