Age and Gender in Wyandot
Baby, Infant: -kęˀny- (to be smaller, younger)
hakęˀnyaˀah He is a baby, infant.
[hah-ken-en-yah-ah]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-kęˀny- verb root ‘to be smaller, younger’
-aˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
yakęˀnyaˀah She is a baby, infant.
[yah-ken-en-yah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic single agent ‘she’
-kęˀny- verb root ‘to be smaller, younger’
-aˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
huhkęnyeˀ He is the smaller, younger (of two siblings)
[hooh-ken-yeh-eh].
hu- masculine singular patient ‘he’
-hkęnye- verb root ‘to be small’
-ˀ stative aspect
uhkęnyeˀ She is smaller, younger (of two siblings)
[ooh-ken-yeh-eh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘she’
-hkęnye- verb root ‘to be small’
-ˀ stative aspect
To be the Older of Two
tayuwanęh He is the larger, older of two (siblings).
[tah-yoo-wah-nenh]
t- dualic
-a- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-yuwanę- verb root ‘to be large’
-h stative aspect
kayuwanęh She is the larger, older of two (siblings).
[kah-yoo-wah-nenh]
k- dualic
-a- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-yuwanę- verb root ‘to be large’
-h stative aspect
Child: -žaˀah-
hažaˀahah he (is) a child
[hah-zhah-ah-hah]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-žaˀah- noun root ‘child‘
-ah noun suffix
yažaʿahah she (is) a child
[yah-zhah-ah-hah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-žaˀah- noun root ‘child‘
-ah noun suffix
atižaˀahah they (f) (are) children
[atee-zhah-ah-hah]
ati- feminine-zoic plural agent ‘they (f)’
-žaˀah- noun root ‘child‘
-ah noun suffix
Male
To be a young boy: -ǫmęhtsęht-
hǫmęhtsęhtiˀah He is a young boy.
[hon-menh-tsenh-tee-ee-ah]
h- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-ǫmęhtshęt- verb root ‘to be a young boy’
-iˀ stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
henǫmęhtsęhtiˀah They (m) are young boys.
[heh-non-menh-tsenh-tee-ee-ah]
hen- masculine plural agent ‘they (m)’
-ǫmęhtsęht- verb root ‘to be a young boy’
-iˀ stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
To be a Young(handsome) Man: –ǫmęnyeht-
In some of the stories of the Narratives, this verb has connotations of the young man also being handsome.
rǫmęnyehtiˀ He is a young (handsome) man.
[ron-men-yeh-tee-ee]
r- masculine singular agent ‘he’
–ǫmęnyeht- verb root ‘to be a young man’
-iˀ stative aspect
hndǫmęnyehtiˀ They two (m) are young (handsome) men.
[hn-don-men-yeh-tee-ee]
hnd- masculine dual agent ’they two‘
–ǫmęnyeht- verb root ‘to be a young man’
-iˀ stative aspect
henǫmęnyehtiˀ They are young (handsome) men.
[hen-on-men-yeh-tee-ee]
hen- masculine plural agent ‘they (m)’
–ǫmęnyeht- verb root ‘to be a young man’
-iˀ stative aspect
To be Male, a Man: -ngyahaǫ-
hangyahaǫ He is a male, man.
[han-gyah-hah-on]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-ngyahaǫ verb root ‘to be male, a man’ + stative aspect
hatingyahaǫ They are males, men.
[hah-teen-gyah-hah-on]
hati- masculine plural agent ‘they (m)’
-ngyahaǫ verb root ‘to be male, a man’ + stative aspect
Female
Girl: –wiˀtsinǫh-
yawiˀtsinǫhaˀ girl
[yah-wee-ee-tsin-on-ha-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-wiˀtsinǫh- noun root ‘girl’
-aˀ noun suffix
atiwiˀtsinǫhaˀ girls
[ah-tee-wee-ee-tsin-on-ha-ah]
ati- feminine-zoic plural agent ‘they (f)’
-wiˀtsinǫh- noun root ‘girl’
-aˀ noun suffix
To be a (beautiful) young woman: -winǫ-
In some stories in the Narratives, there are connotations of the verb referring to the young woman in question as being beautiful.
yawinǫh She is a young woman.
[yah-wee-nonh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-winǫ- verb root ‘to be a young woman‘
-h stative aspect
tikawinǫh She is a very beautiful young woman.
[tee-kah-wee-nonh]
ti- dualic
-k- cislocative
-a- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-winǫ- verb root ‘to be a young woman‘
-h stative aspect
ndiwinǫh They two are young women.
[ndee-wee-nonh]
ndi- feminine-zoic dual agent‘they two (f)’
-winǫ- verb root ‘to be a young woman‘
-h stative aspect
atiwinǫh They are young women.
[atee-wee-nonh]
ati- feminine-zoic plural agent ‘they (f)’
-winǫ- verb root ‘to be a young woman‘
-h stative aspect
To be a Woman, female: -tehkyę-
utehkyę She is a woman, a female.
[oo-the-kyenh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘she’
-tehkyę- verb root ‘to be a woman’ + stative aspect
ayetekyę I am a woman, a female.
[ah-yeh-the-kyen]
aye- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-tehkyę- verb root ‘to be a woman’ + stative aspect
to be Human: -ǫme-
In some contexts in the Narratives this verb root can also refer to being Native American or Wyandotte.
rǫmeh He is a human, a man
[ron-menh]
r- masculine-singular agent ‘he’
-ǫme- verb root ‘to be human’
-h stative aspect
ǫmeh She is a human, a woman.
[on-meh]
ǫme- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’ + verb root ‘to be human’
-h stative aspect
Old Ones (noun root): -tsindahš-
utsindahšaˀ old woman
[oo-tseen-dah-shah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘she’
-tsindahš- noun root ‘old person’
-aˀ noun suffix
hutsindahšaˀ old man
[hoo-tsen-dah-shah-ah]
hu- masculine singular patient ‘he’
-tsindahš- noun root ‘old person’
-aˀ noun suffix
To be Old (verb root): -ˀtǫ-
yaˀtǫˀ She is old.
[yah-ah-ton-on]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
-ˀtǫ- verb root ‘to be old’
-ˀ stative aspect
haˀtǫˀ He is old
[hah-ah-ton-on]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-ˀtǫ- verb root ‘to be old’
-ˀ stative aspect
Elders: -yuwanę- (‘to be large, great’)
hatiyuwanęs They (all male or mixed) are large, great; elders.
[hah-tee-yoo-wan-ens]
hati- masculine plural agent ‘they (m)’
-yuwanę- verb root ‘to be large, great’ + stative aspect
-s plural aspect suffix
atiyuwanęs They (female) are great; elders.
[ah-tee-yoo-wan-ens]
ati- feminine-zoic plural agent ‘they (f)’
yuwanę- verb root ‘to be large, great’ + stative aspect
-s plural aspect suffix
hayuwanęh He is great; an elder.
[hah-yoo-wan-enh]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
yuwanę- verb root ‘to be large, great’
-h stative aspect
yayuwanęh She is great, an elder.
[yah-yoo-wan-enh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
yuwanę- verb root ‘to be large, great’
-h stative aspect