Stepping through a course - Lesson 16

Another short dialog today, with a couple conditionals and the verb "to bring", both animate and inanimate.

We also have a new question, "How much?"

Dialog - 

M: Gidaa-biidoonan makizinan.
F: Gidaa-biinaa gimisenh.
M: Ingaa-biinaa na nimisenh?
F: Ingaa-biinaa na animosh?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
M: Aaniish minik?
F: Bezhigwaabik.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

A line-by-line breakdown:

M: Gidaa-biidoonan makizinan. 

• Here we have a new preverb, "daa", which functions as a conditional "should".  It's formed with the verb just as "wii" is - pronoun-tense marker-verb root. The verb, "bidoon", means "bring SOMETHING". So he says "You should bring your moccasins."

F: Gidaa-biinaa gimisenh. 

• We've got another new verb here, "binaa", also meaning "bring", but this is the animate verb, "bring SOMEBODY/SOME LIVING THING". We also have the word "gimisenh", meaning "your sister". She is saying "You should bring your sister."

M: Ingaa-biinaa na nimisenh? 

• The preverb "gaa" is a future tense preverb, and can mean "shall", or "should".  But because it's a question of possibility, it functions as "can" or "could". So he's asking "Can I bring my sister?" Again, sister has the possessive pronoun "ni" affixed at the beginning of the word.

F: Ingaa-biinaa na animosh? 

• This is the same concept using another animate noun, "animosh", "dog".  She is asking "Can I bring the dog?"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

M: Aaniish minik? 

• This new word "minik" means "amount". Literally, He asks "What amount" or "How much?"

F: Bezhigwaabik. 

• We have the number "one", "bezhig" attached to "waabik", literally meaning "metal", but here we are using it to denote currency. She's saying "One dollar."

* * * * * * * * * * * *

New words this lesson:

• daa- - should; might; would
• gaa- -will; shall; should
• bezhig - one
• nimisenh - my older sister
• animosh - dog
• waabik - dollar
• minik - amount
• Aaniish minik? - How much is it?
• biidoon - bring SOMETHING
• biinaa - bring SOMEBODY

Other vocabulary:

• wa'aw[e] - this 
• Awenen wa'aw? - Who's this?
• i'iw[e] - that
• Wegonen i'iw? -(What's that?

• gigozis - your son
• nindaais - my daughter
• obaabaayan - his father

Possessive pronouns. These are always attached to the beginning of relative words, such as son, daughter, brother, sister, etc.

• ni- My
• gi- Your
• o--an his/hers (Note that there is also a suffix added for the third person singular possessive.)

A list of other relatives and relationships can be reference here on the Family Members page.