kehs

Malecite-Passamaquoddy

Etymology

Cognate with Penobscot kάkehsəta (“many times”) and Mi'kmaq gaqi'sg (“often; many times”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kèhs/, [ɡæːs˨]
  • (Before a pause) IPA^(key): [ɡæːs˨˦]

Particle

kehs

1. so much, so many, so many times
2. (interrogative) how much, how many, how many times
3. (limited usage, see notes below) number of times, adverbial numeral marker

   Oqomolcin kehs ― Eight times

   Nisinsk cel kamahcin kehs ― Twenty-six times

Usage notes

As a standalone adverbial numeral marker, kehs is restricted to numbers between 10 and 20 and numbers ending in 6, 7, 8, 9 or 0. For other numbers ending in 1, neqt takes the place of the final 1. For all other numbers ending in 2, 3, 4 and 5, the adverbial is formed by suffixing -(o)kehs to the final digit.

Related terms

• kehsewey
• kehsinsk
• kehsonul
• kehsuwok

 

References

• Passamaquoddy-Maliseet language portal
• LeSourd, Philip S. (1993) Accent and Syllable Structure in Passamaquoddy, New York: Garland Publishing