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Demonstrative Pronouns Review
Each vocabulary word is accompanied by a demonstrative pronoun. When a demonstrative pronoun follows a noun, a complete sentence is formed meaning: this is a ____, these are ____. The demonstrative pronouns match the animacy of the word, as well matching whether the word is singular or plural. The demonstrative pronouns are included to help learners memorize the animacy of the nouns used.
Here is a quick overview of the demonstrative pronouns used here.
| animate noun | inanimate noun | |
| singular noun (this is a ____) | awa | ôma |
| plural noun (these are _____) | ôki | ôhi |
Consonants: p, t, k, c, h, m, n, s, w, y
Letter p – note how the letter sound changes when it is between two vowels
pipon ôma (this is winter), wâpos awa (this is a rabbit), sîsîp awa (this is a duck), pîsimohkân ôma (this is a clock)
Letter t – note how the letter sound changes when it is between two vowels
têhtapiwin ôma (this is a chair), atim awa (this is a dog), tohtôsâpoy ôma (this is milk), sîwihtâkan ôma (this is salt)
Letter k – note how the letter sound changes when it is between two vowels
kinêpik awa (this is a snake), sikâk awa (this is a skunk), kinosêw awa (this is a fish), wâskahikan ôma (this is a house)
Letter c – note that this letter can have either the sound “ch” as in Chelsea, or “ts” as in cats. In this course we use the “ts” sound.
cahkâs ôma (this is ice-cream), mîcimâpoy ôma (this is soup), cîscahikanis ôma (this is a fork), acâhkos awa (this is a star)
Letter h – note that this letter will usually have a noticeable h sound, but sometimes (not always!) when it comes between two vowels, the h will soften into a glide.
pimihâkan ôma (this is a plane), sâkahikan ôma (this is a lake), kihêw awa (this is an eagle), masinahikan ôma (this is a book)
Letter m
maskisin ôma (this is a shoe), âmow awa (this is a bee), maskwa awa (this is a bear), mistatim awa (this is a horse)
Letter n
anikwacâs awa (this is a squirrel), kôna awa (this is snow), nâpêsis awa (this is a boy), nipêwin ôma (this is a bed)
Letter s
sîwinikan awa (this is sugar), minôsis awa (this is a kitten), mostos awa (this is a cow), sâponikan ôma (this is a sewing needle)
Letter w – note that these examples do not include vowel-w blends. The “w” sound acts here as more of a consonant than a semi-vowel.
wîyâkan ôma (this is a dish), wâkâs awa (this is a banana), wâwa ôhi (these are eggs), osâwâs awa (this is an orange)
Letter y – note that these examples do not include vowel-y blends. The “y” sound acts here as more of a consonant than a semi-vowel.
yêkaw ôma (this is sand), yêkawiskâw ôma (this is a beach), yîkihtawamow ôma (this is a forked road), yohtênikan ôma (this is a doorknob)
Short vowels: a, i, o
Letter a
apihkêsîs awa (this is a spider), asikanak ôki (these are socks), askipwâwa ôhi (these are potatoes), awâsis awa (this is a child)
Letter i
iskwêsis awa (this is a girl), âpisimôsos awa (this is a deer), picikwâs awa (this is an apple), otêhimin ôma (this is a strawberry)
Letter o
oskâtâsk awa (this is a carrot), mostosowîyâs ôma (this is beef), ocicâhk awa (this is a crane), okiniy awa (this is a tomato)
Long vowels: ê, â, î, ô
Letter ê
êyik awa (this is an ant), napatêhkasikan awa (this is pie), kinêpik awa (this is a snake), wâpamêk awa (this is a whale)
Letter â
âpakosîs awa (this is a mouse), âhkik awa (this is a seal), kistikân ôma (this is a farm), simâkanis awa (this is a police officer)
Letter î
mînisa ôhi (these are berries), pîsim awa (this is the sun), nîpiy ôma (this is a leaf), mîcimâpôhkân ôma (this is canned soup)
Letter ô
ôhow awa (this is an owl), sôminisak ôki (these are raisins), sôniyâw awa (this is money), minôs awa (this is a cat)
Vowel blends: êw, êy, âw, aw, iw, iy, ow, oy (semi-vowels)
êw blend
iskwêw awa (this is a woman), nâpêw awa (this is a man), pîkisêwin ôma (this is steam), iskotêw ôma (this is fire)
êy blend
pêyakôskân awa (this is a family), âmow-mêyi ôma (this is honey), asikanêyâpiy ôma (this is yarn), mêyi ôma (this is poop)
âw blend
yâwâtakan ôma (this is a cave), pâwistik ôma (this is a waterfall), kîskahcâw ôma (this is a cliff), sakâw ôma (this is a forest)
aw blend
ispatinaw ôma (this is a hill), kihci-mêskanaw ôma (this is a highway), pimiskanaw ôma (this is an animal trail/track), mêskanaw ôma (this is a road)
iw blend
âhâsiw awa (this is a crow), âhâsiwimina ôhi (these are juniper berries/crow berries), iyiniwacisak ôki (these are green beans), wiyâsiyiniwak ôki (these are butchers)
iy blend
nipiy ôma (this is water), askiy ôma (this is dirt/soil), asiniyak ôki (these are stones), pîsimoyâpiy ôma (this is a rainbow)
ow blend
waskow ôma (this is a cloud), wâpôhow awa (this is a snowy owl), âmow-piyêsîs awa (this is a hummingbird), kîsowahpison awa (this is a scarf)
oy blend
mîcimâpoy ôma (this is soup), maskihkîwâpoy ôma (this is tea), apoyak ôki (these are oars/paddles), sîwâpoy ôma (this is pop)
VhC: vowel-h-consonant clusters
Note how vowels in vowel-h-consonant clusters take on a long sound but a shorter duration. This is true whether the vowel was originally short or long.
môhkomân ôma (this is a knife), pahkwêsikan awa (this is bread), pâhkpahâhkwân awa (this is chicken), minihkwêwiyâkanis ôma (this is a cup)
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