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Verb morphophonology
There are some morphophonological processes in Ojibwe, though there may be some dialect variation.
- Short final vowels in VAI go away for forms with ni- and gi- prefixes
- Example:
- gi- and o- alternates with gid- and od- in verb stems beginning with vowels
- Example:
- ni- is realized as several things depending on the initial context of the verb stem
- there are several segmental changes that occur in preterites
- Some reduplication
- -s- in negative assimilates in voicing when following the segments n z h m
- -m- alternates with -n- before negative -s-/-z-, also both things occur: ni-nisidotam-siin ➔ ninisidotanziin
ni-
- ni- ➔ ind- before vowels
- ni- ➔ in- before d g j z zh
- ni- ➔ im- before b
Some dialects may also have nin- before gii-, as well as there is some dialectical variation for the whole process.
- ni-nibaa
- ind-anokii
- in-dagoshin
- im-bakade
Preterite segmental changes
- a ➔ e
- aa ➔ ayaa
- e ➔ aye
- i ➔ e
- ii ➔ aa
- o ➔ we
- oo ➔ waa
This process does not affect stems beginning in dan-, dazh-, das-, dash-, or daa-. These have prefix en-.
There are some other changes too: the place prefix bi- ‘here, hither’ ➔ ba-
There is also some vowel insertion between the preterite form and consonants. usually /a/?
Reduplication
Reduplication of certain segments occurs, somewhat complex.
a ➔ aya
aa ➔ aayaa
e ➔ eye
i ➔ ayi
o ➔ wawo, wawi
Ca ➔ CaCa
Caa ➔ CaaCaa
Ce ➔ CeCe
Ci ➔ CaCi
Cii ➔ CaaCii
Co ➔ CaCo
Coo ➔ CaaCoo
source - James A. Starkey jr: Ojibwe Lesson 6