Spelling and Pronunciation Rules

Question 1

What happens to a “y” after a consonant?

Answer 1

It gets deleted.

Ex. “yi” ending in ápssiyi (arrow) vs. paatááki (potato, not spelled paatáákyi)

Question 2

How is the suffix “-wa” pronounced?

Answer 2

It’s often not voiced at all, or at least not with the vowel, so just a breathed “-w”.

Question 3

What happens when a “t” is followed by an “i”, ex. “ti”?

Answer 3

It becomes “tsi”.

t+i = tsi

Question 4

How do you pronounce vowels at the end of words?

Answer 4

They are usually voiceless or softly whispered.

Question 5

How do you pronounce a short vowel that comes before an “h”?

Answer 5

It’s voiceless, or pronounced simultaneously with the ‘h’.

Question 6

What happens when “h” follows “si”, e.g. si+h?

Answer 6

It becomes ‘ss’.

si + h = ss

Question 7

What’s the difference between tense and aspect in Piikani grammar?

Answer 7

Tense refers to time (past, present, future).

Aspect refers to if a event or process is completed or ongoing.

In English tense and aspect are represented together, but they are applied separately in Piikani.

Question 8

What are the short forms sometimes used for the person prefixes nit-, kit-, and ot-?

Answer 8

n-, k-, w-

Question 9

What do you add to a noun that is non-specific?

Answer 9

Add “-i” to the end.

Ex: owa (the eggs) vs. owai (any eggs)