Singing in Wyandot
To Sing: -as- (consonant stem conjugation)
ahaas He sang.
[ah-hah-as]
a- factual
-ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-as- verb root ‘to sing’ + punctual aspect
huatsih He is singing
[hoo-ah-tseeh]
hu- masculine singular patient ‘he’
-ats- verb root ‘to sing’
-ih stative aspect
haase He is going to sing.
[hah-ah-seh]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-as- verb root ‘to sing’
-e purposive aspect
ihaas He sings (often)
[ee-hah-ahs
i- partitive ‘such’
-ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-as verb root ‘to sing’ + habitual aspect
tsas sing (said to one person)
[tsahs]
ts- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you’
-as verb root ‘to sing’ + imperative aspect
tsias sing (said to a group of people)
[tsee-as]
tsi- imperative + 2nd person plural agent ‘you’
-as verb root ‘to sing’ + imperative aspect
The Noun Root -hręnd- ‘song, prayer’
yahręndaˀ song, prayer
[yah-ren-dah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular ‘it’
-hręnd- noun root ‘song, prayer’
-aˀ noun suffix
ahręndamęh It is my song, prayer.
[ah-ren-dah-menh]
a[1]– 1st person patient ‘my’
-hręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-a- noun suffix
-mę verb root, ‘to have, possess’
-h stative aspect.
uhręndamęh It is her song.
[ooh-ren-dah-menh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘her’
-hręnd- noun root ‘song, prayer’
-a- noun suffix
-mę- verb root, ‘to have, possess’
-h stative aspect
yahręndawahstih It is a beautiful, good song.
[yah-ren-dah-wahs-teeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-hręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-wahst- verb root, ‘to be beautiful, good’
-ih stative aspect
ayatręndut I am singing, my song is standing.
[ay-at-ren-doot]
ay- 1st person singular patient
-at- semi-reflexive voice
-ręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-ut verb root, ‘to stand, be standing’ + stative aspect
ahatręndutęˀ He has just sang, his song was just standing.
[ah-hah-tren-doo-ten-en]
a- factual
-h- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-at- semi-reflexive voice
-ręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-ut- verb root, ‘to stand, be standing’
-ęˀ punctual aspect
Praying
atręndaęˀ She is praying, placing her prayer.
[ah-tren-dah-en-en]
at- feminine-zoic singular agent + semi-reflexive voice
-ręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-a- noun suffix
-ę- verb root, ‘to put, place’
-ˀ punctual aspect
satręndaęˀ Pray, put, place your prayer (said to one person)
[sah-tren-dah-en-en]
s- imperative prefix + 2nd person singular agent ‘you’
-at- semi-reflexive voice
-ręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-a- noun suffix
–ę- verb root, ‘to put, place’
-ˀ imperative aspect
kyatręndaęˀ Let us (two) pray, put, place our prayers.
[kyah-tren-dah-en-en]
ky- imperative + 1st person inclusive dual agent ‘us two’
-at- semi-reflexive voice
-ręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-a- noun suffix
-ę- verb root, ‘to put, place’
-ˀ imperative aspect
kwatręndaęˀ Let us (plural) pray.
[kwah-tren-dah-en-en]
kw- imperative + 1st person inclusive plural agent ‘us’
-at- semi-reflexive voice
-ręnd- noun root, ‘song, prayer’
-a- noun suffix
-ę- verb root, ‘to put, place’
-ˀ imperative aspect
[1] Often with roots that begin with -r- the 1st person patient -aye- drops the -ye- and the 1st person agent -ye- drops the -e-. This is discussed in Potier’s grammar (Potier 1920:34)