ma & ma-

ma

ma & ma-

This ubiquitous syllable denotes third person animate without specifying number. As a full word it has two functions. One is to simply mark a reference to a third person animate antecedent. This is what it is doing in the sentence in the North Wind and the Sun.

la ma pa antāken anānexa;
S/he has the most strength/is strongest.

Its other function as a full word is to act as a relative pronoun when an animate entity is being referred to in a relative clause.

As a prefix, this syllable can mark an animate noun. It also can act as a prefix to the question marker kēñ to make “who”.

la ma pa antāken anānexa makēñ;
Who has the most strength/is strongest?

Tomorrow’s post will finish this sentence.