Nahuatl plural Nouns Flashcards
What are the absolutive endings that imply a noun?
tli, tl, li and n
How do you make a singular noun plural?
Drop absolutive -tli -tl -li
Add -meh
What are the only nouns that can be pluralized?
Only animate nouns: cats, dogs
Not inanimate nouns: books, tables
When using numbers indicating more than one, do you pluralize the noun? Give examples.
No.
1 book—se amoxtli
2 bookS—ome amoxtli
3 bookS—eyi amoxtli
How do you indicate “is, are”
I am a man, you are a man…?
Add prefix to the noun AND indicate plurality with meh. Ni—I am Ti—you are / — he, she is Ti—we are In— you all are / — they are
What are the prefixes to say
he/she/ they “is, are”?
There are NO prefixes for he/she/they is/are. Saying the noun alone indicates he is/ she is.
DO show noun number agreement for “they” by adding meh.
Noun conjugation practice:
I am a man. I am a woman
Tlaktl. Siwatl
You are a man. You are a woman
Ni tlaktl Ni siwatl.
Ti tlakatl. Ti siwatl.
Noun conjugation:
He, she is a man/woman.
Why is a prefix for “is” not used?
Tlakatl. Siwatl
Prefix not needed bc the noun by itself indicates “is”.
Explain: tlakameh
(No suffix) tlaka—meh
Hombre—s
Ellos son hombres.
Explain: intlakameh
In—tlaka—meh
Uds.—hombre—s
Ustedes son hombres.
Explain: titlakameh
Ti—tlaka—meh
Nos.—hombre—s
Nosotros somos hombres.
Explain: tlakatl
(No suf.) tlaka—tl (absol.=sing.)
Hombre
El es un hombre.
Explain: titlakatl
Ti—tlaka—tl
Tu—hombre—(absolutive=sing.)
Tu eres un hombre.
Explain: nitlakatl
Ni—tlaka—tl
Yo hombre (absolutive)
Yo soy un hombre.
Translate
What’s this?
Tlen inin?
What this
Translate
What’s that?
Tlen inon?
What that
Translate. Yes
Kena
Translate
No
Amo
Translate
Thanks
Tlaskamati
How do you express possession
My your her etc
Drop the absolutive ending tl, tli, li, n. and add the prefix for possession.
What are the prefixes for possession?
My—no Your—mo His, her—i Our — to Y’alls—inmo Their—inin
How do you pluralize a possessive?
Only what type of objects are pluralized ?
Add —wan as a postfix to the root
for plurals our, y’alls, their
Animate objects
What is the use of the —W when Indicating possession?
If the word ends in —tl, and it is a singular animate thing, drop the —tl and add —w as postfix
w= h/sound
How do you say my name is Juan?
No tokah Juan. Notokah Juan. 
How do you say your name is Mario?
Mo tokah Mario.
Motokah Mario.
How do you say her name is Elena?
I tokah Elena.
Itokah Elena.
How do you say what’s your name?
Keniwki motokah?
Explain:
Maria inantsin ichichi
Maria i nantsin i chichi
of mother of dog
Maria’s mother’s dog.
What suffixes do irregular possessives take? And give 3 examples.
—wi
tlalli— land notlalwi — my land
pahtli -medicine -nopahwi -my
Yeyohtli—nuera— noyeyohwi- my
Irregular possessives that end in —mitl change postfix to-____?
—itl change postfix to____?
And give 3 examples.
— mitl To —n —itl to —h Kotomitl—shirt. nokoton—my shirt tokaitl—name . notokah—my name Kweitl—skirt. Nokweh—my shirt
What particle is used to refer to the top part of the body? And for the bottom?
—tson. Top. Tsin—bottom
Give a general explanation on how verbs are conjugated.
Only the prefixes for the pronoun are used without changing the root word.
Add —h as postfix only for plurals. We, you all, they.
Name the personal pronouns and conjugate witoni—jump
Niwitoni tiwitoni (*)witoni I You. He,she
Tiwitonih inwitonih. Witonih
We. You all. They
What is an independent pronoun?
It’s a pronoun that is not attached to the root word and it’s optional.
How is an independent pronoun used?
An independent pronoun with a verve emphasizes who does in the action.
Name the independent pronouns.
Na Ta Ya Tohwantin
I,me you He, she, it Us
inmohwantin Inihwantin
You all Yahwantin
They
Explain:
Niwitoni Na niwitoni
Tiwitoni Ta tiwitoni
Witoni. Ya witoni
Tiwitonih. Tohwantin tiwitonih
Inwitonih. Inmohwantin
Inwitonih
Witonih. Inihwantin/Yahwantin
WitonihThe independent pronouns are added at the beginning of a conjugated verb to jump in the present to emphasize who does the action.
I jump. I(emphasis) jump.
You jump. You (emph) jump.
How is the suffix tsin— used?
What does it mean? What do you do with the absolutive endings of nouns when tsin— is used?
This suffix is similar to the postfix —ito, —ita, —itos, —itas in Spanish as in frijolitos, agüita.
Drop the absolutive endings of the nouns.
Explain:
Etl Frijoles Konetl niño
Etsin Frijolitos. Konetsin niñito
Atl. Agua. Juan Juantsin
Atsin. Agüita Juanito
These nouns use the diminutive as a postfix —tsin to imply respect. Tli, tl, li absolutives are dropped.
What happens when the prefix
Pil— is used along with the postfix—tsin with a noun?
It further exaggerates connotation of smallness or respect.
Explain:
Piletsin pilatsin pilkonetsin
Pilchichitsin
Etl frijoles
Etsin frijolitos (drop abolutive -tl and add —tsin)
Piletsin (add pil— and sacredness is implied.
Atl agua, atsin (drop tl) agüita, add pil making pilatsin agüita sagrada?
Konetl—konetsin—pilkonetsin
niño. Niñito Niniñito??
Chichi—chichitsin—pilchichitsin
Perro. Perrito. Perritito???
How do you pluralize a word ending in —tsin?
Add —tsin again.
Konetl konetsin konetsitsin—niños
What prefix is used to turn verbs into command (imperative)?
What do you for verbs that end with ia, —oa?
Xi— turns verbs into commands.
Verbs ending in —ia —oa drop “a” and retain stress on second to last syllable.
What’s the imperative of tlakwa, motlaloa, momachtia?
Xitlakwa, eat
Ximotlalo, run
Ximomachti, study
Explain:
xitlakwa eat!!
Ximotlalo run!!
ximomachti study!!
Tlakwa to eat xitlakwa (only verbs ending in —ia, —oa drop “a”)
Motlaloa to run Ximotlalo (verb ends in —oa so drop “a”)
Momachtia to study ximomachti (verb ends in —ia. Drop “a”.
What postfix pluralizes a command? (To command more than one person?)
—kan is added at end of command.
Explain: xitlakwakan, ximotlalokan, ximomachtikan
Tlakwa—xi+tlakwa+kan estudien!!
Motlaloa—xi+motlalo+kan
Corran!!
Momachtia—xi+momachti+ kan
Estudien!!!
