Dialogue: Are you working today?
Mary:
SuliaKaniakKen Kitigaligeppat?SuliaKaniakKen Kitigaligeppat? Are you working this afternoon?
Justine:
Auka, suliaKaniangilanga Kitigaligeppat. Auka, suliaKaniangilanga Kitigaligeppat.No, I am not working this afternoon.
Mary:
SuliaKakKauven ullâkon?SuliaKakKauven ullâkon? Did you work this morning?
Justine:
Auka, suliaKakKaungilanga ullâkut.Auka, suliaKakKaungilanga ullâkut.No, I didn't work this morning.
Mary:
Summakiak?Summakiak? Why (not)?
Justine:
ÂnniasiupviliakKauvunga ullâk. ÂnniasiupviliakKauvunga ullâk.I went to the hospital this morning.
Mary:
Kanimaven?Kanimaven? Are you sick?
Justine:
Â, Kanimagama. Kauppalonnet suliaKalângilanga.Â, Kanimagama. Kauppalonnet suliaKalângilanga. Yes, I have a headache. I won't be working tomorrow either.
Mary:
Ajai. ÂkKiumilâkKutittok mânnakut.Ajai. ÂkKiumilâkKutittok mânnakut. Oh dear. Feel better soon.
Vocabulary
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ulluk
day
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ullumi
today
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ullâk
morning
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Kitigaligeppat
afternoon
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unnusak
evening
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unnuak
night
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mânna
now
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ippasak
yesterday
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Kauppat
tomorrow
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vogik
week
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vogimi Kaijumi
next week
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vogiulauttumi
last week
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vogiup nâninga
weekend
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takKik
month
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takKimi Kaijumi
next month
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montâg
Monday
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tenistag
Tuesday
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metivog
Wednesday
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tonistâg
Thursday
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fraitâg
Friday
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sonâpint
Saturday
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sontag
Sunday
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sulikKen?
What are you doing?
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sulâkKen?
What will you be doing? (tomorrow or father in the future)
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suniakKen?
What will you be doing (later today)?
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sukKauven ullumigiak?
What did you do earlier today?
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sulaukKen?
What did you do? (yesterday or further in the past)
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Grammar
26 » Overview of Affixes Used for Tenses
As a review, here is a summary of the most common affixes used to mark events that are happening in the past, present and future:
| past: yesterday + | |
| -lauk- / -laut- | |
| tikilauttuk | He/she arrived. |
| past: earlier today | |
| -kKau- | |
| tikikKaujuk | He/she arrived earlier. |
| past: immediate | |
| -tainnak- | |
| tikitainnatuk | He/she just arrived |
| present | |
| -lik- / -lit- | |
| tikiliqtuk | He/she is arriving right now. |
| future: later today | |
| -niak- / -niat- | |
| tikiniattuk | He/she will arrive later today. |
| -langa- | |
| tikilangajuk | He/she will arrive later today. |
| future: tomorrow + | |
| -lâk- / -lât- | |
| tikilâttuk | He/she will arrive (tomorow / in the future). |
THE AFFIX -TAINNAK-
If we want to to talk about an action that has just happened in the recent past, we can use the affix -tainnak-:
| itik + tainnak + tuk = | |
| ititainnatuk | He/she just came in. |
| tiki + tainnak + Kugut= | |
| tikitainnaKugut | We just arrived. |
THE AFFIX -LIK- / -LIT-
The affix -lik- is added to verbs to emphasize that an action is happening right now. It is especially common with verbs involving motion or emotions to describe how one is feeling at that moment.
| anivunga | I am going out. |
| anilikKunga | I am going out right now. |
The final -k in -lik- changes to -t when it is followed by a verb ending that start with t-.
| angiggajuk | He/she is going/went home. |
| anigiggalittuk | He/she is going home now. |
| itijut | They are coming/went in. |
| itilittut | They are coming in right now. |
TENSES IN THE NEGATIVE
The negative affix –ngit– can be inserted after any of theses affixes to create a negative sentence:
| Kauppat Kailâttuk | He/she is going to come tomrrrow. |
| Kauppat Kailângituk | He/she is not going to come tomorrow. |
| Kitigaligeppat suliaKaniakKunga. | I’ll be working this afternoon. |
| Kitigaligeppat suliaKaniangilanga. | I’ll not be working this afternoon. |
| nigikKauvunga ullumigiak. | I ate earlier. |
| nigikKaungilanga ullumigiak. | I did not eat earlier |