You've now learned how to express yourself in Arapaho in the present, past and future. However, you've probably noticed that all of our expressions up to this point are "yes" answers. Arapaho makes an important distinction between "yes" and "no" verb forms. Compare:

 

tenéi'éíhi-noo	I am strong
néíhoow-téi'eih	I am not strong (I am weak)
tenéi'éíh-t	He is strong
hoow-téi'eih	He is not strong
tenéi'óó-'	It is strong
hoow-téi'oo	It is not strong

 

The word for "not" is hoowu-, which is often shortened to hoow-. The different persons are indicated by prefixes rather than suffixes when negative statements are made.

The forms used are as follows (with the verb tei'eihi- 'to be strong' used as an example):

 

1sing	néi-hoow-téi'eih	I'm not strong
2sing	héi-hoow-téi'eih	You're not strong
3sing	hoow-téi'eih	S/he’s not strong
II	hoow-téi'oo	It's not strong

 

Questions are formed with the prefix koo-. Notice that it comes before - not after - the person prefix, which are the same as with the "no" forms. The following are examples of interrogation (asking questions):

 

koo-ne-téi'eih	Am I strong?
tenéi'éíhinoo I am strong

koo-téi'oo	Is it strong?
tenéi'óó' It is strong

 

Here is a table showing all of the forms:

 

1sing	koo-ne-téi'eih	Am I strong?
2sing	koo-he-téi'eih	Are you strong?
3sing	koo-téi'eih	Is s/he strong?
II	koo-téi'oo	Is it strong?

 

 

Go on to Part Two of this Lesson