The verbs uikan and tshishin have stems ending in n. Note that the verb does not have the final -u, characteristic of the third person in the Independent Indicative Present. Also, in the 3rd person conjunct, the final n of the stem is deleted and the ending is -k instead of the -t that is used with other II stems.
The n from the stem is visible in most forms, for example in the Independent Indicative Past uikanipanit was delicious, in the obviative of the Independent Indicative Present: uikanńu(her/his meal…) is delicious, and in the Conjunct Indirect: uikanikue(I don’t know if…) it’s delicious.
EXAMPLES OF II VERBS WITH n STEMS
pakan
it is swollen
apu pakak
it is not swollen
uikan
it’s delicious
uikanipan
it was delicious
animan
it’s difficult
apu animak
it’s not difficult
tipanan
it’s distinct
tipananipan
it was distinct
uapan
it’s dawn
apu uapak
it’s not dawn
apatan
it’s important
apu apatak
it’s not important
matshan
it is ugly
matshanipan
it was ugly
nukuan
it is visible
apu nukuak
it is not visible
upain
it is lifted by the waves
apu upaik
it is not lifted by the waves
makain
there are big waves
apu makaik
there are not big waves
mitshen
it is plentiful
apu mitshek
it is not plentiful
nipin
it’s summer
nipinipan
it was summer
tshishin
it’s freezing cold
apu tshishik
it is not freezing cold
putin
it is blurry
apu putik
it is not blurry
nitautshin
it grows
nitautshinipan
it grew
takuatshin
it’s autumn
apu takuatshik
it’s not autumn
sheun
it is fragile
apu sheuk
it is not fragile
ńikun
it is a dry snowfall
ńikunipan
it was a dry snowfall
akutinun
it is muddy
apu akutinuk
it is not muddy
pipun
it’s winter
apu pipuk
it’s not winter
eshun
it is enamelled
eshunitshe
it must be enamelled
kashtun
there is a tornado
apu kashtuk
there is not a tornado
COMMENTS
In the independent, the vowel i is inserted between the n of the stem and a modal suffix (-pan, -tak, -shapan, -tshe, -kupan); in spoken Innu, sometimes a uBoth possibilities are historically attested, but for pedagogical reasons of uniformity in the conjugations, only the form of the suffix with the i has been kept in standard Innu spelling: nutinipan. [nutinipan] or [nutinupan] it was windy is heard.
It is important not to confuse the verbs that have n stems everywhere with the verbs that have un stems in the western dialects. The latter alternate in other dialects with u stems. See u(n) stems.
