THE OLD DENA'INA BELIEFS
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Dena'ina: Yadi ch'ulat'a qeyntuzen ghu quht'ana, htelah ch'u huqeltsah qeyich' t'qełih.
English: Whatever they wanted to be as they were growing to adulthood, they fasted and tried to become that.

Mode/Aspect = Transitional (T) + Mode + Perfective (P)

  Conjunction Prefix Positions Stem Relative Suffix
Outer Subject Pronoun Mode/Aspect
T+Mode+P
Classifier
Morphemes Yadi ch'e ghe + i Ø lat a
Morpheme Changes  

ch'u

e changes to u when a consonant + e (Ce) precedes a ghe mode; ghe deletes; i deletes to avoid double vowels

    'a
glottal stop inserted when a vowel follows a word
English What (whatever) one
Use of relative suffix 'a' changes "we" to "one"
perfect  

be

Mode: perfect inceptive

Aspect: transitional

changes outer subject pronoun ch'e from "we" to "one"

Verb Theme Complement Gender + Ø classifier + la (root)
Meaning be (what the complement refers to), is exists, become (in transitional aspect)
Theme Class Descriptive
Type  

theme calls for gender, but no gender in this verb

 

Stem Set: Root = la, Tag = be
  Mode
Aspect Imperfect Perfect Future Optative
Reversative lah lan łah lah
Neuter lan (le') la lał (lah)  
Transitional lah lat lah lah

  Prefix Positions Stem Post-
position
Object of Postposition
Outer Subject Pronoun Gender Inceptive Mode/Aspect
T+Mode+P
Classifier
Morphemes qey ne te ghe + i Ø zen ghu quht'ana
Morpheme Changes   n tu        
e deletes when it precedes a morpheme boundary ghe preceded by consonant + e (Ce): ghe deletes, e changes to u; i deletes to avoid double vowels
English They feelings, unusual mental states, judgements perfect inceptive  

wanted, desired

Mode: perfect inceptive

Aspect: neuter

becoming person

Verb Theme (y) + n Gender + Ø classifier + zen (root)
Meaning think of, want, desire complement, with transitional aspect, realize complement
Theme Class Descriptive
Type  

Stem Set: Root = zen, Tag = think, want
  Mode
Aspect Imperfect Perfect Future Optative
Neuter zen zen zen zih
Transitional       zit

  Prefix Positions Stem Conjunction
Outer Subject & Object Pronoun Gender Inceptive Mode/Aspect
T+Mode+P
Classifier
Morphemes Qe Ø te i + Ø Ø lah ch'u
Morpheme Changes h     i deletes to avoid double vowels      
qe changes to h and e deletes when preceding a consonant
English They Person inceptive transitional imperfect inceptive  

be, tried to be

Mode: imperfect inceptive

Aspect: transitional

and

Verb Theme Complement Gender + Ø classifier + la (root)
Meaning be (what the complement refers to), is exists, become (in transitional aspect)
Theme Class Descriptive
Type  

Stem Set: Root = la, Tag = be
  Mode
Aspect Imperfect Perfect Future Optative
Reversative lah lan łah lah
Neuter lan (le') la' lah  
Transitional lah lat lah lah

  Prefix Positions Stem
Object Pronoun Outer Subject Pronoun Mode/Aspect
T+Mode+P
Classifier
Morphemes hu qe i + Ø ł tsah
Morpheme Changes     i deletes to avoid double vowels l  
changes to l because of reflexive pronoun hu
English himself/herself reflexive indirect object they perfect  

observed ritual (fast)

Mode: perfect

Aspect: transitional? (no data)


Verb Theme Object + ł classifier + tsa (root)
Meaning observe ritual, taboo, restriction concerning the object, abstain from what the object refers to
Theme Class Descriptive
Type  

Stem Set: Root = tsa, Tag = observe ritual
  Mode
Aspect Imperfect Perfect Future Optative
Customary tsax      
Neuter tsan tsa' tsał tsa'
Transitional   tsah?    

  Object of Post-
position
Post-
position
Prefix Positions Stem
Adverb Outer Subject Pronoun Mode/Aspect
T+Mode+P
Classifier
Morphemes qey- -ch' t'e qe i + Ø l 'ih
Morpheme Changes     t'   i deletes when preceded by a conjunct prefix ł  
e deletes when followed by a back velar changes to ł to make stem causative
English them toward thus they imperfect  

acted, behaved to cause themselves to be

Mode: imperfect

Aspect: transitional


Verb Theme l classifier + 'an (root)
Meaning act, behave, occur in manner of the complement (what the stem refers to)
Theme Class Optative
Type  

Stem Set: Root = 'an, Tag = do; see
  Mode
Aspect Imperfect Perfect Future Optative
Continuative 'en 'an 'en 'en
Durative 'an 'an 'ił 'an/'ih
Durative (d classifier) t'an t'an t'ił/t'ih  
Momentaneous 'ix 'an 'ił/'ix  
Neuter 'an 'an 'ił 'an/'ih
Reversative 'ih 'an 'ih 'ih
Transitional 'ih 'it 'ih 'ih
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