aw. Additional declension, required when the noun ends in the broad, instead of the long sound of a, forming the possessive in _âm_, and the objective in _âmun_.
The abbreviations, in., and ex., in these declensions, mark the inclusive and exclusive forms of the pronoun plural. The inflection of the third person, as it is superadded to the first and second, is included between parentheses, that the eye, unaccustomed to these extended forms, may readily detect it.
Where the inseparable, instead of the separable pronoun is employed, the possessive inflection of the first and second person is dispensed with, although the inflection of the third is still retained.
| Os: Father. | ||
| S. singular. | ||
| Nos. | My father. | |
| Kos. | Thy father. | |
| Os-un. | His father. | Sing. and plural. |
| Nos-inân. | Our father. | (ex.) |
| Kos-inân. | Our father. | (in.) |
| Kos-iwâ. | Your father. | |
| Os-iwân. | Their father. | Sing. and plural. |
| S. plural. | ||
| Nos-ug. | My fathers. | |
| Kos-ug. | Thy fathers. | |
| Os-un. | His fathers. | Sing. and plural. |
| Nos.-inân ig. | Our fathers. | (ex.) |
| Kos.-inân ig. | Our fathers. | (in.) |
| Kos-iwâg. | Your fathers. | |
| Os-iwân. | Their fathers. | Sing. and plural. |
The word dog, and this word alone, is declined in the following manner.
The word Dy, which supplies this declension, is derived from Indyiâm mine. pron. an.—a derivative form of the word, which is, however, exclusively restricted, in its meaning, to the dog. If the expression Nin Dy or N' Dy, is sometimes applied to the horse, it is because it is thereby intended to call him, my dog, from his being in a state of servitude similar to that of the dog. It must be borne in mind, as connected with this subject, that the dog, in high northern latitudes, and even as far south as 42 degrees, is both a beast of draught and of burden. He is compelled during the winter season to draw the odâban, or Indian sleigh; and sometimes to support the burden upon his back, by means of a kind of drag constructed of slender poles.
A review of the facts which have been brought together respecting the substantive, will show that the separable or inseparable pronouns under the form of prefixes, are throughout required. It will also indicate, that the inflections of the first and second persons which occupy the place of possessives, and those of the third person, resembling objectives, pertain to words, which are either primitives, or denote but a single object, as moose, fire. There is, however, another class of substantives, or substantive expressions, and an extensive class—for it embraces a great portion of the compound descriptive terms—in the use of which no pronominal prefixes are required. The distinctions of person are, exclusively, supplied by pronominal suffixes. Of this character are the words descriptive of country, place of dwelling, field of battle, place of employment, &c. The following example will furnish the inflections applicable to this entire class of words:—