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Peewaalia Verb Types

Peewaalia Verb Types

Peewaaliaataweenki ‘Peoria language’ uses verbs in more specific ways compared to some other languages. Additionally, Peewaaliaataweenki incorporates unique concepts and aspects that are not present in other languages.

Types of Peewaaliaataweenki Verbs

There are four types of Peewaaliaataweenki verbs:

    • Animate Transitive Verb

    • Animate Intransitive Verb

    • Inanimate Transitive Verb

    • Inanimate Intransitive Verb

These verb types help express Peoria concepts and aspects clearly. Below is a summary of how these verbs are used:

Key Concepts of Peoria Verbs

    • Different aspects of animate and inanimate

    • Transfer of verb action (interaction with something or someone)

    • No transfer of verb action (no interaction with something or someone)

    • Description of an animate subject (describing something about the animate subject)

    • Description or quality of an inanimate subject (describing something about the inanimate subject, including events, conditions or happenings)

 

Verb Types at a Glance

The chart below shows all four verb types side by side, organized by animacy and by whether the verb acts on an object. Use it as a quick reference, then explore each verb type in more detail further down the page.

See how animacy and transitivity work together in the chart below.

Transitive (Acts On Or With An Object) Intransitive (No Object)
Animate

Animate Transitive Verb —
animate subject acts on (does verb to) animate object

neeyolaani — I see you (singular)
eemwaki — I eat him (animate food)

Animate Intransitive Verb —
animate subject does the verb or verb is about/describes the animate subject

peempaaliaani — I am walking
weeyaakiteehiaani — I am happy
Inanimate

Inanimate Transitive Verb —
animate subject acts on or with (does the verb to or does the verb with) inanimate object

meeciaani — I eat it
neemaani — I see it

Inanimate Intransitive Verb —
the verb is about or describes an inanimate subject or condition/happening (inanimate subject)

eetakinki — It is wet
peetilaanki — It is raining

Table of Contents

Animate Transitive Verb

Animate Transitive Verbs are verbs that involve interaction or verb action transfer with an animate.
Further details, verb aspects and functions are:

  • Verb interaction with another animate (animate noun) such as: Person and person, person and animal, animal and animal, person and animate food, person and another animate, etc.
  • Transfer of verb action to another animate (animate noun): I to you, her to him, you to I, you to him, I to them, etc.
  • Animate subject and animate object

Remember singular animate nouns end with single ‘a’.
Below is example verb and example sentence for the verb.

Peewaalia

English

Audio

neeyolaani

I see you (singular)

noohkwa neeyolaani

I see you Grandma

eemwaki

I eat him (animate food)

wiihkapimina eemwaki

I am eating a pear

noontawaci

you hear him / her, you understand him / her

moohswa noonki noontawaci

now you hear the deer

meehkoohki

he / she found me, he / she is finding me

nimihsa meehkoohki

my elder sister found me

kiisihsemaaci

he / she washes him / her

šoohkwaakana kiisihsemaaci

she is washing the car

Animate Intransitive Verb

Animate Intransitive Verb are verbs where there is no interaction with someone or something
else.
Further details, verb aspects and functions are:

  • To focus on the action of the verb that is done by the animate subject: person, animal, animate food or other animates
  • Describing an animate subject

Below is example verbs and example sentence for the verb,

Peewaalia

English

Audio

peempaaliaani

I am walking

noonki kaahkiihkwe peempaaliaani

I am walking today

weehsiniaani

I am eating

mayaawi noonki weehsiniaani

I am eating right now

iihkwaahkosici

he / she is short

oonaana šinkwaahkwa iihkwaahkosici

this eastern redcedar is short

waapisici

he / she is white

alemwa waapisici

the dog is white

weeyaakiteeheeyani

you are happy

moošaki weeyaakiteeheeyani

you are always happy

weenkilici
{ for animate food }

he (animate food) tastes good, he is tasty, he is good to eat { for animate food }

makiinkweemina weenkilici

the blackberry tastes good, blackberry is tasty, the blackberry is good to eat

weenkiliciki
{ for animate food }

they (animate food) taste good, they are tasty, they are good to eat { for animate food }

makiinkweeminiiki weenkiliciki

the blackberries taste good, blackberries are tasty, blackberries are good to eat

Inanimate Transitive Verb

Inanimate Transitive Verb are verbs that involve interaction with an inanimate noun.
Further details, verb aspects and functions are:

  • The interaction and transfer of verb action from an animate subject to an inanimate object (object usually translated as ‘it’ in the verb translation)
  • The inanimate object will be an inanimate noun in the sentence, phrase, question, clause, instruction, etc.

Remember singular inanimate nouns end with a single ‘i’.
Below is example verb and example sentence for the verb

Peewaalia

English

Audio

neemaani

I see it

siipiiwi neemaani

I see the river

neemani

you see it

wiintaakani neemani

you see the book, you seen the book

meeciaani

I eat it, I am eating it

miincipi meeciaani

I am eating the corn

meehkanki

he finds it, she finds it

laapinaakani meehkanki

he found the shirt, she found the shirt

kiisihsetooki

he washes it, she washes it

minehkwaakani kiisihsetooki

he is washing the cup, she is washing the cup

Inanimate Intransitive Verb

Inanimate Intransitive Verbs are verbs that describe an inanimate, the action of an inanimate, or
for inanimate conditions, and happenings.
Further details, verb aspects and functions are:

  • Description or describing a quality of an inanimate noun
  • The verb action of an inanimate noun
  • Used to speak of and about a happening, event, or condition that is inanimate, such as most weather, some timeframe periods, seasons, and transitional periods between seasons, etc.

Below is example verbs and example sentence for the verb.

Peewaalia

English

Audio

eetakinki

it is wet

naahkiipioni eetakinki

the chair is wet

aahteeki

it is extinguished, it has gone out (of a fire or light)

koteewi aahteeki

the fire is extinguished, the fire has gone out

weenkanki

it tastes good, it is good to eat, it is tasty

miincipi weenkanki

the corn tastes good

peetilaanki

it is raining, it rains

noonki kaahkiihkwe peetilaanki

it is raining today

peehkonteeki

it is night, it is dark

šaaye peehkonteeki

it is already night, it is already dark

peepoonki

it is winter

iihi, noonki peepoonki

yes, now it is winter

For more information on Peewaalia Verb Type Endings see — Peewaalia Verb Type Endings & Usage Aspects page. To understand how animacy shapes which verb are used, and the animacy of nouns that go with it, see the Animate & Inanimate Concepts page.

Keep learning — Choose your next Peewaalia lesson

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Lesson 4

Animals & Birds

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Lesson 7

Animate & Inanimate Concepts

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Lesson 6

Drinks, Soups And More