Morpho Phonology Notes

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