Sketch of Grammar of the Chippeway Languages | Page 4

good man; menwawezheh eneneh, an industrious
man.
Adjectives are not varied to agree with their nouns, nor do they have
any regular comparison.

The following is a list of Numeral Adjectives:
Pazhick, 1 Neezhe, 2 Nesweh, 3 Newin, 4 Nahnun, 5 Ingoodwahsweh,
6 Neswahsweh, 7 Shahsweh, 8 Shongsweh, 9 Metahsweh, 10
Metahsweh ahshepazhick, 11 ---- ahsheneezhe, 12 ---- ahshenesweh, 13
---- ahshenewin, 14 ---- ahshenahnun, 15 ---- ahsheingoodwahsweh, 16
---- ahsheneswahsweh, 17 ---- ahsheswahsweh, 18 ---- ahsheshongsweh,
19 Nestahnah, 20 Nestahnah ahshepachick, 21 ---- ahsheneezhe, 22 ----
ahshenesweh, 23 ---- ahshenewin, 24 ---- ahshenahnun, 25 ----
ahsheingoodwahsweh, 26 ---- ahsheneswahsweh, 27 ----
ahsheshahsweh, 28 ---- absheshongsweh, 29 Nesemetahnah, 30
Nemedahnah, 40 Nahnemedahnah, 50 Ingoodwahsemedahnah, 60
Neswahsemedahnah, 70 Swahsemedahnah, 80
Shonggahswehmedahnah, 90 Ingoodwak, 100 Nezhwak, 200 Neswak,
300 Newak, 400 Nahnwak, 500 Ingoodwahswak, 600 Nezhahswak,
700 Shawhswak, 800 Shongahswak, 900 Medahswak, 1000
Neezhemedahswak, 2000 Medahswehdahswak, 10,000
Nestahnahdahswak, 20,000 Nemedahnahdahswak, 40,000
OF VERBS.
A Verb is a word which signifies to be, to do, or to suffer; as,
Nedahyah, I am; Nedebahkoonewa, I rule; Nedebahkoonegoo, I am
ruled.
Verbs are of three kinds, active, passive, and neuter.
A Verb Active expresses an action, and necessarily implies an agent
and an object acted upon; as, Nezhahgeah James, I love James.
A Verb Passive expresses passion or a suffering or the receiving of an
action, and implies an object acted upon, and an agent by which it is
acted upon; as, Chezhahwaneding, to be loved; John oojezhahwanemah
neen, John is loved by me.
A Verb Neuter expresses neither action nor passion, but being or a state
of being; as, Nenebah, I sleep; Nenahmahdub, I sit.

Verbs have number, person, mood and tense.
NUMBER AND PERSON.
Verbs have two numbers, the singular and the plural.
There are three persons in each number; as,
Pers. Singular. Plural. 1. Nezhahwanega, I love. Nezhahwanegamin,
we love. 2. Kezhahwanega, thou lovest. Kezhahwanegaim, you love. 3.
Zhawanega, he loves. Zhahwanegawug, they love.
MOOD.
The moods are five, Indicative, Subjunctive, Imperative, Potential, and
the Infinitive.
The Indicative declares or affirms positively, or it asks a question; as,
Zhahwanega, he loves; Zhahwaneganah? Does he love?
The Subjunctive expresses action or passion in a doubtful manner; as,
Kespin zhahwanegaid, if he loves.
The Imperative is used for commanding, exhorting, and entreating; as,
Mahjahn keen, depart thou; Noodahmooyook, do thou listen.
The Potential implies possibility, liberty, power, will; as, Tahgemewan
kahnahbuge, it may rain; Kegahwesenemin kiya kahmenequamin, we
shall eat and drink.
The Infinitive simply expresses the signification of the verb; as,
Cheezechegang, to do; Chegegedoong, to speak.
TENSE.
Verbs have six tenses, the present, the imperfect, the perfect, the
pluperfect, the first and second future tenses.
The present tense represents a present action as taking place at the time

in which it is mentioned; as, Nebop, I laugh; Newob, I see; Nedenadum,
I think.
The imperfect tense denotes past action or event however distant,
finished, but without defining the exact time of its completion; as,
Oodanongezahbahneeg ahpe naquaskahwod, they were travelling to the
town when he met them.
The perfect tense refers not only to what is past but also conveys an
allusion to the present time; as, Ahzheh negegezhetoon
nemahzhenahegun, I have finished my letter.
The pluperfect tense represents a thing, not only as past, but also as
prior to some other point of time specified in the sentence; as,
Ahzehnegegezhetonahbun letter chebwabedahgweshing, I had finished
my letter before he arrived.
The first future tense represents the action as yet to come, either with or
without respect to the precise time when; as, Owh kezis
tahbemookahum wahbung, the sun will rise to-morrow.
The second future tense represents a future action that will be
accomplished before another future action; as, Negahwesenenahbun
nahwahquaig, I shall have dined at twelve o'clock.
A Verb is conjugated in the following manner:
TO LOVE.--Indicative Mood.
Present Tense.
Sing. 1. Nezhahwanega, I love. 2. Kezhahwanega, Thou lovest. 3.
Zhahwanega, He loves. Plur. 1. Nezhahwanegamin, We love. 2.
Kezhahwanegaim, Ye or you love. 3. Zhahwanegawug, They love.
Imperfect.
Sing. 1. Negezhahwanega, I loved. 2. Kegezhahwanega, Thou lovedst.
3. Kezhahwanega, He loved. Plur. 1. Negezhahwanegamin, We loved.

2. Kegezhahwanegaim, Ye or you loved. 3. Kezhawanegawug, They
loved.
Perfect.
Sing. 1. Ahzehnegezhahwanega, I have loved. 2.
Ahzehkegezhahwanega, Thou hast loved. 3. Ahzehkezhahwanega, He
has loved. Plur. 1. Ahzehnegezhahwanegamin, We have loved. 2.
Ahzehkegezhahwanegaim, Ye or you have loved. 3.
Ahzehkezhahwanegawug, They have loved.
Pluperfect.
Sing. 1. Ahzehnegezhahwaneganahbun, I had loved. 2.
Ahzehkegezhahwaneganahbun, Thou hadst loved. 3.
Ahzehkezhahwanegabun, He had loved. Plur. 1.
Ahzehnegezhawanegaminahbun, We had loved. 2.
Ahzehkegezhahwanegamwahbun, You had loved. 3.
Ahzehkezhahwanegabahneeg, They had loved.
First Future.
Sing. 1. Negahzhahwanega, I shall or will love. 2. Kegahzhahwanega,
Thou shalt or wilt love. 3. Tahzhahwanega, He shall or will love. Plur.
1. Negahzhahwanegamin, We shall or will love. 2.
Kegahzhahwanegaim, You shall or will love. 3.