Leksion Chamoru: Prefix na'-

One of the most common prefixes in Chamorro is na'-. The formal definition is that na'- is a causative prefix, that just means that it causes or makes something to happen. To use the prefix you simply add it in front something to be caused. Here are some examples:

• Hånao = To go.
  Na'- + hånao => Na'hånao = To make (someone) go.
• Sugon = To drive (the car/cart/...).
  Na'- + sugon => Na'sugon = To make (somone) drive (the car/cart/...)
• Bulåchu = Drunk, intoxicated.
  Na'- + bulåchu => Na'bulåchu = To make (someone) drunk, to intoxicate (someone).
• Magof = Happy.
  Na'- + magof => Na'magof = To make (someone) happy.

Notice that na'- causes "someone" or "something" to do whatever na'- is attached to. Using the above examples we can start to see what that means:

• Na'hånao i lahi-mu para i tenda. = Make your son go to the store.
• I tata ha na'sugon i hagå-ña ni kareta = The father made his daughter drive the car.
• Ma na'bulåchu yo' gi painge. = They got me drunk last night.
• Na'magof si nånå-mu! = Make your mother happy!

The more grammatically technical part of the prefix na'- is that you need to keep plural and "transitive" aspect of the verbs intact. That is to say, if the verb is plural, then keep it plural, and if the verb is "intransitive", then keep it that way. Also, since it's a potential action, things change to the future forms. Hopefully some examples will make more sense:

• Manhånao siha. = They went/go.
  Na'- + manhånao => Na'fanhånao
  Ha na'fanhånao siha = He made them leave
• Mañugon yo' = I drive/drove.
  Na'- + mañugon => Na'fañugon
  Si tåtå-hu ha na'fañugon yo'. = My father caused me to drive.
• Mambulåchu i lalåhi. = The men are drunk.
  Na'- + mambulåchu => Na'fambulåchu
  I famalao'an ma na'fambulåchu i lalåhi gi painge. = The women got the men (caused them to become) drunk last night.
• Manmagof i famagu'on. = The children are happy.
  Na'- + manmagof => Na'fanmagof
  Nihi para Disneyland ya ta na'fanmagof i famagu'on. = Let's go to Disneyland and make the children happy.

 One last thing to keep in mind is accentuation/pronunciation. In all the above examples the prefix na'- does not change the emphasis/stress of the syllables. However, in some cases na'- takes the primary stress of the new word; in these cases na'- means "one who causes" or "that which makes." There are several well known examples of this case:

• Na'magof = One who makes others happy.
  Pronounced: NAH'-ma-guf
• Na'bubu = One who makes others angry.
  Pronounced: NAH'-boo-boo
• Na'chålek = One who makes others laugh; something which causes laughter.
  Pronounced: NAH'-chuh-lick
• Na'o'son = One who makes others bored; boring, tiresome.
  Pronounced: NAH'-o'-sun
• Na'må'åse' = One who makes others merciful; miserable; pitiful; pathetic; wretched.
  Pronounced: NAH'-muh'-see'; Nah'-muh'-ah-see'

Pålåbran 04/29/2011: Fa'na'an

Fa'na'an (fah'-NAH'-an): Maybe, perhaps.

Note: Fa'na'an comes from fa'- (to change or pretend to be) + nå'an (name). Fa'na'an literally means "nickname," but is often used as "maybe," "perhaps," or even in the sense of "seems like."

Uses:
"Fa'na'an ti ya-ña i fina'tinås-hu." = "Perhaps (it seems like) she doesn't like my cooking."
"Fa'na'an ni sikiera un na'gåsgås i gima'-mu." = "Maybe (it's like) you didn't even bother to clean your house."
"Para bai hånao fa'na'an para i gipot." = "Perhaps I'll go to the party."

Pålåbran 04/25/2011: Likkidu

Likkidu (LICK-key-dew): Only, one and only, unique.

Uses:
"Likkidu na måfañågu hao." = "You're an only child (only-born)."
"Estegue' i likkidu na påpet siento gi kapetå-hu." = "Here's the only 100 dollar bill in my wallet."
"Guiya likkidu gi familiå-ña umeskuekuela gi unibetsidåt." = "She the only one in her family to go to university."

Pålåbran 03/21/2011: Taitai

Taitai (TIE-tie): Read

Note: Taitai also can mean "pray."

Uses:
"I patgon ha taitai i lepblo." = "The child read the book."
"Ya-hu manaitai." = "I like to read."
"Manmanaitai i famagu'on lepblo." = "The children read books."

Pålåbran 03/15/2011: Pålapåla

Pålapåla (paw-la-PAW-la): Shack, hut, shanty, roof extending from house to provide shelter from sun and rain, pavillion.

Note: This definition is from Topping's dictionary, but it's not clear that only parts of the definition are generally used in some of the dialects of Chamorro. In Guam's northern dialect, the pålapåla generally only refers to a pavilion or a temporary canopy of sorts, but not a shack or hut. Whereas in Saipan's dialect of Chamorro it is more generally used to mean the shack or hut (I've heard it called a homestead).

Uses:
"Ma håtsa i palapåla para i fiesta." = "They raised (built) the canopy/shelter for the party."
"Kao guåha pålapåla, sa' sempre para u uchan." = "Is there a pavilion/canopy, because it going to rain?"
"Manmatåtå'chong i manamko' gi papa' i palapåla, sa' maipe i semnak." = "The elders are sitting beneath the canopy, because the heat of the sun."

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix mina'-

Mina'- is a very simple prefix, it is an "ordinal marker." That just means that it takes a "cardinal" number (2, 3, 4...) and changes it to an ordinal (2nd, 3rd, 4th...).

• Dos (two) => Mina'dos (second)
• Bente (twenty) => Mina'bente (twentieth)
• Katotse (fourteen) => Mina'katotse (fourteenth)

Only the number 1 is different,

• Unu (one) => Fine'na/Finene'na/Fine'nana (first)

Fine'na/Finene'na/Fine'nana all come from the root fo'na/mo'na (front).

Pålåbran 02/09/2011: Lekngai

Lekngai (LEK-ngai): Stiff-necked; cricked neck.

Uses:
"Lekngai yo'." = "I have a crick in my neck."
"Munga maigo' taiguenao na un lekngai." = "Don't sleep like that or you'll get a stiff neck."
"Gof ya-ña umegga' TV, ya fihu lekngai gue'." = "He really likes to watch TV, and often has a stiff neck."

Note: In Chamorro you "are" lekngai rather than "have" lekngai. Also, instead of using lekngai as in the above examples, you can also use it to describe your neck, i.e.: Lekngai i tengho-hu (My neck is stiff).