ABENAKI GRAMMAR - LESSON ONE

Prepared by: JOSEPH ALFRED ELIE JOUBERT

PARTS OF SPEECH



ADJECTIVE

ADJECTIVE = is a word that describes a noun. Occasionally nouns are used as adjectives, etc: the grain elevator. Verbs can also be changed into adjectives, etc: play to playful. Nouns can be changed into adjectives, etc: beauty to beautiful.



VERBS

VERB = is a word that expresses an action, an occurrence, or state of being. The Abenaki Language has animate verbs and inanimate verbs. Most verbs are conjugated with the following categories:

      ANIMATE SUBSTANTIVE VERB

      POSSESSIVE VERB

      ADJECTIVE VERB

      OBJECTIVE VERB

      DUBITATIVE VERB

      PASSIVE VERB

      RELATIVE VERB



The Abenaki verb has four moods. They are as follows:

      INDICATIVE MOOD

      CONDITIONAL MOOD

      SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

      IMPERATIVE MOOD



Most Abenaki verbs have six tenses. They are as follows:

      PRESENT TENSE

      PAST TENSE

      PAST INDEFINITE TENSE

      PLUPERFECT TENSE

      FUTURE TENSE

      SECOND FUTURE TENSE



ADVERBS



ADVERB = is a word that modifies or qualifies the verb. The Abenaki adverb will describe the following:

      WHEN

      HOW

      WHERE

      HOW OFTEN

      TO WHAT EXTENT



They also can provide a modification to an adjective, etc: moderately heavy



PREPOSITIONS



PREPOSITIONS = is a word that establishes a relationship between a noun and other words in a sentence. Abenaki prepositions maybe single word or multiword.



CONJUNCTIONS



CONJUNCTION = is a word that connects and establishes a specific logical relationship between complete sentences or sentence elements. In the Abenaki language we have four types of conjunctions. They are as follows:

      COODINATE CONJUNCTIONS

      CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTIONS

      SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS

      ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS



INTERJECTIONS



INTERJECTIONS = are brief, emphatic words that is frequently followed by an exclamation point, or set off by a comma, etc: Wow! or Shucks, I missed the turkey.



Please do not be overwhelmed with all the information I have presented. You will not be required to put it to memory. Please use it as a road map on your voyage through our language. However, during the course of our sharing the language, I will be referring to these terms.






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