Chapter 8 – Verb Conjugation
Mi’kmaw is a verb based language. Instead of using “we had” or “they are”, or even “I am” followed by a verb, Mi’kmaw conjugates the verb. Learning all the ways to conjugate a verb may seem a daunting task, but we will introduce it in this chapter.
For now, we will use verbs that end in i. In order to conjugate a verb, a different suffix is added to the end of the verb. The following chart showcases how the root word is modified in the present tense. Keep in mind, when talking about 2 or more people, the verb will change whether the speaker is including the one being spoken to (inclusive), or the are excluding the one(s) being spoken to (exclusive).
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Level 2 Mi’kmaw: Video 8 – i-Verb Conjugation: Present Tense Source: Video produced by Captive Expression for No’kmaq Village / Flat Bay Band, Inc., June 12, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7dJ3byaQPs |
Present Tense
| Singular (1) | Dual (2) | Plural (3+) | |
| First Person | -I I am |
-I’KW We are (inclusive) |
-ULTI’KW We are (inclusive) |
| -IEK We are (exclusive) |
-ULTIEK We are (exclusive) |
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| Second Person | -IN You are |
-IOQ You are |
-ULTIOQ You are |
| Third Person | -IT S/he is |
-IJIK They are |
-ULTIJIK They are |
| Singular (1) | Dual (2) | Plural (3+) | |
| First Person | MIJISI I am eating |
MIJISI'KW We are eating (inclusive) |
MIJISULTI'KW We are eating(inclusive) |
| MIJISIEK We are eating (exclusive) |
MIJISULTIEK We are eating (exclusive) |
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| Second Person | MIJISIN You are eating |
MIJISIOQ You are eating |
MIJISULTIOQ You are eating |
| Third Person | MIJISIT S/he is eating |
MIJISIJIK They are eating |
MIJISULTIJIK They are eating |
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Level 2 Mi’kmaw: Video 9 – i-Verb Conjugation: Past and Future Tense Source: Video produced by Captive Expression for No’kmaq Village / Flat Bay Band, Inc., June 12, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR7w6eT5JGw |
Past Tense
| Singular (1) | Dual (2) | Plural (3+) | |
| First Person | -IAP I was |
-I’KƗP We were (inclusive) |
-ULTI’KƗP We were (inclusive) |
| -IEKƗP We were (exclusive) |
-ULTIEKƗP We were (exclusive) |
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| Second Person | -ITAP You were |
-IOQƗP You were |
-ULTIOQƗP You were |
| Third Person |
-IB S/he was |
-IPNI’K They were |
-ULTIIPNI’K They were |
| -IPNIK They were recently |
-ULTIPNIK They were recently |
| Singular (1) | Dual (2) | Plural (3+) | |
| First Person | MIJISIAP I was eating |
MIJISI'KƗP We were eating(inclusive) |
MIJISULTI'KƗP We were eating (inclusive) |
| MIJISIEKƗP We were eating(exclusive) |
MIJISULTIEKƗP We were eating (exclusive) |
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| Second Person | MIJISITAP You were eating |
MIJISIOQƗP You were eating |
MIJISULTIOQƗP You were eating |
| Third Person |
MIJISIP S/he was eating |
MIJISIPNI'K They were eating |
MIJISULTIIPNI'K They were eating |
| MIJISIPNIK They were eating recently |
MIJISULTIPNIK They were eating recently |
Future Tense
| Singular (1) | Dual (2) | Plural (3+) | |
| First Person | -ITES I will be |
-ITESNU We will be (inclusive) |
-ULTITESNU We will be (inclusive) |
| -ITESNEN We will be (exclusive) |
-ULTITESNEN We will be (exclusive) |
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| Second Person | -ITISK You will be |
-IOQSƗP You will be |
-ULTIOQSƗP You will be |
| Third Person | -ITOW S/he will be |
-ITAQ They will be |
-ULTITAQ They will be |
| Singular (1) | Dual (2) | Plural (3+) | |
| First Person | MIJISITES I will be eating |
MIJISITESNU We will be eating (inclusive) |
MIJISULTITESNU We will be eating (inclusive) |
| MIJISITESNEN We will be eating (exclusive) |
MIJISULTITESNEN We will be eating (exclusive) |
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| Second Person | MIJISITISK You will be eating |
MIJISIOQSƗP You will be eating |
MIJISULTIOQSƗP You will be eating |
| Third Person | MIJISITOW S/he will be eating |
MIJISITAQ They will be eating |
MIJISULTITAQ They will be eating |
Additional Verb Conjugation Resources
This video builds on the previous lessons by introducing more verbs ending in i. Additionally, the second part of this video suggest some online resources and apps you get get for your smart phone or tablet that will allow you to read and listen to Mi’kmaw and we’ve provided links to Mi’kmaw language resources.
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Level 2 Mi’kmaw: Video 10 – More Verbs and External Resources Source: Video produced by Captive Expression for No’kmaq Village / Flat Bay Band, Inc., June 12, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE3maBOv6lo |
If you would like more resources on verb conjugation, MK Technology has several playlists for the different families of conjugations.
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Words ending in UMK — YouTube Playlist
Words ending in IMK — YouTube Playlist Words ending in EMK — YouTube Playlist Words ending in A’MK — YouTube Playlist Words ending in AMK — YouTube Playlist |
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Try the The Mi’kmaw Automatic Conjugator – Description from the website: “The conjugator takes an input verb, automatically classifies it by conjugation, and returns a number of forms in various tenses. Because it attempts to automatically parse and classify verbs, it does not know the meaning of what is being entered, so it cannot give translations for verb forms. However, this also means that an infinite amount of verbs can be entered and conjugated” |
Mijisi
Translation: I am eating
Meanings: I am eating
Part of Speech: Verb
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see
Mijisi’kw
Translation: We are eating (inclusive)
Meanings: The two of us are eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, dual, inclusive
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-zee-gw
Mijisulti’kw
Translation: We are eating(inclusive).
Meanings: You, the others, and I are eating. (three or more)
Part of Speech: Verb, present, inclusive plural (three or more)
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-sool-dee-gw
Mijisiek
Translation: We are eating (exclusive)
Meanings: The two of us are eating, but you are not.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, dual exclusive form
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see-ehg
Mijisultiek
Translation: We are eating (exclusive)
Meanings: We are eating (but not you).
Part of Speech: Verb, present, exclusive plural
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-sool-dee-ehg
Mijisin
Translation: You are eating.
Meanings: You are eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, when speaking to one person.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sin
Mijisioq
Translation: You are eating.
Meanings: You are eating. You two are eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, when speaking directly to two people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-ohg
Mijisultioq
Translation: You are eating.
Meanings: You are eating. You are all eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, speaking directly to three or more people.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-dee-ohg
Mijisit
Translation: She or he is eating.
Meanings: She or he is eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, one person/animal.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sit
Mijisijik
Translation: They are eating.
Meanings: They are eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, present, Two people or animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-jeeg
Mijisultijik
Translation: They are eating.
Meanings: They are eating. (Three or more people/animals).
Part of Speech: Verb, present, three or more people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-dee-jeeg
Mijisiap
Translation: I was eating
Meanings: I was eating
Part of Speech: Verb, Past, Singular
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see-ahb
Mijisi’kɨp
Translation: We were eating (inclusive)
Meanings: The two of us were eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, dual, inclusive
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-SEE-gib
Mijisulti’kɨp
Translation: We were eating(inclusive).
Meanings: You, the others, and I were eating. (three or more)
Part of Speech: Verb, past, inclusive plural (three or more)
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-sool-DEE-gib
Mijisiekɨp
Translation: We were eating (exclusive)
Meanings: The two of us were eating, but you are not.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, dual exclusive form
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see-eh-gib
Mijisultiekɨp
Translation: We were eating (exclusive)
Meanings: We were eating (but not you).
Part of Speech: Verb, past, exclusive plural
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-sool-dee-eh-gib
Mijisitap
Translation: You were eating.
Meanings: You were eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, when speaking to one person.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-dab
Mijisioqɨp
Translation: You were eating.
Meanings: You were eating. You two were eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, when speaking directly to two people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-oh-hub
Mijisultioqɨp
Translation: You were eating.
Meanings: You were eating. You were all eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, speaking directly to three or more people.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-dee-oh-hub
Mijisip
Translation: She or he was eating.
Meanings: She or he was eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, one person/animal.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sib
Mijisipni'k
Translation: They were eating.
Meanings: They were eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, Two people or animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-bin-EEG
Mijisultiipni'k
Translation: They were eating.
Meanings: They were eating. (Three or more people/animals).
Part of Speech: Verb, past, three or more people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-DEE-bin-EEG
Mijisipnik
Translation: They were eating recently.
Meanings: They were eating recently.
Part of Speech: Verb, past, Two people or animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-bin-eeg
Mijisultiipnik
Translation: They were eating recently.
Meanings: They were eating recently. (Three or more people/animals).
Part of Speech: Verb, past, three or more people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-DEE-bin-eeg
Mijisites
Translation: I will be eating
Meanings: I will be eating
Part of Speech: Verb, Future tense
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see-des
Mijisitesnu
Translation: We will be eating (inclusive)
Meanings: The two of us will be eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, dual, inclusive
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see-de-sin-oo
Mijisultitesnu
Translation: We will be eating(inclusive).
Meanings: You, the others, and I will be eating. (three or more)
Part of Speech: Verb, future, inclusive plural (three or more)
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-sool-dee-de-sin-oo
Mijisitesnen
Translation: We will be eating (exclusive)
Meanings: The two of us will be eating, but you are not.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, dual exclusive form
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-see-dee-de-sin-en
Mijisultitesnen
Translation: We will be eating (exclusive)
Meanings: We will be eating (but not you).
Part of Speech: Verb, future, exclusive plural
Pronunciation Guide: mee-jee-sool-dee-de-sin-en
Mijisitisk
Translation: She or he will be eating.
Meanings: She or he will be eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, one person/animal.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-teesg
Mijisioqsɨp
Translation: You will be eating.
Meanings: You will be eating. You two were eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, when speaking directly to two people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-ohk-sib
Mijisultioqsɨp
Translation: You will be eating.
Meanings: You will be eating. You were all eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, speaking directly to three or more people.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-dee-ohk-sib
Mijisitow
Translation: She or he will be eating.
Meanings: She or he will be eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, one person/animal.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-doh
Mijisitaq
Translation: They will be eating.
Meanings: They will be eating.
Part of Speech: Verb, future, Two people or animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-see-dahk
Mijisultitaq
Translation: They will be eating.
Meanings: They will be eating. (Three or more people/animals).
Part of Speech: Verb, future, three or more people/animals.
Pronunciation Guide: Mee-jee-sool-dee-dahk
