Obviative Proper Nouns

Like other 3rd person nouns, proper nouns are subject to obviation and can take obviative endings. In the following two examples, the proper nouns Maniana, Matinina and Mashkuanu-nipińu are obviative.

Example of an animate proper noun:

Nikaui atussemeu Maniana tshetshi nataniti mitshitakanashkua nete Matinina.

My mother asks Mary-Ann to go and get a fleshing pole at Madeleine’s.

Example of an inanimate proper noun:

Antan kueshtakameimᵘ Mashkuanu-nipińu.

Andrew paddles along the shoreline of Musquaro lake.

Proper nouns with (i)shkueu and (i)nnu as finals

The noun ishkueu ‘woman’ can be added to proper nouns of people with the meaning ‘wife of’, but this construction only works if the proper noun refers to a man.

Munissishkueu

Maurice’s wife

This construction can’t be used to refer to a woman’s husband or to same-sex couples. For example, napeu ‘man’ can’t be added to the proper noun Puańin to refer to the husband of Pauline; *Puańinapeu is incorrect. For all of these, the possessive construction is used.

Mańi utishkuema	Mary’s wife
Matiass unapema	Mathias’ husband

With place names, the endings (i)shkueu and (i)nnu can be added to refer to the place’s inhabitants. The endings napeu and auass ‘child’ can also be found, but much more rarely. While place names are inanimate, they become animate when these endings are added.

Unaman-shipishkueuat tshitshue maminutauat mitasha.

The women of La Romaine make socks in very good taste.

Tshishe-shatshiunnuat mitshetuau kashkameshtauat.

The people from Sheshatshiu often take a shortcut portaging.

Diminutive Proper Nouns

Proper nouns referring to people can take the diminutive ending -iss to refer to someone who is young or short. Similarly, the ending -ish can be used to refer to someone who is older.

Proper Noun Diminutive -ish Old
Pień	Pierre	Pieńiss	Little Pierre	Pieńish	Old Pierre
Sheshiń	Cécile	Sheshińiss	Little Cecile	Sheshińish	Old Cecile
Pinashue	François	Pinashuess	Little François	Pinashuesh	Old François
Kańańin	Caroline	Kańańiniss	Little Caroline	Kańańinish	Old Caroline

The two endings can be combined to refer to someone who is old and short.

Pinashueshiss	Old, short François
Kańańinishiss	Old, short Caroline

The diminutive can also sometimes be used on a proper name to refer to the child of that person. This construction is similar to what we find with animal names.

Teneshiss	Theresa’s child (the young of Theresa)
Shushepissat	Joseph’s children (the young of Joseph)
piness	young partridge (the young of the partridge)

In terms of humour, the diminutive can be used on company or employer names to refer to the members, for example Tshakapeshissat ‘Tshakapesh’s employees’.

 

Proper Nouns in the Past Tense

A proper name can take a past tense ending to refer to someone who is deceased.

Pienipan	the late Pierre
Ńishetipan	the late Lisette

In Western dialects, proper nouns can also carry indirect or deductive endings, but these are not used in the Eastern dialects.

Shuńishapan	looks like Julie
Teńinatshe	probably Adelina