14. Wanting and Willing

What You’ll Learn

This lesson teaches how Early Hick talks about what someone wants or is willing to do:

• -nat, the ending for “want to” or “intend to”;
• nater, the full word for desire, willingness, or intended course;
• naterlas, the request word from the last lesson;
• -'arm, the ending for being willing or ready to act.

Wanting with -nat

To say someone wants or intends to do an action, Early Hick can replace the action ending -'er with -nat.

In a sentence:

The same pattern works with an action that has a receiver.

The Full Word nater

The word nater means desire, willingness, or an intended course of action. Think of it as “wanting” as a full word, not just a word ending.

nater
want
"desire, intention, intended course"

The ending -nat comes from this fuller word. That is why the meanings are close:

nater
wanting / intended course

-nat
want-to / intend-to ending

How This Connects to Requests

In the last lesson, you saw naterlas in polite requests.

naterlas is related to nater. It is like saying the request moves “toward willingness.” You do not need to build that word yourself yet. For now, learn it as the request word.

Willing with -'arm

Early Hick also has -'arm, an ending for willingness or readiness. Like -nat, it replaces the regular action ending -'er.

In a sentence:

This form can sound more formal, pledge-like, or duty-focused than ordinary wanting with -nat.

Wanting or Willing?

Use -nat when the main idea is desire or intention.

Use -'arm when the main idea is willingness or readiness to take the action.

Use naterlas when you are making a polite request to someone else.

Try It

Choose the best form.

1. Change imeresp'er, “to sleep,” into “want to sleep.”
2. Change ward'er, “to guide,” into “willing to guide.”
3. Which word makes a request softer: nater, naterlas, or wardarm?
4. Translate: 'al'is-es imerespnat

Pop quizAnswers

1. imerespnat

   sleep-WANT
   "want to sleep"

2. wardarm

   guide-WILLING
   "willing to guide"

3. naterlas

   REQUEST
   "please / would you be willing to"

4. 'al'is-es imerespnat

   person-this-MAIN sleep-WANT
   "I want to sleep."

Reference Note

For more in-depth information, see Mood and Requests.