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Menominee Language [archive]

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Menominee Language

Believe that our Menominee Language is a gift from the Creator.
If we do not use it, we are not fulfilling our responsibility.
If we do not give life to it, we are neglecting to perform our duties.
Our Creator has created for us the world through language.
If we do not speak it, there is NO WORLD.
Start using the language.
Do not criticize or make fun of mistakes.
Learning language is fun.
Let the learners be risk-takers--look at our children and learn from them.
We are the enemies of our language.
We are speaking another language.
We do not engage in our own language.
Let us get together and learn the language.

OMĀĒQNOMENĒWAK

ALPHABET (17 Characters)

a ae c e h i k l m n o p q* s t u w y

VOWEL CHART

MENOMINEE VOWEL	ENGLISH SOUND	MENOMINEE EXAMPLE
ā	saw	āneq nap?
āē	sat	wāēwāēnen
ē	say	ēh
ī	see	nīw
ō	so	pōsōh
ū	sue	sūmehkinon

NOTE: Vowels that have the macron are long sounds and they are pronounced according to the above chart, short vowels are without the macron and are simply pronounced shorter.

DIPHTHONGS

ua	luau	suasek
ia	Leah	nianan

CONSONANTS

All consonants in Menominee are pronounced the same as in English with the exception that [c] is always pronounced as "ch" as in "church" and [s] is either pronounced as "ss" as in "sassy" or "sh" as in "shoot". The letter [q] represents a glottal stop.

CONVERSATIONS

Menominee	English
Pōsōh	Hello
āneq nāp? āq taeh nāp? Tāq nāp?	How are you?
Eneq new ānow	I am fine.
Kenah taeh?	And you?
Nanah ap new	Me too. Same as you.
Nemāēhnow-īm	I am well.
Nemāēhnow-esēkem	I am feeling good (physically)
āpēs-pāēc	Not so good. So so.
āēniwāēk taeh	I'll get by
Wāēhcetaw new kwayāk	Super! Just great! Top of the world!
Nemāēnīnehtan 's kew-nian!	I am happy to see you!
Ahkanom āwew ayāckwat kēs-nian	It is a long time since I last saw you.
Tāq āēs wīhseyan?	What is your name?
(Your name) eneq āēs wīhseyan	(Your Name) my name is
Tāq āēkāēyan?	What are you called?
(Your Name) eneq āēkāēyan	(Your Name) I am called
Tāq āēs mamāceqtaw wīhseyan?	What is your Indian name?
(Your Name) mamāceqtaw wīhseyan	(Your Name) my Indian name is
Menīkēsekat, ānow?	It is a nice day, isn't it.
ēh, kāēqc-menīkesekat yōhpeh!	Yes, it is a very nice day today!
Ketāqtomet?	Do you have it?
ēh, netāqton	Yes, I have it.
Kan, netāqtonan	No, I don't have it.
Kekēs - pītōmet?	Did you bring it?
ēh, nekēs - pītōn	Yes, I brought it.
ēh, nekēs - pītōnan	Yes, I brought them.
Kan, nekēs - pītōnan	No, I didn't bring it.
Kekātaw - pītōmet?	Are you going to bring it?
ēh, nekātaw - pītōn	Yes, I'm going to bring it.
Kan, nekātaw - pītōnan	No, I'm not going to bring it.
otācekwan (an)	car(s), truck(s)
penāēhkwan (an)	comb (s)
sūniyan	money, silver
masēnahekan (an)	book(s), paper(s)
asāqcekanāhtek (on)	pencil(s), pen(s)
wēhkesōhsaeh/wēhkesōhsan	doughnut/doughnuts
sēwāpoh	soda
sūniyanaeskemot	purse
naeqnemāw	tobacco
mīcehswan	food
īaq enakah āēsīyan?	Where are you going?
Nekātaw nekēwāēm	I am going home.
āq nakah wāēpīyan?	Where are you coming from?
Sāwanoh eneq wāēpīyan	I am coming from Shawano.
Kesīqnaeh	Keshena - Flies Fast
Nīwapet	Neopit - Four Sitting
Okāqtōhsaeh	South Branch - Little Oconto
Nanāweyoh Menīkān	Middle Village
Saqnawehnaen	Zoar - River Forks
Sāwanoh	Shawano - South
īaq taniw kātaw īyan enes?	How Long will you be there?
Nemēwah new newīm	I will be there a short time.
Newāēwēpeskam	I will hurry.
Māēhnow-pemātesenon yōhpeh!	Live well today!
Nekōtāēs mesek kew-nian	I'll see you again sometime.
Pōsōh	Good-Bye.

MONTHS

Q. Tāq ayom kēsoq ayāwet?
What month is this?

A. ____________ ayom āwew.
this is.

1. Anāmaehkatwan-kēsoq
          Shaking hands Moon or January

2. Namāēpen-kēsoq
          Fish Moon or February

3. Wanāēw-kēsoq
          Crusted Snow Moon or March

4. Sūpomāhkwan-kēsoq
          Sugar Making Moon or April

5. Pāhkwan-kēsoq
          Budding Moon or May

6. Atāēhemen-kēsoq
          Strawberry Moon or June

7. āpaehtaw-nēpen-kēsoq
          Half-summer Moon or July

8. Mēn-kēsoq
          Blueberry Moon or August

9. Pawāhān-kēsoq
          Wild Rice Gathering Moon or September

10. Penīpīmakat-kēsoq
          Leaf-Shedding Moon or October

11. Pāhkatāhkamek-kēsoq
          Freezing Moon or November

12. Nīpātepaeh-kēsoq
          Night Moon or December

--written by Rose Wayka, Director of the Menominee Language and Culture Commission

Additional Reading

American Indian Tribes
The Menominee
Menominee Facts
Michigan Native Americans

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