Seeing in Wyandot
The main verb referring to seeing is -yę- [yen]. Although there is one example of a noun root being incorporated into the verb in Potier’s writings (Potier 1920:243), no such is found in the Narratives.
yǫyęˀ I see you
[yon-yen-en]
yǫ- 1st person singular agent + 2nd person singular patient I – you
-yę- verb root – to see
-ˀ stative aspect
kwayęhs We see (it)
[kwah-yenhs]
kwa- 1st person inclusive plural agent – we (n)
-yę- verb root – to see
-hs habitual aspect
tetsikyatateyęˀ We (d) will see each other again[1].
[teh-tsee-kyah-tah-teh-yen-yen]
te- dualic + future
-tsi- repetitive – again
-ky- 1st person inclusive dual agent – we two
-atate- reflexive voice
-yę- verb root – to see
-ˀ punctual aspect
To Look At
There are two verb roots that mean ‘to look at’. One -yaht- takes the semi-reflexive voice and almost always only has a pronominal agent, no patient. With the dislocative root suffix, it can mean ‘visit’. It is probably related to the noun root -yaht- which means ‘pupil, eye’
aˀwakahtaˀ She looked at it.
[ah-ah-wah-kah-tah-ah]
aˀw- factual
-a- semi-reflexive voice
-kaht- verb root – to look at, observe
-aˀ punctual aspect
sakahtąnda Go look at it.
[sah-kah-tan-dah]
s- imperative + 2nd person singular agent
-ak- semi-reflexive voice
-aht- verb root – to look at
-ąnd- dislocative root suffix
-a imperative aspect
aˀyakahtaˀnda I go to look at, visit it
[ah-ah-yah-kah-tah-ahn-dah]
aˀ- factual
-y- 1st person singular agent – I
-ak- semi-reflexive voice
-aht- verb root – to look at, visit
-aˀnd- dislocative root suffix
-a punctual aspect
aˀyakahtaˀnda de kyǫtewahtsa[n]dinǫˀs
I go to look at, visit the where one sells meat
-yandra– to look at
The verb root -yandra- ‘to look at‘ always has two grammatical players: an agent and a patient, a subject and an object.
tehuyandraˀ He looks at, is looking at him.
[teh-hoo-yan-drah-ah]
te- dualic
-hu- masculine singular agent + masculine singular patient – he – him
-yandra- verb root – to look at
-ˀ stative aspect
Tayeąndrak Look at me! [male name]
[tah-yeh-an-drahk]
t- imperative
-aye- 1P ‘me’
-yąndra- VR ‘to look at’
-k- imperative aspect
[1] This can be used instead of saying ‘goodbye’ to someone.