Be Small
-skeʼnya- (does not incorporate noun roots[1])
išehskęˀnyąˀ You (s) are small.
[ee-she-sken-en-yan-an]
i- partitive
-še- 2nd person singular agent – you (s)
-hskęˀnya- verb root – be small
-ˀ stative aspect
iwahskęˀnyąˀą She is very small
[ee-wah-sken-en-yan-an]
iw- partitive
-a- feminine-zoic singular agent – she + semi-reflexive
-skęˀnyą- verb root – be small
-ˀ stative aspect
-ą diminutive aspect suffix
-skeʼny- small piece
sauskeˀnyaraˀ It is piled in very small pieces.
[sah-oo-sken-en-yah-rah-ah]
s- repetitive – very
-a- factual
-u- feminine-zoic singular patient – it
-skeny- noun root – small piece(s)
-a- joiner vowel
-ra- verb root – put on top
-ˀ punctual aspect
ahaskęˀnyǫgyaʼ He made it into small pieces.
[ah-ha-sken-en-yon-gyah-ah]
Tl- factual
-ha- masculine singular agent – he
-skęny- noun root – small piece(s)
-ǫgy- verb root – make
-aˀ punctual aspect
-hkęnye- be smaller, younger, the youngest (does not incorporate noun roots)
huhkęnyeˀ He is smaller, younger.
[hooh-ken-yeh-eh]
hu- masculine singular patient – he
-hkęnyę- verb root – be smaller, younger
-ˀ stative aspect
(He is one of two brothers, the other of whom was referred to as tayuwanęh ‘he is larger, older’)
uhkęnyeˀ She is smaller, younger.
[ooh-ken-yeh-eh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient – she
-hkęnyę- verb root – be smaller, younger
-ˀ stative aspect
[1] The verb root used to incorporate noun roots for reference to something being small is -a- ‘be of a size’, with the diminutive aspect suffix added.