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Algonquin Dialect


Pronouncing corrupted Anishinabe words is simple! Starting with the "a" sound, it usually sounds like the ah in ah-choo. The b and p sounds are the same and sound like ba (as in bud but without pronouncing the ending d sound), bi (as in pronouncing the English letter b), bo (as in boat but without pronouncing the ending t sound), and boo (as in pronouncing boot but without pronouncing the ending t sound), and pa, pi, po, and poo are the same. Another important fact about the Anishinabe "oo" vowel sound, is the many variations it comes in such as in boo and poo, and goo and koo, and soo and shoo, and just the simple oo sound.



The "g" sound always sounds like English words like gave, get, give, and so on, excepting when a wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. An example includes, the Anishinabe word for fish which is gigo. You pronounce it as you would pronounce the English word geek, but without pronouncing the ending k sound. So it sounds like gi-go. Of course the go part of gigo sounds like the English word go. The Anishinabe "g" sounds are identical to the Anishinabe b and p sounds. They sound like ga, gi, go, and goo, excepting when the wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. They sound like gwa, gwi, gwo, and gwoo. The same applies to the Anishinabe "k" sounds. They sound like ka, ki, ko, and koo, excepting when the wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. They sound like kwa, kwi, kwo, and kwoo. The Anishinabe "s" sounds are identical to the Anishinabe b and p sounds, and the g and k sounds, excepting when a wa, wi, wo, and woo follows. They sound like Swa, Swi, Swo, and Swoo. They sound like sa, si, so, soo.



The same applies to the Anishinabe "sh" and "zh" sounds. They sound like sha, shi, sho, and shoo, and zha, zhi, zho, and zhoo. The Anishinabe "m" and "n" sounds are also identical to the Anishinabe b and p sounds, g and k sounds, and so on. They sound like ma, mi, mo, and moo, and na, ni, no, and noo. The Anishinabe "ch" sounds sound like the English words cheat, chick, chuck and so on. They sound like cha, chi, cho, and choo. Anishinabe vowels are easy as well. The most important being probably the Anishinabe "e" vowel, which always sounds like day, gay, may, pay and so on. I write the Anishinabe "e" vowel sound as it is pronounced as in the Anishinabe word for the number three, which is in-sway.



Whenever you see an ay, in the Anishinabe word i have written, it sounds like the sounds in English words like day, gay, may, pay and so on. Then we have Anishinabe words which end in either "sh" or "zh" to pronounce. You pronounce them as you would with English words like crush, brush, and hush. We also have the Anishinabe words which have the "j" sound. You pronounce those Anishinabe words with the "j" sound like English words like join, judge and just. They sound like ja, ji, jo, and joo. We also have the Anishinabe "j" sound in the middle of the word before a consonant. We pronounce those Anishinabe words like the Anishinabe word for later, which is na-gaj, as that. They are also spelled with a ch on many occasions.



When you see an "ai" in Anishinabe words, particularly in the middle of those words, they sound like na-i-gan. The Anishinabe "i" vowel sounds like the English letter e. An example would be the Anishinabe words for book and lake. You pronounce them like ma-zi-na-i-gan, and za-ga-i-gan. The Anishinabe "ii" vowel sounds identical to English words like lean, seen and teen. When you see an oak at the end of a syllable, you know it sounds like the English words oak, broke, smoke and so on. When you see an Anishinabe syllabic written below with the Anishinabe "ii" vowel, you know it sounds like lean, seen and teen. When you see an e at the end of an Anishinabe syllabic below, you know it sounds like the English words bone, home, loan, and tone. Even if the syllabic ends with a s or z, such as bones, homes, loans and tones.



When you see an "ie" at the end of an Anishinabe syllabic below, you know it sounds like the sound in English words like die, tie and why. I have written the Anishinabe words like syllabics in order for you to correctly pronounce the Anishinabe words. When you see b, d, t, g, k, s, z, at the end of an Anishinabe word, they have the ending b, d, t, g, k, s, and z sounds. Not the beginning.



Numbers
one = pay-zhig
two = nizh
three = ni-sway
four = ni-win
five = na-nan
six = ni-go-da-sway
seven = ni-swa-sway
eight = swa-sway
nine = zhon-ga-sway
ten = mi-ta-sway
eleven = mi-ta-sway- ah-sij pay-shig
twenty = nizh-ta-na
twenty one = nizh-ta-na ah-sij- pay-shig
thirty = ni-so-mi-da-na
thiry one = ni-so-mi-da-na ah-sij pay-shig
forty = ni-mi-da-na
forty one = ni-mi-da-na- ah-sij pay-shig
fifty = na-no-mi-da-na
fifty one = na-no-mi-da-na ah-sij pay-shig
sixty = ni-go-da-so-mi-da-na
sixty one = ni-go-da-so-mi-da-na ah-sij pay-shig
seventy = ni-zwa-so-mi-da-na
seventy one = ni-zwa-so-mi-da-na ah-sij pay-shig
eighty = swa-so-mi-da-na
eighty one = swa-so-mi-da-na ah-sij pay-shig
ninety = zhon-ga-so-mi-da-na
ninety one = zhon-ga-so-mi-da-na ah-sij pay-shig
one hundred = mi-ta-so-mi-da-na

Animals
bear = mak-kwa
beaver = ah-mik
blue-bird = o-zha-wa-no
bluejay = pi-kwa-ko-gway-shi
canada jay = quiin-gwi-shi
caribou = ah-dik
chipmunk = ah-gwi-gos
crow = on-deg
deer = wa-wash-kay-shi
eagle = mi-ki-zi
flying sqirrel = zha-nash-ka-da-way
fox = wa-gos
grosbeak = o-ka-ni-si
groundhog = win-nac
lynx = pi-zhoo
marten = wa-bi-shay-shi
mink = zhon-gwa-shi
moose = mos
muskrat = wa-jusk
otter = ni-gig
porcupine = kug
rabbit = wa-bos
raven = ka-ga-gi-oo
skunk = zhi-gag
sqirrel = ah-jid-ah-mo
weasel = zhi-go-si
wolf = ma-hi-gan

Weather
calm = an-na-tin
cloudy = ni-gwan-kwan
cold = ki-si-na
foggy = kash-ka-wan
lightning = wa-wa-sa-ko-nay-say
rain = ki-mi-wan
snowing = so-gi-pon
sun = ki-zis
sunny = ki-zha-tay
thunder = ah-ni-mi-ki-ka
wind = no-din

trees
balsam = say-say-ga-dig
birch = wi-gwa-sa-tig
cedar = ki-shi-ka-tig
jack pine = o-kik
maple = i-nan-na-dig
pine = zhi-gwa-tig
poplar = ah-za-di
spruce = mi-na-ig

body
arm = o-nik
ear = ta-wag
eye = ski-zhig
eyes = ski-skone
foot = o-zid-an
hair = miin-si-san
hand = ninj
knees = o-gi-di-gog
leg = -o-kad
mouth = done
neck = o-kway-gan
nose = janzh
stomach = ma-sad

family
baby = bi-biin
brother = wi-ka-nay
father = os
grandfather = mi-sho-mi
grandmother = ko-ko-mis
mother = jo-jo
sister = da-way-ma





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