-ak

See also: -ák and Appendix:Variations of "ak"

Abenaki

Etymology

From Proto-Algonquian *-aki.

Suffix

-ak

1. A suffix used to form the plurals of animate words.

   sips (“bird”) → sipsak (“birds”)

   wôbigo (“he is white”) → wôbigoak (“they are white”)

Usage notes

• -ak is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of animate words. It is often used to form the plurals of words ending in letters other than the semivowel w or the vowel a; it is sometimes used to form the plurals of words ending in w; it is almost never used to form the plurals of words ending in a.
• The other suffixes used to form the plurals of animate words are:
  • -ik, often used to form the plurals of words (especially nouns denoting people who have particular occupations or activities) which end in the consonant d or t (which causes the d or t to mutate into j: nodabônkad, "baker" → nodabônkajik, "bakers"); only rarely used to form the plurals of words ending in other letters (nodkwaag, notkwahag, "pilot" → nodkwaagik, notkwahagik, "pilots"),
  • -ok, used to form the plurals of many words ending in w (which it may suppress), and of some other words (which likely ended in w at an earlier stage of the language),
  • -k, used to form the plurals of almost all words that end in a, and of some words that end in other vowels or in the semivowel w; not used to form the plurals of words ending in consonants.
• The suffixes used to form the plurals of inanimate words are:
  • -al, the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words (paskhigan, "gun" → paskhiganal, "guns"), including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a,
  • -il, used to form the plurals of some words ending in the consonant g or k; only rarely used to form the plurals of words ending in other letters,
  • -ol, used to form the plurals of some words ending in the semivowel w (which it suppresses) or other consonants (which likely ended in w at an earlier stage of the language),
  • -l, used to form the plurals of many words ending in vowels, including the semivowel w; not used to form the plurals of words ending in consonants.

References

• Joseph Laurent (1884) New Familiar Abenakis and English Dialogues, Quebec: Leger Brousseau, page 203
• Gordon M. Day (1994) Western Abenaki Dictionary (in Abenaki), volume 1&2