The Diminutive Aspect Suffix in Wyandot
The diminutive (dm) either indicates small size or a sign of emotional closeness, such as with one’s children, other relatives and pets. It only appears with the stative aspect.
Relatives
hǫteyęąhą They (m) are siblings.
[hon-teh-yen-an-han] –
hǫ- masculine plural agent ‘they (m)’
-te- semi-reflexive voice
-yę- verb root ‘to be siblings’ + stative aspect
-ąhą diminutive aspect suffix
šęˀąˀ You have her as child, your daughter
[shen-en-an-an]
š – 2nd person singular agent + feminine-zoic singular patient ‘you-her’
-ę- verb root ‘to have as child’
-ˀ stative aspect
-ąˀ diminutive aspect suffix
hamęmątęˀą He has him as nephew, his nephew.
[hah-men-mah-ten-en-an]
ham- masculine singular agent + masculine singular patient ‘he-him’
-ęmątę- verb root ‘to have as nephew’
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ą diminutive aspect suffix
husenęˀąh She is his domestic animal, his pet.
[hoo-seh-nen-en-anh]
hu- feminine-zoic singular agent + masculine singular patient ‘she-him’
-senę- verb root ‘to be domestic animal to’
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ąh diminutive aspect suffix
hǫmęhtsęhtiˀah He is a young boy
[hon-menh-tsenh-tee-ee-ah]
h- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-ǫmęhtsęti- verb root ‘to be a young boy’
-ˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
hǫmąhšutaˀah He is our grandparent, our grandfather.
[hon-manh-shoo-tah-ah]
hǫm- masculine singular agent + 1st person plural patient ‘he-us’
-ąhšut- verb root ‘to be grandparent to’
-aˀ- stative aspect
-ah diminutive aspect suffix
Directly Meaning ‘small’
iwaˀžah it is a little
[ee-wah-ah-zhah]
iw- partitive ‘such’
-a- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’ + verb root ‘to have a quantity’
-ˀ- stative aspect
-žah diminutive aspect suffix
atehimęndaˀžah They two (m) had few words.
[ah-teh-hee-men-dah-ah-zhah]
a- factual
-te- dualic
-hi- masculine dual agent ‘they two (m)‘
-męnd- noun root ‘voice, word’
-a- verb root ‘to have a quantity’
-ˀ- stative aspect
-žah diminutive aspect suffix
uskęnyąˀšah. It is a very small object.
[oo-sken-yan-an-shah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-skęny- verb root ‘to be small’
-ąˀ- stative aspect
-šah diminutive aspect suffix
uˀndahkwayaˀ It is a small drum
[oo-oon-dah-kwah-yah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-ˀndahkw- noun root ‘drum’
-a- verb root ‘to be a quantity’
-y- stative aspect
-aˀ diminutive aspect suffix