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.