Definition:
to be, to have.
Function:
Copula verb. Becomes wač before past -a.
Examples:
- mɨnánam wačá ‘where were you?’;
- čáwna wá kúuš ana kúuš šuyápu ‘we are not like the whiteman’;
- kupam wáta kʷná imáy čanupáa ‘and there you folks will be capable’;
- xʷɨ́saat iwačá ‘he was an old man’;
- tún iwá ‘what is it?’;
- k̓pɨ́s iwá čúuš ‘the water is cold’;
- iwáta níix̣ łk̓ʷí ‘it will be a good day’;
- pawačá níitpa ‘they were in the house’;
- pawá ‘they are’;
- pawáta ‘they will be’;
- ku kʷná pawá ana mɨná iwíwa ‘and they are there wherever each is’.
- With sense of ‘have’:
- táymuš wá ‘I have news’;
- čí áwa tiičám sulcasmaamí ‘this is the soldiers land’;
- k̓ʷáy áwa níit ‘that was their house’;
- k̓ʷáy áwača míimi qqaanáyt nč̓inč̓imaamí ‘that was the business of the elders long ago’;
- áwa c̓áa náymu waničtmí ‘the name has a close relative’;
- šimíin áwača waníčt ‘who had the name?’;
- inmí kałanmí áwača mɨ́taw ƛ̓áksma ‘my grandmother had three sisters’;
- inmínam wáta ‘you are mine’;
- ínaš wá imíin ‘I’m yours’;
- wačámaš wá nápt k̓úsi ‘you had two horses’.
- Indicates motion with the directionals:
- áw iwámš ‘now he is coming’;
- kʷɨ́nimataš wámš ‘yours are all coming from there’;
- ana k̓ʷapɨ́n iwámš tkʷátat ‘the aforementioned food which is coming’;
- ku patáwaatwanana ɨščɨ́t ana kʷaaní áwačiča watíkš ‘and they followed their trail even toward where there tracks went on’;
- yúuk iwáčiš ‘he is going on over yonder’.
- With passive:
- ku áwača wátisas aníyi p̓ip̓inmí ‘and his rope was made of intestine’;
- ana pmáy pawá sápsik̓ʷani ‘they who are taught’;
- ana mún iwáta waníči łk̓ʷí ‘whenever the day will be named’;
- ku iwačá k̓ʷáalk aníyi icimayctpamá ‘and a long feeding trough was made’;
- áwata aníyi wilawiix̣tpamá ‘their race track will be made’;
- ataš kúuš wačá náma sápsik̓ʷani ‘like we were taught’.
See more:
Appears in compound words:
- wác̓ilun ‘look at angrily’;
- wákmuyk ‘buck’;
- wáluun ‘go into water’;
- wánaq̓i ‘finish’;
- wánwi ‘go down, descend’;
- wápa ‘go into brush’;
- wáqʷnayk ‘bow the head’;
- wáša ‘ride a horse, board a canoe’;
- wát̓uyi ‘go ahead’;
- wáƛ̓k ‘break down’ (of automobile);
- wáwšx̣ ‘finish a project’;
- wáypx̣n ‘go downstream’;
- náwa(č) ‘say’;
- nákwa(č) ‘be with, stay with’;
- qáwa(č) ‘be there suddenly or by chance’;
- táwa ‘pierce, skewer, roast on a spit from the side’;
- wapáwa ‘dress, wear’;
- wáawa ‘be paused, stay awhile’;
- wásɨm- ‘while sitting’;
- wápas ‘bag’.
[NP /we/; /wek/ (before a vowel).]