All about me | ’een’thu
Our journey into person marking starts with first person singular—that is the speaker.
First person singular pronouns in English are: “I”, “me”, “my”, “mine”
Here are all the different ways of expressing first person singular in Hul’q’umi’num’—
• ’een’thu ~ ’unthu “It’s me” “I am” “to/for/by… me”
(1) | ’een’thu Swustanulwut. | |
I am Swustanulwut. | ||
(2) | ’een’thu tse’ kwu’elh le’lum’ut. | |
It is me that will be looking after him. | ||
(3) | m’i ch tseelqum ’utl’ ’een’thu. | |
Come follow me. |
• tsun ~ tsu “I”
The first person singular subject pronoun is tsun “I”.
Put tsun after the first major word of the sentence.
It is a second position clitic —a small word that clings.
(4) | nem’ tsun ’umshasum’. | |
I am going for a walk. | ||
(5) | ni’ tsun kwu’elh kwunnuhw. | |
I indeed got it. | ||
(6) | ’i tsun t’ut’i’wi’ulh. | |
I am praying. | ||
(7) | t’i’wi’ulh tsun tse’. | |
I will pray. | ||
(8) | yuxwule’ tsun. | |
I am an eagle. | ||
(9) | nan tsun ’uw’ kw’ekw’i’. | |
I am very hungry. |
• nu “my”
(10) | sii’em’ nu siiye’yu | |
my respected friends and relatives | ||
(11) | ni’ ’untsu kwthunu kapou? | |
Where is my coat? |
Note, some Snuneymuxw speakers say ‘unuts for “where”.
(12) | ni’ ’unuts kwunu kapou?/td> | |
Where is my coat? | ||
• kwunus “that I ….. (do something )” “for me… (to do something)”
(13) | skw’ey kwunus nem’ tl’tawun. | |
I can’t got to town. | ||
It’s impossible for me to go to town. | ||
(14) | ‘uy’ kwunus huye’. | |
I’d better leave. | ||
It is good for me to leave. | ||
(15) | ‘uy’ nu shqwaluwun kwunus lumnamu. | |
I am happy to see you. | ||
Note, some Snuneymuxw speakers say shqweluwun.
(16) | ‘uy’ nu shqweluwun kwunus lumnamu. | |
I am happy to see you. |