Let’s

Let’s -ti and kw-

One way of  expressing the imperative in Wyandot involves words that contain the meaning ‘Let’s’.  There are two forms used, one for the dual ‘we two’ and one for the plural ‘more than two.  Both use the inclusive form of the 1^st person as it involves the listener.

 

A-Conjugation

With the verb root -araskwa- ‘leave’ we have:

kyaraskwaˀ          Let’s you and I leave.

[kyah-rah-skwah-ah]

ky-                   1^st person inclusive dual agent – you and I

-araskwa-         verb root meaning – leave

-ˀ                      imperative aspect

 

kwaraskwaˀ           Let’s you (two or more) and I leave.

[kwah-rah-skwah-ah]

kw-                  1^st person inclusive plural agent – you (more than one) and I

-araskwa-         verb root – leave

-ˀ                      imperative aspect

 

Consonant Conjugation

 

The two verb roots for ‘eat’ require the incorporation of a noun root, so you can’t just say ‘Let’s eat.”  You have to say what it is that you are going to eat. If you want to eat corn, you say:

 

tinęhayažaˀ                         Let’s you and I eat corn.

[tee-nen-hah-yah-zhah]

ti-                                 1^st person inclusive dual agent – you and I

-nęh-                            noun root – corn

-a-                                joiner vowel

-yaža-                          verb root – eat

-ˀ                                  imperative aspect

 

kwanęhayažaˀ                   Let’s (the group of us) eat corn.

[kwah-nen-hah-yah-zhah-ah]

kwa-                            1^st person inclusive plural agent – you (more than one) and I

-nęh-                            noun root – corn

-a-                                joiner vowel

-yaža-                          verb root – eat

-ˀ                                  imperative aspect

 

If you wanted to ask someone to dance in Wyandot, you would say the following:

 

tindrawaˀ                              Let’s you and I dance.

[teen-drah-wah-ah]

kya-                             1^st person inclusive dual agent – you and I

-ndrawa-                      verb root – dance

-ˀ                                  imperative aspect

 

If you wanted to go dancing with a group of friends, you would say:

 

kwandrawaˀ                    Let’s the group of us dance.

[kwan-drah-wah-ah]

kwa-                            1^st person inclusive plural agent – you (more than one) and I

-ndrawa-                      verb root – dance

-ˀ                                  imperative aspect

 

For consonant conjugation verb roots beginning with a vowel we have a slightly different dual form.

 

kyest                              Let’s you and I assemble, come together.

[kyehst]

Ky-                              1^st person inclusive dual agent – you and I

-est                               verb root – assemble + imperative aspect

 

E- Conjugation

eteh                       Let’s go (you and I)

[eh-teh]

e-                     translocative – there, away

-t-                    1^st person inclusive dual agent – we two

-e-                    verb root – go

-h                     imperative aspect