Eyahwánsi Grammar

The noun

Nouns are splittable

When a noun (e.g. uhíte: chief) is used in a sentence as predicate, the noun splits off its final syllable and the predicative case marker eyá goes in front of the final syllable.

Uwá uhí eyáte.
I chief[1] PRED-chief[2].
I am chief.

The tense marker (-she == past tense) suffixes the first part of the noun:

Uwá uhíshe eyáte.
I chief[1]-PAST PRED-chief[2].
I was chief.

Juxtaposition indicates genitive

Juxtaposition of nouns indicates a genitive relation between the two. Juxtaposition causes the nouns to be split (e.g. uhí-te, awé-we). The split parts are crossed over:

Uwá uhí awé eyátewe.
I chief[1] son[1] PRED-chief[2]-son[2].
I am the chief's son.

Uwá uhí awé untéshe eyátewewi.
I chief[1] son[1] friend[2]-PAST PRED-chief[2]-son[2]-friend[2].
I was the chief's son's friend.

Possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns are formed by using the following affixes to the nominative pronoun:

pronounEnglishintended meaning
uwási etc.my etc.related to body, body parts, health, blood relations (kin), family relations (marriage)
uwánte etc.my etc.related by possession
uwálu etc.my etc.any other relation

uwá uhí awé lútewe.
I-POSS chief[1] son[1] POSS-chief[2]-son[2].
my chief's son.

Ená uwá uhí awé eyálutewe.
He I-POSS chief[1] son[1] PRED-POSS-chief[2]-son[2].
He is my chief's son.

Negation

The negative is expressed by using the appropriate negative pronoun or article.

Iwá uhí eyáte.
I-NEG chief[1] PRED-chief[2].
I am not chief.

Author: René Uittenbogaard.

Conversion date: 2005-04-16

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