Drill:  Gaawiin awiiya ayaasiin ge-verb-agiban

When you want to talk about possibilities, use the combination ge-verb-ban.  This gives the verb the overall meaning of "could".  Sometimes the -ban is not necessary, and sometimes could be left off. 

THE PARTS

awiiya = someone

gaawiin awiiya = no one, there is no one

ayaa = s/he is, be

-siin = negative "not" (use this on the end of the verb ayaa 's/he is, exists')

ge-verb-ban = "could" construction

-ag = "I-on-him/her action"

For this drill, you have to use "action on someone" verbs, like ojiim 'kiss him/her/them!', not "s/he verbs" like wiisini 's/he eats'. The action on someone verbs are marked as VTAs in the Nichols & Nyholm dictionary.

EXAMPLES THAT CAME UP

(1) Gaawiin awiiya ayaasiin ge-wiidigemagiban. (verb: wiidigem = marry him/her/them!)

'There is no one I could marry.'

(2) Gaawiin awiiya ayaasiin ge-ashamagiban. (verb: asham = feed him/her/them!)

'There is no one I could feed.'

 

(3) Gaawiin awiiya ayaasiin ge-giizizamawagiban. (verb: giizizamaw = cook for him/her/them!)

'There is no one I could cook for.'

 

(4) Gaawiin awiiya ayaasiin ge-bookogwebinagiban. (verb: bookogwebizh = wring his/her/their neck!)

'There is no one whose neck I could wring.'

 

(5) Gaawiin awiiya ayaasiin ge-bizindawagiban. (verb: bizindaw = listen to him/her/them!)

'There is no one who I could listen to.'

Again, the verbs for this drill have to be "action-on-someone" verbs. This means that they will have the following endings:

-'        zaagi' love him/her/them

-'w     bakite'w               hit him/her/them (or bagitew)

-aw    wiidookaw           help him/her/them

-m      waabam                see him/her/them

-n        bagidin                allow him/her/them

-zh       miizh                    give it to him/her/them

-z(w)    mazinaakiz         take his/her/their picture (w) appears in conjugation

-s(w)    zhaaboshkaas    sift him/her/them (w) appears in conjugation

-shi      ashi                      put him/her/them there

-w         ayaaw                  have him/her/them

Being able to recognize this type of verb will allow you to use the right "form" of the verb and not confuse the four types of verbs. For example, mikwendam means 's/he remembers (comes to mind)', but you couldn't use this verb to "remember someone". You have to use mikwenim to say 'remember him/her/them!'. Mikwendam is the "s/he verb" and mikwenim is the "action-on-someone" verb, but they are based upon the same root mikw- 'find'.

Another example is with bakite'w above, which means "hit him/her/them!" (the command form). You couldn't use bakite'w to tell someone to "hit it!". You would use instead: bakite'an, which is "hit it!". The -an at the end is the part that refers to "it".  (Or, bagitew, bagite'an also).

Mii iw.

Niin,

Awanigaabaw