Example 75-142

Maamaa kiiaapachiheew lii rosh eeshikwatahahk lii takwahiminaana.
Maamaa
mother
kii-aapachih-eew
pst-use.anim-3.sbj.3.obj
lii
pl
rosh
rock
ee-shikwatah-ahk
comp-crush-3sg.sbj.3inan.obj
lii
pl
takwahiminaan-a.
chokecherry-pl.inan
My mother used stones to make beaten choke-cherries.
Comment:
The word for 'rock' is animate in Michif. The word for 'chokecherries' is inanimate. Obviative marking would be impossible on the word for 'chokecherries' (however, the inanimate plural marker -(w)a is identical in form to the obviative marker -(w)a), and not likely on 'rocks' because of its lower animacy. Note also that the word for 'chokecherries' is one of the few non-kinship, non-body-part and non-nominalized nouns from Cree used in Michif. It is commonly marked with a French article, as in this example. In contrast to French les, Michif lii does not mark definiteness.
Type:
naturalistic written
Source:
Laverdure and Allard 1983: 37