About these pages
Every learner of Dena'ina knows how complex the verbs are. On these pages, we will try and make it a bit easier for the learners to understand the structure of the verbs.
In the glossary, we discuss some linguistic jargon -- Dena'ina verbs are made up by many little pieces, and it helps having names for these pieces. We will try to keep the jargon at a bare minimum.
The order of the pages reflect the structure that might be good for learning about verbs (it might also be not good -- tell me what you think!).We will start looking at the most simple and basic kind of verbs and learn how to conjugate them in the present tense. From there, we will learn about more and more complex verbs.
When we are comfortable with verbs in the present tense, we will start working on verbs in the past and the future tense.
In the hope that the structure of Dena'ina verbs will become a bit clearer, the different parts of the verb will be color-coded.
Please bear in mind that no grammar book (on-line or not) can replace a Dena&339;ina teacher.
These pages will be updated more or less regularly, whenever I feel that there is new information to be put out. I would appreciate it if everybody using the page could give me feedback: whether you feel that an explanation is not very clear, or if an elder tells you that a verb form is not correct.
Also, please let me know if there is something you like about these pages -- nothing is as motivating as positive feedback!
You can contact me at this email address. Or you can use my snail-mail address:
Olga Lovick
PO Box 751856
UAF
Fairbanks, AK 99775
Most of the verb paradigms come from the field notes of Dr. James Kari. Other paradigms have been recorded by me with elders (these are recognizable by audio links). If you have a paradigm or two somewhere in your notes, please don't hesitate to send it to me for inclusion in these pages! I will be certain to reference you.
One note on dialects. The Dena'ina dialects vary somewhat as to the formation of paradigms. If a paradigm is known to be different in the dialects, all forms are noted and marked by (O) for Outer Inlet, (U) for Upper Inlet, and (I) for Inland dialect. But sometimes, we don't have all the forms; so if only the Upper Inlet dialect is represented and you know the (different) forms for e.g. the Inland dialect, please let me know!
Again, I would like this project to be as interactive as possible, and this is not possible without your input.