Past Aspect Suffix
The past aspect suffix puts the verb into deep time. There are three different basic forms that it takes: -nęh after the stative aspect; usually -kwa՚ after the habitual aspect, and -k after the purposive aspect.
With the Stative
awerinęh She had thought.
[ah-weh-ree-nenh]
aw- feminine-zoic singular patient – she
-er- verb root – to wish, think
-i- stative aspect
-nęh past aspect suffix
hutinęrǫkyǫˀnęh. They (m) went hunting (in the past).
[hoo-tee-nen-ron-kyon-on-nenh]
huti- masculine plural patient – they (m)
-nęrǫky- verb root – to go hunting
-ǫˀ- stative aspect
-nęh past aspect suffix
kęnęˀ When it was (in the past).
[ken-nen-en]
k- cislocative
-ę- verb root – to be + stative aspect
-nęˀ past aspect suffix
iyarihuhtęnęˀ It was a matter of such a nature (in the past).
[ee-yah-ree-hoo-ten-nen-en]
i- partitive – suc
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – it
-rih- noun root – matter
-uhtę- verb root – to be of such a nature + stative aspect
-nęˀ past aspect suffix
With the Habitual
yeˀetišakeˀskwaˀ I used to go look for a claw.
[yeh-eh-tee-shah-keh-eh-skwah-ah]
ye- 1st person singular agent – I
-ˀet- noun root – claw
-iša- verb root – to look, search for
-k- dislocative root suffix
-eˀs- habital aspect
-kwaˀ past aspect suffix
aˀnariskwaˀ It used to chew bones (wolf).
[ah-ah-nah-ree-skwah-ah]
a- feminine-zoic singular agent – it[1]
-՚n- noun root – bone(s)
-a- noun suffix
-ri- verb root – to chew
-s- habitual aspect
-kwaˀ past aspect suffix
yęhęˀ It used to be.
[yen-hen-en]
yę- feminine-zoic singular aspect – it + verb root – to be
-hę- habitual aspect
-ˀ past aspect suffix
heyehtak I used to go to such a place
[heh-yeh-tahk]
he- translocative – away
-y- 1st person singular agent – I
-e- verb root – to go
-ht- causative root suffix
-a- habitual aspect
-k[2] past aspect suffix
With the Purposive
uˀngyandihtandek She was taking a long time.
[oo-oon-gyan-deeh-tan-dehk]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient – she
-ˀngyandi- verb root – to be a long time
-ht- causative root suffix
-and- dislocative root suffix
-e purposive aspect
-k past aspect suffix
[1] Although the noun root for ‘bone’ belongs to the consonant conjugation, the initial -y- has been dropped.
[2] This is the form that the habitual and the past take with the causative root suffix.