(f.) Chokai is sometimes heard for “I”; it is a contraction of chi which means “we,” and okai, which signifies “to be” or “to be at a place.” Chokai is principally used by low class Japanese when attempting to speak Ainu, and by Ainu only when addressing Japanese or persons but imperfectly acquainted with the Ainu language. It has come to be pigeon Ainu.
THE SECOND PERSON SINGULAR.
The pronouns of the second person singular are:—
E, eani, yani, aokai and anokai.
(a.) E appears to be the original word from which eani has been formed; thus:—
E-an-i, as shown in Ku-an-i above.
(b.) Yani is now a very contemptuous expression, and is a corruption of eani. It is in fact pigeon Ainu, and equals chokai of the 1st. person.
(c.) Aokai, which is a contraction of anokai, is, like anokai, a more polite form of speech than eani, but neither are so often used. Aokai and anokai were originally plurals, and are still so used in certain contexts.
Sometimes the words ku shiroma and e shiroma are heard for the first and second person singular respectively, but not often. Shiroma is a verb meaning “to abide,” “to stay.” Thus ku shiroma really means “I who am here;” and e shiroma “you who are there.”
THE THIRD PERSON.
There is no proper third personal pronoun. Its place is supplied by the word Shiroma, Shinuma, and the demonstrative adjectives.
- Tan guru, “this person” (man or woman).
- Tambe; “this thing.”
- Nei ambe or guru, “that thing or person” (a little way off.)
- To ambe or guru, “that thing or person” (a greater distance off).
