Tuh [tooh]
The usual meaning of the common particle tuh is ‘there’, but it is also used in asking questions.
How many…..?
Question
Tuh iwayeh How many are there?
iwayeh It numbers such.
[ee-wah-yeh]
iwa- partitive ‘such’ + feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-ye- erb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
An Answer
ahšęhk iwayeh It numbers three.
three it numbers such
Question
Tuh iwasęh? How many tens are there? (asking about a large number)
? it is a number of tens
iwasęh It is such a number of tens.
[ee-wah-senh]
iw- partitive ‘such’
-asę- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’ + verb root ‘to be ten’
-h stative aspect
An Answer
Ndahk iwasęh It numbers four tens, forty.
Question
Tuh iyaaˀtayeh How many bodies are there?
iyaaˀtayeh It is such a number of bodies
[ee-yah-ah-tah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-aˀt- noun root ‘body’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
An Answer
ahšęhk iyaaˀtayeh There are three bodies.
three it is a number of bodies
Question
Tuh iyaaˀtayeh uskęnǫtǫ? How many deer are there?
? it is a number of bodies it is a deer
uskęnǫtǫ
[oo-sken-non-ton]
An Answer
ahšęhk iyaaˀtayeh uskęnǫtǫ There are three deer.
three it is a number of bodies deer
Question – How long (involving time)?
tuh n ǫmąˀtiˀ tuh šiˀtrǫˀ
how? the it is a long time there you stayed
ǫmąˀtiˀ
[on-man-an-tee-ee]
How long have you stayed there?
šiˀtrǫˀ
[shee-ee-tron-on]
š- 2nd person singular agent you (s)
-iˀtrǫ- verb root ‘to stay, place’
-ˀ stative aspect
An Answer
ahšęhk imętayeh tuh yiˀtrǫˀ I stayed for three days there.
three a number of days there I stayed
imętayeh It is a number of days.
[ee-men-tah-yeh]
im- partitive ‘such’ y-
-ęt- feminine-zoic noun root ‘day’
-a- noun suffix
-ye verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
yiˀtrǫˀ I stayed, resided.
[yee-ee-tron-on]
y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-iˀtrǫ- verb root ‘to stay, reside, be placed’
-ˀ stative aspect
Question
Tuh ihšaˀatsih What are you (singular) called?
what? you are called
ihšaˀatsih You are called.
[eeh-shah-ah-tseeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-hša- 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-ˀats– verb root ‘to name, be called’
-ih stative aspect
An Answer
John ižaˀatsih John I am called.
John I am called
ižaˀatsih I am called.
[ee-zhah-ah-tseeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-ža- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-ˀats- verb root ‘to name, be called’
-ih stative aspect
Tuh ihaˀatsih What is he called?
how? he is called
ihaˀatsih He is called.
[ee-hah-ah-tseeh]
i- particle ‘such’
-ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-ˀats- verb root ‘to name, be called’
-ih stative aspect
John ihaˀatsih John he is called.
Tuh iyaˀatsih What is she called?
how? she or it is called
iyaˀatsih She or it is called.
[ee-yah-ah-tseeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’
ˀats- verb root ‘to name, be called’
-ih stative aspect
Angie iyaˀatsih Angie she is called.
Tuh iskwaˀatsih What are you (plural) called?
iskwaˀatsih You (plural) are called.
[ee-skwah-ah-tseeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-skwa- 2nd person plural agent ‘you (plural)’
ˀats- verb root ‘to name, be called’
-ih stative aspect
Wyandotte iyawaˀatsih Wyandotte we are called
iyawaˀatsih We (exclusive) are called.
[ee-yah-wah-ah-tseeh]
iy- partitive ‘such’
-awa- 1st person exclusive plural agent ‘we’
-ˀats- verb root ‘to name, be called’
-ih stative aspect
Age
How Old Are You?
Summers
Tuh išeyęthayeh How old are you? How many summers do you number?
išeyęthayeh You are such a number of summers.
[ee-sheh-yen-thah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-še- 2nd person singular agent ‘you’
-yęth- noun root ‘summer’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Ndak iyeyęthayeh I am four years old. I number four summers.
iyeyęthayeh I am such a number of summers.
[ee-yeh-yen-tha-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-ye- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-yęth- noun root ‘summer’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Winters
Tuh išuhšayeh How many winters are you?
išuhšayeh You are such a number of winters?
[ee-shooh-shah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-š- 2nd person singular agent ‘you’
-uš- noun root ‘winter’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Ndak iyušayeh I number four winters. I am four years old.
iyušayeh I am such a number of winters.
[ee-yoo-shah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-uš- noun root ‘winter’
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Tuh išenˀdenyǫhšrayeh How old are you? How many years do you number?
išenˀdenyǫhšrayeh You are such a number of years.
[ee-shen-en-den-yon-shrah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-še- 2nd person singular agent ‘you’
-nˀdenyǫ- verb root ‘to overcome’
-hšr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Ndak iyenˀdenyǫhšrayeh I am four years old. I number four years.
iyenˀdenyǫhšrayeh I am such a number of years.
[ee-yen-en-den-yon-hshrah-yeh]
i- partitive ‘such’
ye- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-nˀdenyǫ- verb root ‘to overcome’
-hšr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect