42.1. The ‘actual’ glottal stop infix
Models
| 1) | ŚOPT | ‘whistle’ | ŚO¸PT | ‘whistling’ |
| 2) | IȽEN | ‘eat’ | I¸ȽEN¸ | ‘eating’ |
| 3) | ṈÁḴE¸ | ‘snow’ | ṈÁ¸ḴE¸ | ‘snowy’ |
| 4) | ṈOT | ‘eat something’ | ṈO¸ET | ‘eating something’ |
| 5) | ₭ELET | ‘cook it’ | ₭EL¸T | ‘cooking it’ |
‣ 1 The plural infix is described in detail in §41. Here we have another infix. The placement of the actual aspect infix is simpler than that of the plural:
If the stressed vowel is followed by at least two sounds, insert a glottal stop after the stressed vowel.
‣ 2 Look at the first three models to confirm that this is the pattern in each case.
‣ 3 Note that model 2 has something else extra—glottalization on the final N of the root. This is part of the pattern, too. When the glottal stop is inserted for the actual aspect, all of the following sonorant consonants—M, N, L, Y, W, Ṉ (see the chart on page 2)—become glottalized.
‣ 4 Model 3 illustrates that the actual aspect can apply even to nouns. There are two words in SENĆOŦEN that translate as ‘snow’—a verb ĆIḴ ‘to snow, snow coming down’ and a noun ṈÁḴE¸ ‘snow (lying on the surface of anything).’ So the actual aspect form here ṈÁ¸ḴE¸ cannot be translated ‘snowing.’ It means something like ‘actually being snow,’ for which the best English translation is just ‘snowy.’
‣ 5 In model 4, we have the nonactual word ṈOT. This is composed of the root ṈO and the transitive suffix ‑ET. When the ‑ET suffix attaches to a stem ending in a vowel the E drops. SENĆOŦEN never allows two different vowels to be side-by-side. When it happens, the stressed vowel always stays and the other is dropped. Then we get ṈOT instead of *ṈOET. Review point 8 on E deletion in the Notes on Pronunciation section.
‣ 6 The actual aspect form of model 4 seems to be somewhat different, but it is actually exactly like the others. The glottal stop goes right after the stressed vowel. This glottal stop keeps the stressed vowel O separate from the E of the suffix, so the E does not drop and we get ṈO¸ET.
‣ 7 Model 5 is somewhat different from the rest, but it does follow a pattern that applies to many words. When the stressed vowel is followed by a sonorant consonant, the sonorant consonant becomes glottalized. If that consonant is followed by E and a nonsonorant consonant, then that E drops. This is not as complicated as it might seem. Study these examples and it will become clear.
QENET ‘look at it’ QEN¸T ‘looking at it’
ĆENET ‘bury it’ ĆEN¸T ‘burying it’
ŦELEḴT ‘share it’ ŦEL¸ḴT ‘sharing it’
SȽENEQ ‘gunshot wound’ SȽEN¸Q ‘being gunshot’
S¸ÍYEḴ /sʔə́yəq/ ‘out of the way’ S¸Í¸Ḵ /sʔə́y̕q/ ‘being out of the way’
The pattern of the E dropping in these and in model 5 does not always apply; there are a number of exceptions. For example, JILET ‘take it away’ has the actual aspect form JIL¸ET ‘taking it way’ with the E remaining, though the L does become glottalized.
‣ 8 The infix form of the actual aspect is by far the most common. Over 80% of actuals have the glottal stop infix pattern.
 | STOṈ¸ET SW̱ OĆE? | ‘What are you doing?’ |
 | QEU¸Í¸Ȼ SEN. | ‘I’m fishing.’ |
| EWENE EN¸ QIȻÁL¸SEN. | ‘You have no fishing line.’ |
| OO, NIȽ ȻE ŚW̱¸EWENE NE SḴEĆE¸! | ‘Oh, that’s why I have no catch!’ |
| 42.1A. Give the actual aspect form for each of these words. 1. OȽET ‘take someone in’ 2. IST ‘paddle’ 3. ITET ‘sleep’ 4. ĆO₭EṈ ‘sweat’ 5. ȽAXET ‘pour a solid’ 6. NÁT ‘name someone’ 7. BILEṈ ‘overflow’ 8. KÁBET ‘tie it’ 42.1B. Use the dictionary to look up the meaning of each of the actuals in 42.1A and use each in a sentence. |