HOME | Nouns
| PR | VAI
| VII | VTA | VTI
Pers
| Dem | Inter
| Dub | Indef
| Animate Singular |
awegwen |
| Animate Plural |
awegwenag |
| Animate Obviative |
awegwenan |
| Inanimate Singular |
wegodogwen |
| Inanimate Plural |
wegodogwenan |
• Dubitative pronouns are used when the identity of a person or thing is
unknown or in considerable doubt. They correspond in some of their usages with
the English pronouns whoever and whatever,
as in Whatever might that be?!
• The following are some examples
of the usage of dubitative pronouns in sentences:
- Miish i'iw gaa-ikidod awegwen
a'aw. 'She said she didn't know who it was (that caused that).' (MK)
- "Awegwen imaa gaa-kinjiba'iwegwen," gii-ikidowag
iko mewinzha. '"Wonder who it was that ran away," they used to say long ago.'
(MK)
- Mii iniw gaa-nagishkawaawaajin awegwenan dinowan.
'They wondered what sort of things they had met up with.' (MK)
- "Awegwen manidoo," gii-ikidowag iko. 'They used
to say that they were some sort of manitou.' (MK)
- Awegwen dino giigoonh.
'I don't know what kind of fish (it was).' (MK)
- Mii iwidi minisaabikong, miish iidog imaa apane inaabiwin enaabiigiseg, mii
go gaye bwaanawi'aawaad ingiw - awegwenag ingiw manidoog,
animikiig, - ji-nisaawaapan, mii iniw gichi-giigoonyan. 'The rock island is
where the lightning bolts always strike, but they're unable to do it - I don't
know who those manitous are, Thunderers - to kill the big fish.' (MK)
- "Awegwen giiwenh wedayigwen," indinendam, gaa-pi-izhi-maajiibatooyaan.
'"Whose dog is that," I wondered, and I started running this way.' (MK)
- Awegwenag naa. 'I don't know what they are.'
(MK)
- Geyaabi go, mii ezhi-namesing iniw, wegodogwen iidog
dinowan, dibi gaa-taawaagwen imaa neyaashiing. 'There are still marks of things,
whatever kind of things, where they must have lived there on the point.' (MK)
- "Nandobaniwag," gii-ikidowag iko; wegodogwen iidog
i'iw gii-nandobaniwaad. "They 'nandobani'," she used to say; I don't know
what it meant for them to 'nandobani'.' (MK)
- Wegodogwen go waa-miijiyaan nimbiidamaagoo.
'Whatever I want to eat is brought to me.' (AW)
- Wegodogwen iidog gaa-naadiwaanen imaa. 'I don't
remember what I was going there to fetch.' (MK)