Ökwe'ôwékhá' > Grammar > The Particle «ne»

The Particle
« ne »
Grammatical Subbordination

Using « ne » Translations Feedback

Using « ne »

Grammatical Subordination
The particle «ne» denotes grammatical subordination. It indicates that the following word denotes a particpant in the action expressed by the main verb in the phrase.
For example:
The sentence «U'shakúkë' ne hayëstáni ne aksút» means "The teacher saw my grandmother". The verb «u'shakúkë'» means "he-saw-her". The particles "ne" indicate that "teacher" and "my grandmother" are participating in the activity described by this verb (the interactive pronoun «shaku-», "he-to-her", indicates that the male is seeing the female, thus clarifying who is seeing and who is being seen).

Why is this Important ?
This mechanism is important, because many of the Mingo/Seneca words translated as nouns are actually verbs, and you need the "ne" to clarify which of the verbs are the participants (hence get the meaning of a noun) and which are used in the sentence to denote an action.
Example:
The word for "teacher", «hayëstáni», literally means "he teaches". Similarly, the word for "hunter", «hatúwæs», literally means "he hunts". So, the following sentence «Hatúwæs ne hayëstáni», means "the teacher hunts" (also "the teacher is a hunter"), while the sentence «Ne' ne hatúwæs hayëstáni», (the initial «ne'» is explained below) means "the hunter teaches" (or "the hunter is a teacher").

«ne» Never Starts a Sentence
The particle «ne» can not come at the beginning of a sentence or a clause. In these cases it is preceded by the particle «ne'» (with a glottal stop at the end).
Example:
«Ne'   ne hatúwæs hayëstáni» (the hunter teaches).

«ne» May Be Omitted, if Meaning is Clear
The particle «ne» can be omitted, if the meaning is clear.
For example: «Ha'ni u'shakúkë'» (my father saw her), instead of «Ne' ne ha'ni u'shakúkë'»

Pronounced with the Preceding Word
The particle «ne» is pronounced as a continuation of the previous word.
Example:

«ne» May be Contracted before a Vowel (or "H" + Vowel)
(Colloquial)
In colloquial speach, the particle "ne" may be contracted into "n-" when the following word starts with a vowel, or when it starts with an "h" followed by a vowel. When the word starts with "h" and a vowel, the "h" is ommitted as well.
Note, that the spelling usese a hyphen («-») to express this contraction. Mingo cannot use an appostrophe («'»), becaus the appostrophe symbol is used for a glottal stop.
Example:

Alternate Spelling:
I've seen the contraction spelled without a hyphen or any other mark:
«ne hayëstáni» (teacher) contracted into «nayëstáni» (instead of «n-ayëstáni»)

Translations
Kányö'ökhá'   Tekawënötenyô

aksút -- My grandmother
-aksút : grandparent. By default (i.e. without any additional pronomial-prefix), it denotes the female (i.e. "grandmother"), and as a kin-term it refers to "my" (i.e. "my grandmother").

ha'ni -- My father
ha- : he (agent pronumial prefix)
-'ni : (verb root) [to be a] father
Note:   As a kin-term, "he-is-father" means "MY father"

hayëstáni -- (1) he teaches; (2) a teacher (male)
ha- he (agent pronomial prefix: 3rd person, male, singular)
-yëstáni : to teach
Verb base, in the Habitual-aspect. The verb root is -yëstani- (in this case, the Habitual aspect form is identical to the root)
-yëst- : to learn; to read
-yë- : to know (how to do something); knowledge (verb root)
-st : verb-base suffix
-a- : a linking vowel
The vowel is lenghened according to the vowel-lengthening rules.
-ni : dative, i.e. "to someone" (verb suffix)


hatúwæs -- (1) he hunts; (2) a hunter (male)
h- : he (Agent pronomial prefix), in its form before a vowel
-atuwæs : to hunt (verb base, in its Habitual-aspect form). Here, the «u» vowel is lengthened according to the vowel-lengthening rules

hute' -- his grandson
hu- : (1) him; (2)his. (Patient pronomial-prefix). The possession (e.g. "his") is expressed (usually) using the Patient pronomial prefix form.
-te' : grandson

Kányö'ökhá' -- Whitely, Englishly (i.e. in English)
ka- : (pronomial prefix) it (Agent form) [the vowel is lengthened by the following verb-stem (type LX)]
-nyö'ö : to be a white person (Stative aspect form)
-khá' : characterizer suffix (e.g. "-ly")

kwa'yöö' -- Rabbit (also used as a name)

ne' -- phrase beginner particle

tekawënötenyô -- It is translated
te- : (verb prefix) dual (in this case: "one for another")
ka- : (pronomial prefix) it (Agent form)
-wënötenyô : (verb stem) to translate something, in the Stative-aspect form; i.e. "to be translated"
From:
te-...-wënöteny- -- to translate something (literally: to change one word for another)
te- : (verb prefix) dual (in this case: "one for another")
-wën- : sound, word (incorporated noun, i.e. the object of the verb)
-ö- : linking-vowel (an «a» nasalized to «ö» because of the preceding «n»)
-teny- : (verb root) to change something


u'shakúkë' -- he saw her
u'- : factual-mode prefix (verb-mode prefix). (denotes an action that definitely happened)
shaku- : he-to-her (interactive pronomial prefix). The vowel «u» is lengthened according to the vowel-lengthening rules.
-kë' : to see (in the Punctual-aspect form).

u'khékë' -- I saw her
u'- : factual-mode prefix (verb-mode prefix). (denotes an action that definitely happened)
khe- : I-to-her (interactive pronomial prefix). The vowel is lengthened according to the vowel-lengthening rules.
-kë' : to see (in the Punctual-aspect form).

wáékë' -- I saw him
wa'- : factual-mode prefix (verb-mode prefix), denoting an action that definitely happened. Here, in its form before a vowel or "h"+vowel. Note that both the glottal stop (') and the "h" drop when the factual pefix is followed by an "h"+vowel. The vowel is lengthened in assimilation to the vollowing long vowel.
he- : I-to-him (interactive pronomial prefix). The "h" is dropped when preceded by the factual mode-prefix. The vowel is lengthened according to the vowel-lengthening rules.
-kë' : to see (in the Punctual-aspect form).

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