The prefix Ꮵ- is used to refer to either a known and experienced point in time, or when referring back to something specific that was previously mentioned. This prefix works very much the same way “the time that”, “the one who”, “the place where”, “the thing that”, and so forth are used in English when they are not being used to ask a question.

Note:

• The prefix Ꮵ- is never used with the prefix Ᏹ-, they go in the same place.

• If the prefix Ꮵ- is used before a “w” sound it becomes “Ꮷ-” (jụ-).

• If using Ꮵ- to refer to a previously mentioned event it must be one that was directly experienced.

Examples:

• ᏣᏂ ᎤᏬᏂᏒ. “John spoke.”

  • ᏣᏂ ᏒᎯ ᏧᏬᏂᏒ. “John spoke yesterday.” - (Ꮵ + ᎤᏬᏂᏒᎢ) - Here the speaker is referring to a specific point in time that the speaker experienced.

  • ᏣᏂ ᏥᎦᏬᏂᎭ. “John just spoke.” - (Ꮵ + Ꭶ + ᎯᏬᏂᎯ + Ꭰ²)

  • ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏭᏪᏅᏎ. ᏣᏂ ᏧᏬᏂᏎ. “The man went away. The one that John spoke with.” (Ꮵ + ᎤᏬᏂᏒᎢ) - Here the prefix Ꮵ- in the second sentence is used to refer to the man who went away in the first sentence.

  • ᏣᏂ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᎤᏬᏂᏎ. ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᏧᏭᏪᏅᏎ “John spoke with the man. That man is the one who went away.” (Ꮵ + Ꮻ = ᎤᏪᏅᏒᎢ) - Here the prefix Ꮵ- in the second sentence is used to clarify that the man who went away is the same as the one John spoke with in the first sentence.

• ᏣᏬᏂᏒ. “You spoke.”

  • ᏒᎯ ᏥᏣᏬᏂᏒ. “You spoke yesterday.” - (Ꮵ + Ꮳ + ᎤᏬᏂᏒᎢ)

  • ᏥᎯᏬᏂᎭ. “You just spoke.” - (Ꮵ + ᎯᏬᏂᎯ + Ꭰ²)

• ᏩᎭᏯ ᏥᎪᎲ. “I saw a wolf.”

  • ᏒᎯ ᏩᎭᏯ ᏥᏥᎪᎲ. “Yesterday I saw a wolf.” - (Ꮵ + Ꮵ + ᎤᎪᎲᎢ)

  • ᏩᎭᏯ ᏥᏥᎪᏩᏔ. “I saw a wolf just now.” - (Ꮵ + Ꮵ + ᎯᎪᏩᏔ + Ꭰ²)

• ᎦᏙ ᏣᏛᏁᎴ ᏒᎯ? “What did you do yesterday?” - The prefix Ꮵ- is not used here even though the speaker is referring to a specific point in time, as the question is about an event the speaker did not directly experience.

  • ᏣᎩᏬᏂᏒ. “I spoke.” - (Ꮵ + ᎠᎩ + ᎤᏬᏂᏒᎢ) - Here the speaker is referring to a specific point in time and directly experienced the event so that the use of the prefix Ꮵ- is expected.

• ᎦᏙ ᏣᏛᏁᎴ? “What did you do?”

  • ᎠᎩᏬᏂᏒ. “I spoke.” - (ᎠᎩ + ᎤᏬᏂᏒᎢ) - Because there was no reference to a specific point in time, it is not appropriate to use the prefix Ꮵ- here.

• ᎬᏂᎨ ᏩᎭᏯ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏁᎦ ᏩᎭᏯ ᎤᎿ ᎨᏎ. ᏌᏊ ᏌᎶᎵ ᏧᎨ. ᎤᏁᎦ ᏥᎨᏎ. “A black wolf and a white wolf were there. One of them ate a squirrel. It was the white one.” - *In this example the prefix Ꮵ- is used twice. It’s first use (ᏧᎨ from Ꮵ + ᎤᎬᎢ) refers back to the previously mentioned wolves and is translated as “of them” into English. It’s second use (ᏥᎨᏎ from Ꮵ

  • ᎨᏒᎢ) refers specifically to previously mentioned white wolf and is translated as “one”.*