VTI 3^rd Person Inflection in the Independent Indicative Present

In the 3^rd person of the Independent Indicative Present, the suffix -u- , which usually marks 3^rd persons, is added. However, if nothing else is added, which is the case for the proximate (non-obviative) 3^rd person singular, the suffix -u is no longer pronounced as a true u because of the (labial) consonant m preceding itA consonant followed by a raised u (C^u) is called a labialized consonant, because it is pronounced by rounding the lips. The most common labialized consonant in Innu is k^u, as in atik^u caribou. There are also m^u, pishim^u month, sh^u, nish^u two, t^u, nisht^u three. For more information on labialized consonants, see… ; the suffix -u is therefore written as a raised (superscript) ᵘ, because the consonant becomes labialized: tutam^u s/he does something, uapatam^u s/he sees something. When another suffix is added to the 3^rd person suffix, the u is clearly heard and is therefore no longer raised: tutamuat they do something, tutamupan s/he did something. In the obviative, the inflection -u- comes after the 1^st marker of obviation:

STEM + am + ń + u + a

For example:

tshitapat + am + ń + u + a

=

tshitapatamińua

s/he (obv) watches something