Money Matters in Wyandot
Money: -wihst-,
The Wyandot word for ‘money’ is the noun root -wihst-. It had as its pre-contact meaning ‘fish scales, the skin of flint or hard corn.’ It came to meant ‘metal’ and ‘clock’ as well.
yawihstaˀ money
[yah-weeh-stah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-wihst- noun root ‘metal, money’
-aˀ noun suffix
Tuh iwa yawihstaˀ How much money is it? How much does it cost?
[tooh]
iwa It is a quantity.
[ee-wah]
iw- partitive ‘such’ + feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-a verb root ‘to be a quantity’ + stative aspect
kwižuh sakwihstamęh Do you have any money?
kwižuh yes-no question word
[kwee-zhooh]
sakwihstamęh You have money
[sah-kweeh-stah-menh]
s- 2nd person singular patient ‘you’
-ak- semireflexive voice
-wihst- noun root ‘metal, money’
-a- noun suffix
-mę- verb root ‘to have’
-h stative aspect
hęh ayakwihstamęh Yes, I have some money.
[henh]
ayakwihstamęh I have money.
[ah-yah-kweeh-stah-menh]
ay- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-ak- semireflexive voice
-wihst- noun root ‘money’
-a- noun suffix
-mę- verb root ‘to have’
-h stative aspect
tąˀą teˀayakwihstaęˀ No, I don’t have any money.
[tan-an]
teˀayakwihstamęh I don’t have any money, I don’t have the money.
[the-eh-ah-yah-kweeh-stah-menh]
teˀ- negative ‘not’
ay- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-ak- semireflexive voice
–wihst- noun root ‘money’
-a- noun suffix
–mę- verb root ‘to have’
-h stative aspect
dollar (fur, pelt): -ndew-
Tuh iyandewayeh? How many dollars are there?
(How much does it cost in dollars?)
iyandewayeh It is such a number of furs, pelts, dollars.
[ee-yan-deh-wah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-ndew- noun root ‘fur, pelt, dollar’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Tuh isandewamęh How many dollars do you have?
isandewamęh You have dollars.
[ee-san-deh-wah-menh]
i- partitive ‘such’
sa- 2nd person singular patient ‘you’
-ndew- noun root ‘fur, pelt, dollar’
-a- noun suffix
-mę– verb root ‘to have’
-h stative aspect
One dollar skandewat
[skan-deh-what]
s- repetitive
-ka- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-ndew- noun root ‘fur, pelt, dollar’
-a- noun suffix
-t- verb root ‘to be one’ + stative aspect
Two dollars tęndih teyandewayeh
[ten-deeh] They two are two.
te- dualic
-nd- feminine-zoic dual agent ‘they two’ -i- verb root ‘to be two’
-h stative aspect
[teh-yan-deh-wah-yeh] It is two dollars.
te- dualic
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
ndew- noun root ‘fur, pelt, dollar’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Three dollars ahšęhk iyandewayeh
[ah-shenhk]
[ee-yan-deh-wah-yeh] It is such a number of dollars.
i- partitive ‘such’
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
–ndew- noun root ‘fur, pelt, dollar’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Twenty dollars tęndih tewahsęh iyandewayeh
[teh-wah-senh] It is two tens.
tew- dualic
-ahsę- feminine-zoic singular agent + verb root ‘to be ten’
-h stative aspect
Twenty-one dollars tęndih tewahsęh skat iskare iyandewayeh.
[ee-skah-reh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-s- repetitive
-ka- feminine-zoic singular agent
-re verb root ‘to be added to ten’ + stative aspect
Penny: -kwęndi[1]–
yakwęndišraˀ penny
[yah-kwen-dee-shrah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-kwęndi- ‘penny’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
skakwęndišrat It is one penny, one cent.
[skah-kwen-dee-shrat]
s- repetitive
-ka- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
–kwęndi- ‘penny’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-t verb root ‘to be one’ + stative aspect
tęndih kakwęndišrayeh Two cents
kakwęndišrayeh two cents
[kah-kwen-dee-shrah-yeh]
k- dualic
-a- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
–kwęndi- ‘penny’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
wihš yakwęndišrayeh Five cents
[weehsh] [yah-kwen-dee-shrah-yeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
–kwęndi- ‘penny’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
skandewat tundih wihš yakwęndišrayeh One dollar and five cents
[toon-deeh] ‘and’
[weehsh] ‘four’
tęndih tewahsęh iskare wihš yakwęndišrayeh twenty five cents
The High Price of Tens
uhsęhšruwanęh It is a large ten, amount, price.
[ooh-senh-shroo-wah-nenh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-hsę- verb root ‘to be 10’
-hšr- nominalizer
-uwanę– verb root ‘to be large, great’
-h stative aspect
teˀuhsęhšruwanęh It is not a large ten, amount, price.
[teh-eh-ooh-senh-shroo-wah-nenh]
teˀ negative
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-hsę- verb root ‘to be 10’
-hšr- nominalizer
-uwanę– verb root ‘to be large, great’
-h stative aspect
Buy Sell and Trade
Buy -atęndinǫ– (semireflexive + verb root)
aˀyatęndinǫh I bought it.
[ah-ah-yah-ten-dee-nonh]
aˀ- factual
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-h punctual aspect
yatęndinǫhs I buy it (often)
[yah-ten-dee-nonhs]
y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hs habitual aspect
yatewastandinǫhs I often buy meat.
[yah-the-wah-stan-dee-nonhs]
y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-wast- noun root ‘meat’
-a- noun suffix
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hs habitual aspect
Kwižuh eˀšatęndinǫh Will you buy it?
eˀšatęndinǫh You will buy it.
[eh-eh-shah-ten-dee-nonh]
eˀ- future
-š- 2nd person singular patient ‘you’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-h punctual aspect
ąˀą teˀyatęndinǫh No, I will not buy it.
teˀyatęndinǫh I will not buy it.
[teh-eh-yah-ten-dee-nonh]
teˀ- negative + future
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-atę- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-h punctual aspect
Sell: -atęndinǫhst– (semireflexive + verb root + causative-instrumental)
ayatęndinǫhstih I am selling it
[ah-yah-ten-deen-onh-steeh]
-ay- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix
-ih stative aspect
ayatewastandinǫhstih I am selling meat.
[ah-yah-teh-wah-stan-dee-nonh-steeh]
ay- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
ate- semireflexive voice
-wast- noun root ‘meat’
-a- noun suffix
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix
-ih stative aspect
yatęndinǫhsta I sell it (often)
[yah-ten-dee-non-hstah]
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix
-a habitual aspect
Kwižuh satęndinǫhstih Are you selling it?
satęndinǫhstih You are selling it.
[sah-ten-dee-nonh-steeh]
s- 2nd person singular patient ‘you’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix
-ih stative aspect
Kwižuh ahšatęndinǫhst Did you sell it?
ahšatęndinǫhst You sold it.
[ah-shah-ten-dee-nonhst
a- factual
-hš- 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix + punctual aspect
Hęh aˀyatęndinǫhst Yes, I sold it.
[henh]
aˀyatęndinǫhst I sold it.
[ah-ah-yah-ten-dee-nonhst]
aˀ- factual
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-ate- semireflexive voice
-ndinǫ– verb root ‘to desire’
-hst- causative-instrumental root suffix + punctual aspect
to trade: -atat- + -wi-/-ǫ
tehšataˀtǫh You will give to each other, trade.
[teh-shah-tah-ah-tonh]
te- dualic + future
-hš- 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-atat- reflexive voice
-ǫh verb root ‘to give’ + punctual aspect
aˀkatatawiheˀ I am going to trade
[ah-ah-kahtah-tah-wee-heh-eh]
aˀ- factual
-k- dualic + 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-atata- reflexive voice
-wi- verb root ‘to give’
-h- dislocative root suffix
-eˀ purposive aspect
tekyatatǫh We two (inclusive) will trade with each other.
[teh-kyah-tah-tonh]
te- dualic + future
-ky- 1st person inclusive dual agent ‘we two (in)‘
-atat- reflexive voice
-ǫh verb root ‘to give’ + punctual aspect
tehutatawih He is trading.
[teh-hoo-tah-tah-weeh]
te- dualic
-hu- masculine singular patient ‘he’
-tat- reflexive voice
-wi- verb root ‘to give’
-h stative aspect
[1] This is based on the Cayuga and Tuscarora words for ‘penny’ made from borrowing the English word and changing the -p- to -kw-.