Lesson 6 of 18 · Unit 3: Saying no
Negating a VII
Saying that something is not so: a separate word in front, and a changed ending on the verb.
By the end of this lesson you'll be introduced to
- How this course says that something is NOT so
- The separate word that does it — and why it stays a separate word
- The one rule that changes the verb, and its three lines
- 33 documented negatives you can trace back to a documented verb
You already know how to sort a VII verb into one of three groups. This lesson uses those same three groups again — so the hard part is already behind you.
Two sentences, one verb
Start here
Two sentences, one verb
NewHere are two sentences this course writes down. They are built on the same verb — but one of them says something is so, and the other says it isn't.
Before reading on, look at what is different. There are two changes, not one.
It is so
Aabadad Anishinaabemowin.
The language is used.
It is not so
Gaawiin aabadasinoon zhaaganaashimowin.
English isn't used.
A whole extra word appeared at the front — and the verb itself grew a longer ending. Ojibwe does both at once. The rest of this lesson is those two changes, one at a time.
Try it
Which of these documented sentences says something is NOT so?
The word that says no
Change one of two
The word that says no
NewThe extra word is its own word. It is not a piece stuck onto the verb, and it never joins up with it — this course lists it separately in the dictionary, meaning simply “no”.
All three of this course's sources describe it the same way: put this word in front of the verb, then change the verb's ending.
Gaawiin aabadasinoon zhaaganaashimowin.
English isn't used.
3 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Aabadad” — be used
Rest of the sentence
zhaaganaashimowin
Tap a coloured piece inside the verb to see what it is doing. The first word has no pieces to open — it is already whole.
The notes also record where the word itself comes from: documented as historically formed from gaa ("no") + wiin ("by contrast").
It comes first, but not always immediately before the verb — the course writes short words between the two often enough that it is worth expecting. What never changes is that it is a word of its own.
Try it
In this documented sentence, which is the separate word that makes it negative?
Gaawiin aabadasinoon zhaaganaashimowin.
The same three groups, again
From the last lesson
The same three groups, again
ReviewThe chart sorts VII verbs by the last letter of the written word — the same three groups you used to make them plural. Which ending a negative takes depends on the same test, so it is worth a quick look before the rule.
Across the 104 VII verbs this course documents: 39 ending in a vowel, 45 ending in d, and 20 ending in n.
The rule, one line per group
The other change
The rule, one line per group
NewNow the verb. Each group takes its own ending — and one group does something extra before the ending goes on.
This is one of the best-evidenced rules in the whole course: the published chart gives it, this course's class notes give it again in their own words on all three of these days, and a longer write-up of the same material gives it a third time with worked examples. They agree line for line.
Ends in a vowel
gaawiin VII + sinoon
Chart's example
ate → gaawiin atesinoon
Ends in D
gaawiin VII - d + sinoon
Chart's example
aabadad → gaawiin aabadasinoon
Ends in N
gaawiin VII + zinoon
Chart's example
onizhishin → gaawiin onizhishinzinoon
Piece addedGaawiin ... -sinoon / -zinoonNegation
Two of the three add an ending and leave the verb alone. The d group is the exception: the d comes off first, and only then does the ending go on.
Applies to: VII verbs, A FormThis is the chart's A Form — the independent one. A VII has another form that depends on the rest of the sentence, and it is negated differently. That comes in a later lesson.
Try it
Which line of the chart tells you how to negate this verb?
Aabadad
The rule, in real sentences
See it working
The rule, in real sentences
NewOne from each group — sentences this course actually writes down. In every one, the first word stands on its own and the verb carries the change.
Ends in a vowel
gaawiin agoodesinoon
it is not hanging
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Agoode” — hang
Ends in D
gaawiin aabadasinoon
it is not used
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Aabadad” — be used
Ends in N
Gaawiin gimiwanzinoon.
It is not raining.
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Gimiwan” — rain
These aren't worked out here — they are forms the course wrote down, and the chart's rule explains every one of them.
Try it
This is a documented negative form. Which documented verb is it built on?
banganzinoon
Where this fits
That is two rows of the chart done. The same three groups run all the way down it, so every row you have left uses the sorting you already know.
Tap a cell in the highlighted row to see the chart's own wording and example.
- A Form PluralAlready covered
A Form Negative Singular
This lesson
Also on the chart — later in the course
- A Form Negative Plural
- B Form Singular & Plural
- B Form Negative Singular & Plural
Same three groups, different endings. Those rows come in later lessons.
The chart calls this row the A Form Negative Singular. The longer write-up behind that chart describes an A Form as independent — the thought does not depend on anything else in the sentence. The B Form rows below it depend on the rest of the sentence, and they are negated differently — including without that separate word. Those come in later lessons.
Chart: Anton Treuer, Oshkaabewis Native Journal, Vol. 4 / No. 1, Spring 1997. Explanation of the form labels: Anton Treuer, SPPS Ojibwe Curriculum, Spring 2009.
Words from these class days
New- View entry →AhaawGrammar Word
ok, all right
- View entry →MenwaagamiigNoun
soda pop
- View entry →WaashkobaagamiigNoun
soda pop
- View entry →Anishinaabe-ininiNoun
Native man
- View entry →Mino-gigizheb
a good morning
- View entry →Mino-gigizhebaawagadVerb
be nice morning
Needs review — the sources give more than one meaning for this word.
- View entry →Waabigwaneyaash
Flower Blowing in the Wind
Constructions you'll see
gaawiin aabadasinoon
it is not used
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Aabadad” — be used
gaawiin agoodesinoon
it is not hanging
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Agoode” — hang
gaawiin onizhishinzinoon
it is not nice
2 separate words
Separate word
Negative particle, "no"
The verb, with its ending changed
From “Onizhishin” — it is nice
These are verbs you already have, negated — two words each, not new words to learn.
Seen before
ReviewCheck your understanding
You don't need a perfect score — finishing is what completes the lesson.
Preparing your questions…
Finish this lesson
Work through the lesson's activities, then mark it complete. Your quiz score doesn't have to be perfect.
- Spot the negative sentence — not yet done
- Find the separate negative word — not yet done
- Pick the right line of the chart — not yet done
- Trace a negative back to its verb — not yet done
- Finish Check your understanding — not yet done
Source
This lesson draws on three class days, which state the same rule. The rule itself is confirmed in 5 places across three independent documents — the published chart (Anton Treuer, Oshkaabewis Native Journal, Vol. 4 / No. 1, Spring 1997), this course's class notes, and Anton Treuer, SPPS Ojibwe Curriculum, Spring 2009. Every Ojibwe word, form and sentence on this page comes from the material cited above; the English explanations were written for this app.
More from this stretch
This lesson covers several class days from the original course. The extra vocabulary and documented examples those days brought are here — try each example before its English shows.
Class day: September 19
New vocabulary this day (6)
Examples from this day
_______ indizhinikaaz.
What does it say?
Aaniin endasogonagizid wa'aw giizis?
What does it say?
Aaniin ezhi-ayaayan?
What does it say?
Aaniish ezhi-ayaayan?
What does it say?
Anishinaabe indaaw.
What does it say?
Anishinaabe na gidaaw?
What does it say?
Gaawiin Anishinaabe aawisii.
What does it say?
Gaawiin da-wiinasinoon.
What does it say?
Class day: September 23
New vocabulary this day (1)
Examples from this day
_______ indizhinikaaz.
What does it say?
Aaniin enakamigak?
What does it say?
Aaniin endasogonagizid wa'aw giizis?
What does it say?
Aaniin ezhi-ayaayan?
What does it say?
Aaniish ezhi-ayaayan?
What does it say?
Anishinaabe indaaw.
What does it say?
Anishinaabe na gidaaw?
What does it say?
Da-gisinaamagad.
What does it say?