29 Intensifier Auxiliaries
In this section you will learn about the other type of word that in English is usually also called an adverb. This other type of word modifies qualities and indicates the intensity of events. We call words of this other type intensifiers. These words modify (and usually intensify) some quality, as in ‘she is very nice,’ ‘that tree is really old,’ or ‘he was exactly right.’ In Klallam, these intensifiers function as auxiliary verbs to modify the main verb.
There are at least twenty-one intensifiers in Klallam. They come in two types. One type must be followed by the little word ʔuʔ. We call this the ʔuʔ‑class of intensifiers. There are sixteen ʔuʔ‑class intensifiers. The other type must be followed by the little word ʔiʔ. We call this second type the ʔiʔ‑class of intensifiers. There are five ʔiʔ‑class intensifiers.
These important little words are worth memorizing. They are common in Klallam speech. You probably have been using some of them already in phrases you have memorized.