Grammar »
39 » Comparing People and Things
Qualities and characteristics of people and things can be compared by using the roots of the describing words followed by the endings -nitsak- (it is more... than) or -nippâk- (it is the most...) :
| takijuk |
It is tall; the tall one |
| takinitsak |
It is taller; the taller one |
| takinippâk |
the tallest one |
| |
|
| piujuk |
It is good; the good one |
| piunitsak |
It is better; the better one |
| piunippâk |
the biggest one |
When -nitsak and -nippâk are added to a stem ending in -t, they change the final t to n. When this happens, the law of double consonant applies, so the consonant sounds in the endings are shortened:
| tâttuk |
It is dark. |
| tânnisak |
It is darker. |
| tânnipâk |
the darkest one |
| |
|
| naittuk |
It is short. |
| nainnisak |
It is shorter. |
| nainnipâk |
the shortest one |
When talking about you, me or we, the endings above are followed by
-u / -ngu (
to be) and then a verb ending:
| takinnisauvutit |
You are the tallest. |
| anginnipânguvunga |
I am the biggest. |
To make a comparison, we then tack on the affix
-mit to the person or thing to which a comparison is being made:
| Makusimit takinitsauvunga. |
I am taller than Mark. |
| Amaguk Kimmirmit anginitsak. |
The wolf is bigger than the dog. |
Keep in mind that when using personal pronouns to make comparisons, they don't follow a regular pattern:
| uvanga |
me |
| uvannit |
than me |
| Uvannit takinitsauvutit. |
You are taller than me. |
| |
|
| ipvit |
you |
| ilinnit |
than you |
| kinali ilinnit takinitsauvâ? |
And who is taller than you? |
| |
|
| ilitsik |
the two of you |
| ilitsinit |
than the two of you |
| Ilitsinit nainnisauvuguk. |
We two are shorter than the two of you. |