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14 Plural adjectives and verbs

Adjectives and verbs in Mvskoke often describe how many individuals are involved in a sentence.

  • Some adjectives and verbs have a two-way distinction based on whether the subject is SINGULAR (for one) or PLURAL (for two or more).
Heyv pvkanvt cvmpēt os. This peach is sweet. singular subject
Heyv pvkanvt cvmcvpēt os. These peaches are sweet. plural subject
  • Other verbs may have a three-way distinction based on whether the subject is SINGULAR (for one), DUAL (for two), or TRIPLURAL (for three or more).
Efv hvmket arvtēs. One dog was about (long ago). singular subject
Efv hokkolet welakvtēs. Two dogs were about (long ago). dual subject
Efv tuccēnet fullvtēs. Three dogs were about (long ago). triplural subject
  • The most common way to indicate a plural subject is with the suffix -vk (which changes in different grades to -ak, -ahk, or -ąk).
Mv honvnwvt hompes. The man is eating. singular subject
Mv honvntaket hompakes. The men are eating. plural subject
  • Some verbs also have different forms for a singular or plural direct object.
Nokosen elēcvtēs. He/she killed the bear (long ago). singular object
Nokosen pvsatvtēs. He/she killed the bears (long ago). plural object
  • When verbs have different forms for plural subjects, the singular will be used for commands to one, and the plurals will be used for commands to two, two or more, or three or more.
liketv / kaketv / vpoketv ‘to sit (singular / dual / triplural)’
likvs! / kakvks! / vpokvks! ‘sit (to one / two / three or more)!’
  • Similarly, the singular verb will be used for singular persons, and the plural forms will be used for plural persons.
Plural verb conjugations
liketv / kaketv / vpoketv ‘to sit (singular / dual / triplural)’
first person singular likis
second person singular liketskes
third person singular likes
first person dual / triplural kakēs             /      vpokēs
second person dual / triplural kakatskes     /       vpokatskes
third person dual / triplural kakakes        /       vpokakes

Plural adjectives

Adjectives have different forms for singular or plural subjects. The plural forms are also used when modifying a noun that is understood to be plural. There are four ways of forming a plural adjective.

  • A few adjectives have completely different forms in the singular and plural.
Singular (1): Plural (2+):
cutkē ‘small’ lopockē ‘small (of two or more)’
elē ‘dead’ pvsvtkē ‘dead (of two or more)’
kvckē ‘snapped, broken’ kvcēkē ‘snapped, broken (of two or more)’
  • Some adjectives form plurals with -ho-. These words often end in a double consonant.
enokkē ‘sick’ enokhokē ‘sick (of two or more)’
hiyē ‘hot’ hihoyē ‘hot (of two or more)’
holattē ‘blue’ holathoyē ‘blue (of two or more)’
honnē ‘heavy’ honhoyē ‘heavy (of two or more)’
kvsvppē ‘cold’ kvsvphoyē ‘cold (of two or more)’
  • Some adjectives form plurals by copying the first consonant and vowel of the root (C1V1). The roots of these adjectives generally end in two different consonants. The C1V1 copy appears before the last consonant of the root.
hvtkē ‘white’ hvthvkē ‘white (of two or more)’
cekfē ‘thick’ cekcefē ‘thick (of two or more)’
cetakkē ‘torn up’ cetakcekē ‘torn up (of two or more)’
cvmpē ‘sweet’ cvmcvpē ‘sweet (of two or more)’
cvpkē ‘long’ cvpcvkē ‘long (of two or more)’
fvckē ‘full’ fvcfvkē ‘full (of two or more)’
fvmpē ‘stinky’ fvmfvpē ‘stinky (of two or more)’
hopvnkē ‘broken’ hopvnhokē ‘broken (of two or more)’
hvokē ‘open’ hvohvkē ‘open (of two or more)’
hvsvtkē ‘clean’ hvsvthvkē ‘clean (of two or more)’
kvrpē ‘dry’ kvrkvpē ‘dry (of two or more)’
lekvcwē ‘dirty’ lekvclewē ‘dirty (of two or more)’
leskē ‘old (of a thing)’ leslekē ‘old (of two or more things)’
lowakē ‘flexible’ lowalokē ‘flexible (of two or more)’
lowvckē ‘soft’ lowvclokē ‘soft (of two or more)’
lvokē ‘deep (of water)’ lvolvkē ‘deep (of two or more)’
lvpotkē ‘straight’ lvpotlvkē ‘straight (of two more)’
lvstē ‘black’ lvslvtē ‘black (of two or more)’
rakkē ‘big’ rakrvkē ‘big (of two or more)’
sufkē ‘deep (of a hole)’ sufsukē ‘deep (of two or more holes, etc.)’
tvnkē ‘empty’ tvntvkē ‘empty (of two or more)’
tvphē ‘wide’ tvptvhē ‘wide (of two or more)’
vcakē ‘precious’ vcacvkē ‘precious (of two or more)’
wvnhē ‘hard’ wvnwvhē ‘hard (of two or more)’
yomockē ‘dark’ yomocyokē ‘dark (of two or more)’
  • Most roots that copy C1V1 in the plural end in Ck (where “C” is a consonant). In fact, some adjectives ending in kC switch the last two consonants to Ck so that k will be after the copy.
cufoknē ‘pointed’ cufuncokē ‘pointed (of two or more)’
cvfeknē ‘healthy’ cvfencvkē ‘healthy (of two or more)’
poloksē ‘round’ polospokē ‘round (of two or more)’
tvpeksē ‘flat’ tvpestvkē ‘flat (of two or more)’
  • The last way to form plural adjectives is to use the suffix -vk. Adjectives ending in a single consonant usually form plurals this way.
catē ‘red’ catvkē ‘red (of two or more)’
elvwē ‘hungry’ elvwvkē ‘hungry (of two or more)’
hoporrenē ‘smart’ hoporrenvkē ‘smart (of two or more)’
hotosē ‘tired’ hotosvkē ‘tired (of two or more)’
lanē ‘green, yellow, brown’ lanvkē ‘green, yellow, brown (of two or more)’
nockelē ‘sleepy’ nockelvkē ‘sleepy (of two or more)’
wvnhkē ‘thirsty’ wvnhkvkē ‘thirsty (of two or more)’
yekcē ‘strong’ yekcvkē ‘strong (of two or more)’

Verbs with plural subjects

Some verbs are like adjectives in having a two-way distinction in forms used for singular and plural subjects.

Singular: Plural:
eletv pvsvtketv ‘(1/2+) to die’
opunvyetv opunahoyetv ‘(1/2+) to talk’
tiyetv tihoyetv ‘(1/2+) to ache’
vpiketv vtehketv ‘(1/2+) to get inside’

It’s more common, however, for verbs to have a three-way distinction between singular, dual, and triplural subjects. Verbs describing position (‘sit’, ‘stand’, ‘lie’) or movement (‘go’, ‘come’) frequently make these distinctions.

Singular: Dual: Triplural:
ecēyetv ecēhoyetv escēyetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go in’
fiketv fihoketv fvyecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to turn’
folotketv folothoketv folotecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to turn around’
hoyvnetv hoyvnhoyetv hoyvnecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to pass by’
hueretv sehoketv svpakletv ‘(1/2/3+) to stand up’
hvkihketv hvkihhoketv hvkahecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to cry’
hvtvpketv hvtvphoketv hvtvpecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go down’
letketv tokurketv pefatketv ‘(1/2/3+) to run’
liketv kaketv vpoketv ‘(1/2/3+) to sit down’
lvtketv yurketv pvlvtketv ‘(1/2/3+) to fall’
nucetv nuchoyetv nucicetv ‘(1/2/3+) to sleep’
ossetv oshoyetv sossetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go out’
pihketv pihhoketv pahecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to whoop’
solotketv solothoketv solotecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to slide’
somketv somhoketv somecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to be lost’
tasketv tashoketv tasecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to jump’
tiketv tihoketv tvyecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go across water’
tvmketv tvmhoketv tvmecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to fly’
vcemketv vcemhoketv vcemecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to climb’
vlvketv vlahoketv yicetv ‘(1/2/3+) to arrive’
vretv welvketv fulletv ‘(1/2/3+) to go about’
vtetv vthoyetv vwetv ‘(1/2/3+) to come’
vyetv vhoyetv vpeyetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go’
wakketv wakhoketv lomhetv ‘(1/2/3+) to lie down’
wohketv wohhoketv wohecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to bark’
(no singular) wolketv wolecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go outside’
’yefolketv ’yefolhoketv ’yefolecetv ‘(1/2/3+) to go back’

Note that with many of the three-way verbs above, the dual includes –ho and the triplural includes –ec.

  • Other verbs generally use a suffix -vk to indicate a plural subject.
hecetv ‘to see, look’ hecvketv ‘to see, look’ (of two or more)’
eyacetv ‘to want’ eyacvketv ‘to want (of two or more)’
hompetv ‘to eat’ hompvketv ‘to eat (of two or more)’
  • The plural suffix -vk becomes -ak in the lengthened grade, -ahk in the aspirating grade, and –ąk in the nasalizing grade.
hecetv      ‘to see, look’
hec- + lgr. + -es → hēces ‘he/she sees, is looking’
hec- + -vk + lgr. + -es → hecakes ‘they see, are looking’
hec- + hgr. + -es → hehces ‘he/she saw it (today/last night)’
hec- + -vk + hgr. + -es → hecahkes ‘they saw it (today/last night)’

It is easy to confuse plural -vk with impersonal agent -vk. Impersonal agent -vk is in the same slot as the agent markers, though, and does not change in different grades.

Verbs with plural objects

  • Verbs that take direct objects sometimes specify whether the direct object is singular or plural.
Singular object: Plural object:
elēcetv pvsvtetv ‘to kill (1/2+)’
cutecicetv lopocecicetv ‘to make (1/2+) small’
hvtvpecicetv hvtvphuecetv ‘to make (1/2+) step down’
kvcetv kvcēyetv ‘to snap (1/2+)’
esetv cvwetv ‘to take (1/2+)’
solotecicetv solothuecetv ‘to make (1/2+) slide’
somecicetv somhuecetv ‘to lose (1/2+)’
tvmecicetv tvmhuecetv ‘to make (1/2+) fly, flush’
vpiketv vtehetv ‘to put (1/2+) inside’
’yefulecicetv ’yefulhuecetv ‘to make (1/2+) go back’
  • Some verbs make a three-way distinction between a singular object, dual object, and triplural object.
huericetv sehoyetv svpaklēcetv ‘to stand (1/2/3+), make stand’
letecicetv tokurhuecetv pefatecicetv ‘to run off (1/2/3+)’
licetv kayetv vpoyetv ‘to set, seat (1/2/3+)’
ossicetv oshuecetv sossicetv ‘to let (1/2/3+) go out, put out’
wvkecetv wakhokicetv lumhicetv ‘to lay (1/2/3+)’

Many of these are formed by adding -ec or -ecic ‘cause, make’ to a more basic verb form.

  • With verbs like these, it is usually necessary to keep track of number in the subject as well as the direct object.
Nokosen elēcvtēs. He/she killed the bear (long ago). singular subject and object
Nokosen pvsatvtēs. He/she killed the bears (long ago). singular subject, plural object
Nokosen elēcakvtēs. They killed the bear (long ago). plural subject, singular object
Nokosen pvsvtakvtēs. They killed the bears (long ago). plural subject, plural object

 

 

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Mvskoke Language Patterns Copyright © by Jack Martin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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