Indoojibwem!

Indoojibwem!

When I set out to look for learning materials on the web, I was initially excited to find so many search results for the language. This excitement quickly faded with the number of 404 - Not Found messages I kept getting on each click of a link. So I've created this space as a repository of resources for learning Anishinaabemowin, or more specifically, Ojibwemowin. With time, I hope it can be of use not just to me, but to others.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Stepping through a course - Lesson 16

Another short dialog today, with a couple conditionals and the verb "to bring", both animate and inanimate.

We also have a new question, "How much?"

Dialog - 

M: Gidaa-biidoonan makizinan.
F: Gidaa-biinaa gimisenh.
M: Ingaa-biinaa na nimisenh?
F: Ingaa-biinaa na animosh?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
M: Aaniish minik?
F: Bezhigwaabik.
* * * * * * * * * * * *

A line-by-line breakdown:


M: Gidaa-biidoonan makizinan. 
  • Here we have a new preverb, "daa", which functions as a conditional "should".  It's formed with the verb just as "wii" is - pronoun-tense marker-verb root. The verb, "bidoon", means "bring SOMETHING". So he says "You should bring your moccasins."
F: Gidaa-biinaa gimisenh. 
  • We've got another new verb here, "binaa", also meaning "bring", but this is the animate verb, "bring SOMEBODY/SOME LIVING THING". We also have the word "gimisenh", meaning "your sister". She is saying "You should bring your sister."
M: Ingaa-biinaa na nimisenh? 
  • The preverb "gaa" is a future tense preverb, and can mean "shall", or "should".  But because it's a question of possibility, it functions as "can" or "could". So he's asking "Can I bring my sister?" Again, sister has the possessive pronoun "ni" affixed at the beginning of the word.
F: Ingaa-biinaa na animosh? 
  • This is the same concept using another animate noun, "animosh", "dog".  She is asking "Can I bring the dog?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *

M: Aaniish minik? 

  • This new word "minik" means "amount". Literally, He asks "What amount" or "How much?"
F: Bezhigwaabik. 
  • We have the number "one", "bezhig" attached to "waabik", literally meaning "metal", but here we are using it to denote currency. She's saying "One dollar."
* * * * * * * * * * * *

New words this lesson:
  • daa- - should; might; would
  • gaa- -will; shall; should
  • bezhig - one
  • nimisenh - my older sister
  • animosh - dog
  • waabik - dollar
  • minik - amount
  • Aaniish minik? - How much is it?
  • biidoon - bring SOMETHING
  • biinaa - bring SOMEBODY

Other vocabulary:

  • wa'aw[e] - this 
  • Awenen wa'aw? - Who's this?
  • i'iw[e] - that
  • Wegonen i'iw? -(What's that?
  • gigozis - your son
  • nindaais - my daughter
  • obaabaayan - his father
Possessive pronouns. These are always attached to the beginning of relative words, such as son, daughter, brother, sister, etc.
  • ni- My
  • gi- Your
  • o--an his/hers (Note that there is also a suffix added for the third person singular possessive.)

A list of other relatives and relationships can be reference here on the Family Members page. 

1 comment:

  1. I'm hearing gidaa-biidoonan gimakizinan
    The "gi" on the last word is "your" for "your moccasins.

    ReplyDelete

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