| Neka! Ashuapami! | Mom! Wait for me! |
The noun neka ‘Mom!’ in the above example (pronounced [ni:ka:] in Labrador Innu) is in the vocative. Compare this with the regular form nikaui. The vocative is a traditional grammatical form used when addressing someone. Here are some more examples:
| Nouns with a vocative form | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nutaui | → | nuta! | Dad! |
| nishim | → | nishi! | Little Brother or Little Sister! |
| nikanishat | → | nikanishitikᵘ! | My Dear Parents! |
| Nouns that take the clitic e after the noun: | |||
| Ńuish | → | Ńuish e | Louise! |
| nishtesh | → | nishtesh e | Older Brother! |
For more information, consult Grammaire innue (Drapeau, 2014) pages 42-43.