Hupa Verbs

From A Short Practical Grammar of Hupa by Victor Golla, for the Hupa Language Program, Hoopa Valley Tribe, December 1985.

"N" Definite Tense Subject Prefix with Modifying Prefix Examples

Subject	Subject Prefix	to put down (a stick)	to spit out
I	ne:	no:-ne:-ta:n	ch'e:-ne:-xe:q'
You	nin	no:-nin-ta:n	ch'e:-nin-xe:q'
He/She	'nin	no'-nin-ta:n	ch'e'-nin-xe:q'
We	n-di	no:n-di-ta:n	ch'e:n-di-xe:q'
You all	noh	no:-noh-ta:n	ch'e:-noh-xe:q'
They	ya'-nin	no:-ya'-nin-ta:n	ch'e:-ya'-nin-xe:q'

Comments Added by Danny Ammon

Notice the verbs all have specific "stems". To put down a stick has a verb stem of -ta:n. To spit out has a verb stem of -xe:q'.

Each verb has a modifying prefix. To put down a stick has a modifying prefix of no-, which indicates "down". To spit out has a modifying prefix of ch'e-, which indicates "out".

The subject is determined by a piece of the word such as -ne:-, -'nin-, -n-di-, ... All of the subject markers contain some form of a "n" sound.

More Modifying Prefixes Associated with this Pattern

Modifying Prefixes Linked to this Pattern	Meaning of Modifying Prefix	Example	Meaning of Example
ch'e-	out of ...	che'-nin-ta:n	He took it out
no-	down (to a position of rest)	no'-nin-ta:n	He put it down
wa-	to, towards; through	whi-wa'-nin-ta:n	He gave it to me