Chapter 2: Describing ThingsIn the previous chapter, you learned how to identify things by placing one noun after another:
Peyaa Tomaas. This is Tomas. 'Elymaam peyaa 'ehekwany. This child is my son/daughter (woman speaking). To make things more clear, you can complete sentences with the suffix -ches: 'Iikwich nyip 'etaatches. That man is my father. Puu 'ewaaches. That is a house. |
In Kumeyaay, when you want to describe what something is like or what something is doing, you use a verb, which usually comes at the end of the sentence:
'Iikwich wamp.
'Ewaa 'iikuu. 'Etaly waam. Metaat rak. |
A man walks.
A house is big. My mother goes away. Your father is old. |
wamp = walks
'iikuu = is big waam = goes away rak = is old (used for men) |
You may be surprised to find that in Kumeyaay, words like "big" and "old" act like verbs. Kumeyaay does not have adjectives as a word class, and instead uses verbs to play the role of describing things.
Like with nouns, the ending -ches can be added to verbs. On verbs, it gives an extra emphasis, like saying "it is really" or "it is indeed". This often does not come out in the English translation.
Like with nouns, the ending -ches can be added to verbs. On verbs, it gives an extra emphasis, like saying "it is really" or "it is indeed". This often does not come out in the English translation.
Tehiilly 'ehashches!
'Enyiiwarches. |
The dress is beautiful!
I'm hungry alright. |
Note that, while the stress or accent on a Kumeyaay word usually falls on the last syllable (read about Stress Pattern), the position of the accent does not change when a grammatical suffix is added to the word. Thus it is pronounced 'eSHASHches, 'enyiiWARches.
Reading
Peyaa 'uuchechu? Peyaa 'aashaaches. 'Aashaa peyaa 'uuchechu? 'Aashaa peyaa kulashaashches. 'Eshashchu? Haa, kulashaash 'eshashches. Wenyur mu'yuuchu? Hepeshiwches. |
'aashaa = bird kulashaash = bluejay 'Eshashchu? Is it pretty? < How is it colored? hepeshiw = it is blue |
Question marker -chu
You have seen the suffix -chu on question words 'uuch "what", becoming 'uuchechu? "What is it?"; maap "who", becoming maapchu? "Who is it?"; and now on mu'yuu "how", in Wenyur mu'yuuchu? "What color is it?"
-chu can also be placed after verbs like 'ehash "is pretty" to become 'eshashchu? "Is it pretty?" The suffix -chu is used to make questions when you are asking about something in the present time. It does not always need to be used, and it is just one of the many ways to make questions in 'Iipay Aa.
-chu usually sounds like "cho" like in Joe (especially in 'uuchechu), but can also sound more like "choo" like in chew (which may be more common with maapchu). It is best to hear from a live speaker and copy how they say it.
-chu can also be placed after verbs like 'ehash "is pretty" to become 'eshashchu? "Is it pretty?" The suffix -chu is used to make questions when you are asking about something in the present time. It does not always need to be used, and it is just one of the many ways to make questions in 'Iipay Aa.
-chu usually sounds like "cho" like in Joe (especially in 'uuchechu), but can also sound more like "choo" like in chew (which may be more common with maapchu). It is best to hear from a live speaker and copy how they say it.
'Aashaa peyaa 'uuchechu? 'Aashaa sha'iiches. 'Aashaa peyaach maay ewaa? 'Emaay ewaa. 'Aashaach 'uuch ma'wii? Weman tewaa. Maayem waah? Nyewaam waah. Wenyur mu'yuuchu? Sha'iich nyilly. |
sha'ii = turkey vulture -ch: Subject marker < It is in the sky. 'Uuch ma'wii? What is it doing? < It is flying. < Where is it going to? < It is going to its home. nyilly = is black Do not worry for now about knowing
what every word means. |
Subject Marker -ch
As you saw above, the suffix -ch can go on nouns like 'aashaa and pronouns like peyaa. This suffix marks the subject of the verb, which simply put is the noun that is performing the action. This is especially useful when you need to differentiate the subject of the verb from the object, the thing the verb acts upon. When a verb has no object, -ch is not totally necessary, but it can still be used:
'Aashaach weman.
Sha'iich waam. 'Elymaam 'iikwichech wamp. 'Ewaach 'iikuu. Peyaach 'ehan. Tehiillych 'eshash. 'Etaatch rak. 'Enyaach 'aahan ta'waa. |
A bird flies.
A turkey vulture goes away. A boy walks. (e is added before -ch to make it pronounceable) A house is big. This is good. A dress is pretty. My father is old. I am well. |
Saying "The"
When a word like 'aashaa has no ending, or has only -ch like above, it usually translates to "a bird". If you want to say "the bird", the subject marker -ch becomes -vech. The definite article -vech, equating to the word "the" in English, is used when you are talking about a specific person, place, or thing, usually something that you have mentioned before.
When a word like 'aashaa has no ending, or has only -ch like above, it usually translates to "a bird". If you want to say "the bird", the subject marker -ch becomes -vech. The definite article -vech, equating to the word "the" in English, is used when you are talking about a specific person, place, or thing, usually something that you have mentioned before.
'Elymaam sinyvech nyewaam waam.
'Esuwvech 'ehanches. Paataatvech peyii ewaa. Hekwanyvech pily 'iikuuches. Kurakvech hemaa. |
The girl goes home.
The food is good. ('esuw = food) His father is here. Her child is big now. The old man sleeps. |
When you DON'T use -ch
The suffix -ch can go on any subject that corresponds to a verb, but it is NOT used on nouns when you are identifying something, or equating two nouns, as in the examples below. The basic explanation of this is that there is no verb in the sentence, so the word being identified is not technically a subject.
The suffix -ch can go on any subject that corresponds to a verb, but it is NOT used on nouns when you are identifying something, or equating two nouns, as in the examples below. The basic explanation of this is that there is no verb in the sentence, so the word being identified is not technically a subject.
'Aashaa kulashaashches.
Puu 'ewaaches. 'Enyaa metaatches. 'Elymaam 'iikwich 'ehekwanyches. Kurak nyip 'etaatches. |
The bird is a bluejay. (No -ch on 'aashaa)
That is a house. I am your father. The boy is my son. That old man is my father. |
The use of -ches in the above sentences is not strictly required, but it makes things more clear.
You also do not use -ch when you say, " 'Enyaa Robert wii nyechuuhii," because in this expression, you are not the subject of the verb. "Wii chuuhii" literally means something like, "they say and call..." so " 'Enyaa ___ wii nyechuuhii" really means, "They say and call me ___." ('enyaa = me). Of course, this expression doesn't require you to use a pronoun anyway.
You also do not use -ch when you say, " 'Enyaa Robert wii nyechuuhii," because in this expression, you are not the subject of the verb. "Wii chuuhii" literally means something like, "they say and call..." so " 'Enyaa ___ wii nyechuuhii" really means, "They say and call me ___." ('enyaa = me). Of course, this expression doesn't require you to use a pronoun anyway.
Reading
Peyaa 'uuchechu?
Peyaa 'elymaam 'iikwich. 'Elymaam 'iikwichvech maay ewaa? 'Uunyaavi ewaa. Puuch 'uuch ma'wii? Wamp tewaa. 'Elymaamvech maayem waah? Puuch 'ewaa chemuuyuwm waah. 'Elymaamvech 'iikuuchu? Umaaw, 'elymaamvech 'estik. |
'uunyaa = road 'uunyaavi = in the road wamp tewaa = he is walking < He's going to school. 'Iikuuchu? Is he big? 'estik = is small |
Notes:
- 'ewaa chemuuyuw = school (house where they teach, neologism)
- 'ewaa chemuuyuwm = to school (-m means "to")
- Maayem = To where? Made of maay "where" plus -m "to", becoming maayem "to where".
- Maayem waah? Where is he going to? -h on "waa" makes it future: When you're talking about where someone is going, you literally say, "where is he going to go?" So nyewaam waah, "he's going home", literally means, "he's going to go home."
Nyip 'uuchechu?
Mes-haalyap nyawihch wetaph. Mes-haalyapch wemanchu? Umaaw, wemanh umaaw. Mes-haalyapvech maay ewaa? Wetaphvi ewaa. 'Uuch ma'wiichu? Wetaphvi wenak tewaa. Nyaapuma? Wesii tewaa. 'Uuch wesiichu? 'Ehaa kumyulk wesii. Mes-haalyapvech 'eshashchu? Haa, 'eshashches. Wetaphvech 'estik matt 'iikuu? 'Iikuuches. Wetaphvech wenyur mu'yuuchu? Wetaphvech 'ekwasches. |
mes-haalyap = butterfly nyawihch = and weman = flies wetaphvi = on the flower -chu can go on verbs like this wenak tewaa = it is sitting Nyaapuma? And then? What else? wesii tewaa = it is drinking < What is it drinking? 'ehaa kumyulk = nectar (sweet water) matt = or 'ekwas = is yellow |
'Iipay pup maapchu? 'Iipay pup 'elymaam siny nyawihch paataatches. 'Elymaam 'estik; paataat 'emaay. Pupch maay nyeway? 'Uunyaavi nyeway. Pupch 'uuch ma'wip? Ewamp tenyeway. Maayem naah? Nyewaam naah. |
'iipay pup = those people pup = those, plural of puu, "that" 'emaay = is tall nyeway = pl. of ewaa, "is located" ma'wip = pl. of ma'wii ewamp = pl. of wamp, "walks" tenyeway = pl. of tewaa naa = pl. of waa |
Plurals
In Kumeyaay, plurality is indicated by a change in the root word. While some nouns have plural forms, most do not, and therefore verbs do most of the work of showing whether the subject is singular or plural.
Here are some plural forms for words we have seen already:
Here are some plural forms for words we have seen already:
'Elymash
Children (pl. of 'elymaam) Siiny Women (pl. of siny) 'Iikwiich Men (pl. of 'iikwich) Pup Those, them (pl. of puu) Peyap These, them (pl. of peyaa) |
Nyeway
They are located (pl. of ewaa) Tenyeway They are (helping verb) (pl. of tewaa) Naa They go (pl. of waa) Naam They go away (pl. of waam) Ewamp They walk (pl. of wamp) |
Ma'wip
They do (used in questions) (pl. of ma'wii) 'Ehaan They are good (pl. of 'ehan) 'Ichekwii They are big (pl. of 'iikuu) 'Elyemis They are small (pl. of 'estik) Penak They sit (pl. of wenak) |
These plural words can take all the same prefixes and suffixes as their singular forms.
Mat Uchewayp - Conversation
'Iipay Aa:
Pablo 'elymaam 'iikwiches. Pablo paataly Caroliin wiich chuuhii. Caroliin hekwanyvech 'iitaayvi nyeway. Pupch 'uunyaavi ewamp tenaa. Nyaapum Pablo 'aashaa 'ehin ewuuw. P: 'Ememaa, puu 'uuchechu? C: Puu kulashaashches. P: Kulashaash 'uuchechu? C: Kulashaash 'aashaaches. P: 'Aashaa puuch 'eshash! C: Haa, 'eshashches. P: 'Uuch ma'wiichu? C: Weman tewaa. P: Maayem waah? C: Maayem waah 'enurh 'emaaw. P: Pily 'ewuuwh 'emaaw! C: 'E-en, waam. P: Maayem waam? C: Nyewaam waamkuh. P: 'Aashaa nyewaa maay ewaa? C: 'Enurh 'emaaw. |
Notes:
'iikwiches = 'iikwich + -ches Pablo paataly: Pablo's mother (Pablo his-mother) < Carolina and her son... (no word needed for "and"); 'iitaay = forest ewamp tenaa = they are walking 'aashaa 'ehin = a bird ('ehin = is one, can also mean "a") ewuuw = sees 'ememaa = Mom (Spanish mama) weman = flies 'enurh 'emaaw = I don't know 'ewuuw = I see; -h 'emaaw = I don't waam = it went away, it left nyewaam = to its home; waamkuh = it must have gone 'aashaa nyewaa = the bird's house (bird its-house) |
Akekwii - Questions
Answer the following to the best of your ability. Responses may vary; answers provided at bottom of page.
1. Caroliin maapchu?
2. Pablo nyawihch paatalyvech maay nyewaya?
3. Pupch 'uuch ma'wipa?
4. Pabloch 'uuch ewuuw?
5. 'Aashaavech wenyur mu'yuuchu?
6. 'Aashaavech 'eshasha?
7. Kulashaashvech maayem waama?
2. Pablo nyawihch paatalyvech maay nyewaya?
3. Pupch 'uuch ma'wipa?
4. Pabloch 'uuch ewuuw?
5. 'Aashaavech wenyur mu'yuuchu?
6. 'Aashaavech 'eshasha?
7. Kulashaashvech maayem waama?
Verbs and Time
A Kumeyaay verb by itself does not always tell you when the action took place.
A single verb in its plain form can have multiple translations: Wenuw. He runs. Wenuw. He ran. By adding -h, we can put the action in the future, and by adding -h umaaw, we can negate it: Wenuwh. He will run. Wenuwh umaaw. He doesn't run. or He didn't run. By placing different time words at the beginning of the sentence, we can specify the time at which the action of the verb takes place: Heyaay wenuw. He ran long ago. Long ago he used to run. Pily wenuw. He runs now (as in, these days) Tenaay wenuwh umaaw. Yesterday he didn't run. Metenyaally wenuwh. Tomorrow he will run. If the action is ongoing, or went on for a period of time, a helping verb like tewaa is used: Wenuw tewaa. He is running. He was running. Just like we had different ways of asking "How are you?" depending on the position the person being asked was in, there are different auxiliary verbs like tewaa that are used based on the position and motion of the subject. We will see how to use all of these in later chapters. |
Ready to Read
You are now ready to read the first story from Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa, The Coyote and the Wolf.
Some vocabulary to know:
Some vocabulary to know:
Nesoom!
You have reached the end of Chapter 2.
In this chapter we learned about:
Make sure to take advantage of supplementary resources like Sam Brown's Kumeyaay lessons and the Intro to'Iipay Aa Memrise course. As practice, try describing things and people you see in daily life using the words you learned in this chapter.
>>> Proceed to Chapter 3
In this chapter we learned about:
- How -ches can go on nouns or verbs.
- The suffix -chu, which goes on verbs to make present-tense questions
- -ch, which goes on nouns to mark the subject of the verb
- -vech, which goes on the subject, and means "the"
- How Kumeyaay verbs use a different plural root
- How -h puts a verb in future tense, and -h umaaw means "not"
- How time words are used to indicate when a verb happened
Make sure to take advantage of supplementary resources like Sam Brown's Kumeyaay lessons and the Intro to'Iipay Aa Memrise course. As practice, try describing things and people you see in daily life using the words you learned in this chapter.
>>> Proceed to Chapter 3
Answers
Use these to check your understanding. Your answers may be somewhat different.
1. Caroliin maapchu? Caroliin sinyches. Pablo paatalyches.
Who is Carolina? Carolina is a woman. She is Pablo's mother.
2. Pablo nyawihch paatalyvech maay nyewaya? 'Iitaayvi, 'uunyaavi nyeway.
Where are Pablo and his mother? They are in the forest, on the road/path.
3. Pupch 'uuch ma'wipa? Ewamp tenaa. or Ewamp tenyeway.
What are they doing? They are walking.
4. Pabloch 'uuch ewuuw? Kulashaash 'ehin ewuuw.
What did Pablo see? He saw a bluejay. ('ehin is optional)
5. 'Aashaavech wenyur mu'yuuchu? 'Aashaavech hepeshiw.
How was the bird colored? The bird was blue.
6. 'Aashaavech 'eshasha? Haa, 'eshash.
Was the bird pretty? Yes, it was pretty.
7. Kulashaashvech maayem waama? Nyewaam waam.
Where did the bluejay go? It went home (lit. to its home).
Who is Carolina? Carolina is a woman. She is Pablo's mother.
2. Pablo nyawihch paatalyvech maay nyewaya? 'Iitaayvi, 'uunyaavi nyeway.
Where are Pablo and his mother? They are in the forest, on the road/path.
3. Pupch 'uuch ma'wipa? Ewamp tenaa. or Ewamp tenyeway.
What are they doing? They are walking.
4. Pabloch 'uuch ewuuw? Kulashaash 'ehin ewuuw.
What did Pablo see? He saw a bluejay. ('ehin is optional)
5. 'Aashaavech wenyur mu'yuuchu? 'Aashaavech hepeshiw.
How was the bird colored? The bird was blue.
6. 'Aashaavech 'eshasha? Haa, 'eshash.
Was the bird pretty? Yes, it was pretty.
7. Kulashaashvech maayem waama? Nyewaam waam.
Where did the bluejay go? It went home (lit. to its home).