In changing their nouns into verbs, it will not, therefore, be expected that the change should uniformly result in the infinitive, for which there is so little use, but in such of the personal forms of the various moods as circumstances may require. Most commonly, the third person singular of the indicative, and the second person singular of the imperative, are the simplest aspects under which the verb appears; and hence these forms have been sometimes mistaken for, and reported as the present infinitive. There are some instances in which the infinitive is employed. Thus, although an Indian cannot say I love, thou lovest, &c., without employing the objective forms of the verb to love, yet he can say I laugh, I cry, &c.; expressions in which, the action being confined to the speaker himself, there is no transition demanded. And in all similar instances the present infinitive, with the proper pronoun prefixed, is employed.
There are several modes of transforming a substantive into a verb. The following examples will supply the rules, so far as known, which govern these changes:—
Another class of nouns is converted into the first person, indicative, of a pseudo-declarative verb, in the following manner:—
| Monido, | A spirit. | Ne Monidôw, | I (am) a spirit. |
| Wassaiâ, | Light. | Ne Wassaiâw, | I (am) light. |
| Ishkodai, | Fire. | Nin Dishkodaiw, | I (am) fire. |
| Weendigô, | A monster. | Ni Weendigôw, | I (am) a monster. |
| Addik, | A deer. | Nin Daddikoow, | I (am) a deer. |
| Wakyigun, | A house. | Ni Wakyiguniw, | I (am) a house. |
| Pinggwi, | Dust, ashes. | Nim Binggwiw, | I (am) dust, &c. |
The word am, included in parenthesis, is not in the original, unless we may suppose the terminals ow, aw, iw, oow, to be derivatives from Iaw. These changes are reciprocated by the verb, which, as often as occasion requires, is made to put on a substantive form. The particle win, added to the indicative of the verb, converts it into a substantive. Thus—
| Keegido, | He speaks. | Keegidowin, | Speech. |
| Pâshkizzigai, | He fires. | Pashkizzigaiwin, | Ammunition. |
| Agindasoo, | He counts. | Agindasoowin, | Numbers. |
| Wahyiâzhinggai, | He cheats. | Wahyiâzhinggaiwin, | Fraud. |
| Minnikwâi, | He drinks. | Minnikwâiwin, | Drink. |
| Kubbâshi, | He encamps. | Kubbâishiwin, | An encampment. |
| Meegâzoo, | He fights. | Meegâzoowin, | A fight. |
| Ojeengai, | He kisses. | Ojeendiwin, | A kiss. |
| Annôki, | He works. | Annôkiwta, | Work. |
| Pâpi, | He laughs. | Pâpiwin, | Laughter. |
| Pimâdizzi, | He lives. | Pimâdoiziwin, | Life. |
| Onwâibi, | He rests. | Onwâibiwin, | Rest. |
| Annamiâ, | He prays. | Annamiâwin, | Prayer. |
| Nibâ, | He sleeps. | Nibâwin, | Sleep. |
| Odâwai, | He trades. | Odâwaiwin, | Trade. |
Adjectives are likewise thus turned into substantives:—
| Keezhaiwâdizzi, | He generous. | Keezhaiwâdizziwin, | Generosity. |
| Minwaindum, | He happy. | Minwaindumowin, | Happiness. |
| Keezhaizeâwizzi, | He industrious. | Keezhaizhâwizziwin, | Industry. |
| Kittimâgizzi, | He poor. | Kittimâgizziwin, | Poverty. |
| Aukkoossi, | He sick. | Aukkoossiwin, | Sickness. |
| Kittimishki, | He lazy. | Kittimishkiwin, | Laziness. |
| Nishkâdizzi, | He angry. | Nishkâdizziwin, | Anger. |
| Baikâdizzi, | She chaste. | Baikâdizziwin, | Chastity. |
span class="pagenum">[483] In order to place the substantives thus formed in the third person, corresponding with the indicative from which they were changed, it is necessary only to prefix the proper pronoun. Thus, Ogeezhaiwâdizziwin, his generosity, &c.