Grammar

Suffixes and Prefixes 

When starting a sentence in Apache, many suffixes and prefixes are added to a stem word to indicate whether it’s a question or statement. 

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Question Examples

• “Nee” added at the end of the sentence when asking a yes or no question

• “Dagá” added at the end of the sentence when asking a question the speaker is unsure about.

• “Shą’” added in the middle of the sentence when asking a question about wondering

Statements Examples

• “Doo’” added at the beginning of the sentence when telling someone to “Come on–”

• “Hela’” added at the end of the sentence when telling someone to “Don’t” in a negative conation. 

• “Sąh” added at the beginning of the sentence when telling someone to “Listen!"

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Nouns

Pronouns

In Apache, pronouns are used constantly! Pronouns are attached to stem words the majority of the time. Please note that kinship nouns do not stand alone; a prefix or suffix pronoun must be added.

• “Shì–” (My) added at the beginning of a stem word (primarily nouns) of a sentence or question when referring to almost anything! 

  • Shímāā - My mother

  • Shìchōō - My grandfather

  • Shímāāna - My apple

  • Shínabil - My car

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• “Ni–” (You) added at the beginning of stem word (primarily nouns) of a sentence or question when referring to almost anything!

  • Nimāā - Your mother

  • Nichōō - Your grandfather

  • Nimāāna - My apple

  • Ninabil - My car

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• “Biyéé–” (He/she/it) added at the beginning of stem word (primarily nouns) of a sentence or question when referring to almost anything!

  • Biyéémāā - Your mother

  • Biyééchōō - Your grandfather

  • Biyéémāāna - My apple

  • Biyéénabil - My car

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• “Nohwíyéé–” (Ours) added at the beginning of stem word (primarily nouns) of a sentence or question when referring to almost anything!

  • Nohwíyéémāā - Your mother

  • Nohwíyééchōō - Your grandfather

  • Nohwíyéémāāna - My apple

  • Nohwíyéénabil - My car

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For “regular” nouns, I’ve listed examples seen in the Audio Dictionary. 

 

 

Verbs

Verbs are highly complex in the Apache language. It’s a tricky skill to grasp as a beginner learner, so please do not feel defeated! I still have trouble with verbs as a ten-week beginner learner. 

 

Oftentimes, verbs in Apache are long because of the positions added. The fourteen positions include prepositional or indirect object, postposition, adverbial, theme, iterative mode, number, direct object, deictic subject, adverbial, tense, modal, subject pronoun, classifier, and stem (Bray, xx). However, you do not need to conclude all verb positions. The most critical positions to consider are tenses, subject pronouns, sometimes themes, and the stem.

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To begin forming verbs, first comes the tense.
Di–        Future tense 
Hi–        Present tense
I am unsure if there is a past tense prefix.

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After tense comes the subject pronoun. As mentioned above, here are the prefix pronouns added to verbs.
Shí–        My/I
-n-        You

 

Lastly, we have our stem word, any verb of choice. Again, please note that verbs do not stand alone! You must add positions.
–-Chag        
–Ti’            
–Zhish    

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Now, we can form our verb!
–-Chag           Hishchag            I cry or I am crying
    –Ti’                Dinti’                  You are going to talk
–Zhish             Dishzhish            I am going to dance

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However, you can do this order for the majority of the verbs except those under the themes:
Ch’ínah–        In view
Di–                    Fire
Hasadá–        Safety
K’i–            Planting
Yá–            Talk
(Bray, xx).

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To form these specific verbs would be as follows:
Ya–            Yáshti’            I talk or I am talking

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To learn more in-depth, please refer to Western Apache-English Dictionary: A Community-Generated Bilingual Dictionary by Dorothy Bray and the White Mountain Apache Tribe under the section “Apache Verb Construction”. 
https://www.amazon.com/Western-Apache-English-Dictionary-Community-Generated-Bilingual/dp/0927534797