Dialogue: Family reunion
Vocabulary
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pannaijuk
preparations to leave (he/she is making...)
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angutik
husband
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nuliak
wife
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aippak
spouse; partner; common-law
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atâtatsiajutsuak
great-grandfather
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atâtatsiatusâk
great-great grandfather
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ingutak
grandchild
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atsâsuk
aunt (father’s sister)
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ajak
aunt (mother’s sister)
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akkak
uncle (father’s brother)
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angak
uncle (mother’s brother)
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ukuak
sister-in-law (brother’s wife)
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sakiak
sister-in-law (husband’s sister)
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ningauk
brother-in-law (sister’s husband)
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Katangutik
cousin
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Katangutigek
cousins (both female)
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Katangutigek
cousins (both male)
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sakik
parents-in-law
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sakitsuak
grandparents-in-law
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aullâsimapvik
cabin
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aullâsimapviganut
cabin (to my/our...)
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malijuk
follows; comes along (he/she...)
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Grammar
37 » Possession (advanced)
There are ways of expressing two or even three levels of relationships within the same sentence, i.e. when the possessor has its own possessor:
| anânaga | my mother |
| anânama aninga | my mother's brother |
| anânama aningik | my mother’s two brothers |
| anânama aningit | my mother’s brothers (3+) |
The -ma ending relates the root word back to me, but it also relates the root to another person or people.
Note that the word that follows -ma must take the ending -nga (in the singular), -ngik (dual) or -ngit (plural) to show that it is part of the possessive relationship.
The ending -ma could be followed by an object as well as a person:
| nukamma umianga | my younger sibling’s boat |
| panimma nunasiutinga | my daughter’s car |
Note also in the above examples that -ma changes the final -k of a noun root to -m and final -q to -r, while -nga deletes a preceding consonant.
The following table sets out the variations of this type of construction:
| -ma | |
| anânama aninga | my mother's brother |
| -tta | |
| anânatta aninga | our (2+) mother’s brother |
| -vit (following a vowel) | |
| anânavit aninga | your (1) mother's brother |
| -pit (following a consonant) | |
| nukappit paninga | your younger sibling’s daughter |
| -si | |
| anânasi aninga | your (2+) mother’s brother |
| -ngata | |
| anânangata aninga | his/her mother's brother |
| -ngita | |
| anânangita aninga | their (2+) mother’s brother |
Remember, in the third person, if you want to name the possessor, you add the ending -up to the end of the name or noun:
| Semiuniup anânanga | Simiuni’s mother |
| angutiup Kimmingit | the man’s dogs |
From the table above, we can use the endings -ngata (singular) and -ngita (dual/plural) to build even more complex layers of relationships:
| atâtama nukangata umianga | the boat of my father’s younger brother |
| innivit nuliangata aninga | your son’s wife’s brother; the brother of your son’s wife |
| Semiuniup motakângata pegutinga | the key to Simiuni’s car |
| angutiup Kimmingita anungit | the man’s dogs’ harnesses; the harnesses of the man’s dogs |