This lesson will look at the grammar you use to call or write someone:
| uKâlapvigivâtit | He/she is calling you. |
| allavigijanga | He/she is writing to him/her. |
To build these phrases:
1. Begin with the basic verb:
| uKâlak- | to call |
| allak- | to write |
2. Add the affix -vik. This is normally used to indicate a place. When it is added to uKâlak- or allak-, it means the person who is being called or written to.
3. Add the affix -gi. It will delete the final -k in -vik:
| uKâlak + vik + gi = | uKâlavigi- |
| allak + vik + gi = | allavigi- |
4. Add the transitive verb ending to indicate who is calling / writing and who is being called or written to:
| uKâlapvigijân ? | Are you calling him/her? |
| uKâlapvigijaga | I am calling him/her. |
| Ippasak uKâlapvigilaukKaatit. | He/she called you yesterday. |
| allavigijangâ ? | Is he/she writing to him/her? |
| allavigijanga | He/she is writing to him/her. |
5. So, when we put all of the pieces together:
uKâla + vi + gi + jaga
We get, as a very literal translation: “I have him as the place I am calling” or, as we would say in English, “I am calling him.”