Obviation Woods Cree

1 obviation

1.1 negation

1.1.1 questions
1.1.2 pronouns

obviation

cree uses 3 levels of person categories: first person (the speaker), second person (the addressee), , third (neither speaker nor addressee). however, characterizing aspect of cree grammar, third person divided third person , third person obviative, used when referring person not in direct relation context, called fourth person . these nouns understood being in background of conversation whereas proximate nouns in conversation nouns in question. obviative nouns marked suffix -a.

negation

there 2 negative markers in cree: namo•ya or nama , e•ka• or e•ka•ya. these different negative markers found in general coincide main , subordinate clauses, namo•ya used in main clauses , e•ka• used in subordinate clauses. e•ka•ya marker found connected imperative sentences.

questions

when asking yes-no question in cree, question marker ci• found @ end of first word of clause.

for example:

kikisiwahitin ci•? ( have made angry?)

indirect yes-no questions use specific conditional marker equivalent english word if . in plains cree dialect (lack of woods cree documentation) conditional marker ki•spin.

when asking content question in cree, interrogative pronoun found @ start of sentence.

for example:

ta•nite• e•-wi•-itohte•yan? ( going to?)

indirect content questions use same interrogative pronouns.

pronouns

the 2 syntactical pronoun forms interrogative pronouns , demonstrative pronouns.

interrogative pronouns used in cree ask direct questions. commonly used following: = awína, = kikway, when = tánispihk, = tániti, , why = táníhki. however, these words change form when describing singular versus plural nouns. example: singular = awína , kikway versus plural = awíniki , kikwaya. animacy of noun affects interrogative pronoun creating 4 different words used when asking question:

demonstrative pronouns have 2 separate forms depending on whether noun animate or inanimate is:

in cree, possible put 2 demonstrative pronouns specific location of object. third form of demonstrative used describe (in)animate subject/object far in distance: níhí (singular animate) níki (plural animate) , níma (singular inanimate) níhi (plural inanimate).