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Lesson 23 - More Open and Close

 

Baakinan waasenigan - Open the window.
Azha ningii-baakinaan - I already opened it.
Gigii-gibaan na izhgwaandem? - Did you close the door?
Gigii-gibaan na? - Did you close it?
Gaawiin ningii-gibaanziin - I didn't close it.
Awe na gwiiwizenz ogii-gibaan? - Did that boy close it?
Gigozis na ogii-baakinaanan waaseniganan? - Did your son open the windows?
Ogii-baakinaanan - He opend them.
Gaawiin ogii-baakinanziinan - He didn't open them.
Gigii-baakinaanan na? - Did you open them?
Ogowe ikwezenzag ogii-baakinaanaawaan waaseniganan - These girls opened the windows.
Ogii-gibaanaawaa na iwe izhgwaandem? - Did they close that door?
Ogii-baakinaanaawaa - They opened it.
Ni-wii-gibaanan izhgwaandeman - I am going to close the doors.
 
 

Note.

  • Animate verbs, which do not include 'it' in their forms, like 'anokii', 'abi', 'aakozi', 'gawaji', 'wiisini', 'ayaa', etc, are called vai verbs, or verbs animate intransitive. A term 'intransitive' means that they have no 'it' inside, or, grammaticaly, - they take no object.
    In statements like 'i open it', 'i see it', 'it' - is called 'an object'.)

    Verbs transitive inanimate take an inanimate object - 'it', or inanimate noun. In fact 'it' embedded in vti verbs, works as a link, which allows to connect an inanimate noun to a vti verb.

    Personal affixes for vti verbs differ from vai verbs affixes.

    To make a statement with vti verb, add those affixes to a verb. Check that suffixes differ depending on the number of objects (it or they):

     itthem
    i, meni-(vti verb)-aanni-(vti verb)-aanan
    you singlgi-(vti verb)-aangi-(vti verb)-aanan
    s/heo-(vti verb)-aano-(vti verb)-aanan
    theyo-(vti verb)-aanaawaao-(vti verb)-aanaawaan

    To make a negative statement, or to deny a situation, negative suffix -ziin is added to or into a personal suffix (don't forget using 'gaawiin' before a verb):
     itthem
    i, meni-(vti verb)-anziinni-(vti verb)-anziinan
    you singlgi-(vti verb)-anziingi-(vti verb)-anziinan
    s/heo-(vti verb)-anziino-(vti verb)-anziinan
    theyo-(vti verb)-anziinaawaao-(vti verb)-anziinaawaan

  • Inanimate nouns, which are often used with vti verbs, indicating object (a door, a window), could be placed before or after a verb, as well as a subject (a person who does the action):

    1) Ogowe ikwezenzag ogii-baakinaanaawaan waaseniganan.
    These girls (subject) opened (vti verb) the windows (object).

    2) Waaseniganan ogii-baakinaanaawaan ogowe ikwezenzag.
    These girls opened the windows.

    Despite English, in Ojibwe the place of a subject and an object in a statement depends on a speaker's choise. But I should say that native speakers, when asked about word order, firstly always offer the second variant, though they agree that the first one also suits.
     
     

    Grammar Note.

    Vti verbs conjugation (positive):
     itthem
    i, meni-(verb)-aan/-nni-(verb)-aanan/-nan
    you singlgi-(verb)-aan/-ngi-(verb)-aanan/-nan
    s/heo-(verb)-aan/-no-(verb)-aanan/-nan
    we (exc)ni-(verb)-aamin/-minni-(verb)-aamin/-min
    we (inc)gi-(verb)-aamin/-mingi-(verb)-aamin/-min
    you plgi-(verb)-aanaawaa/-naawaagi-(verb)-aanaawaan/-naawaan
    theyo-(verb)-aanaawaa/-naawaao-(verb)-aanaawaan/-naawaan

    Vti verbs conjugation (negative):
     itthem
    i, meni-(verb)-anziin/-siinni-(verb)-anziinan/-siinan
    you singlgi-(verb)-anziin/-siingi-(verb)-anziinan/-siinan
    s/heo-(verb)-anziin/-siino-(verb)-anziinan/-siinan
    we (exc)ni-(verb)-anziimin/-siiminni-(verb)-anziimin/-siimin
    we (inc)gi-(verb)-anziimin/-siimingi-(verb)-anziimin/-siimin
    you plgi-(verb)-anziinaawaa/-siinaawaagi-(verb)-anziinaawaan/-siinaawaan
    theyo-(verb)-anziinaawaa/-siinaawaao-(verb)-anziinaawaan/-siinaawaan

     

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