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.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Stepping through a course - Lesson 25

This really should have been combined with Lesson 24, since Pimsleur only introduces the animate form of the verb "smells good" and an animate noun. I've added a few more vocabulary examples to play with, and how to form the compound noun for [animal-] meat.

Dialog -

F: Minomaate i'iw waawaashkeshiiwi-wiiyaas.
M: Minomaaso a'aw ogaa.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Here's a line-by-line breakdown:


F: Minomaate i'iw waawaashkeshiiwi-wiiyaas.
  • "Waawaashkeshiiwi-wiiyaas" is a combination of "deer" and "meat" (although, see below). She's saying "That deer meat smells good."
M: Minomaaso a'aw ogaa.
  • Here, "ogaa" (walleye) is an animate noun, so we need to use an animate form of the verb "smells good" - "minomaaso". In addition, we need to use the animate version of "that" - "a'aw". He says "That walleye smells good."  

New words this lesson:
  • waawaashkeshiiwi-wiyaas - venison, deer-meat
  • ogaa - walleye, walleyed-pike
  • minomaaso - SOMETHING (animate) smells good

Note:

Often, when we want to talk about specific meats, we use the animal name and turn it into a verb, for example: waawaashkeshiiwi-wiyaas is deer+the verb wi (be [SOMETHING])-wiiyaas. So waawaashkeshiiwi then becomes a sort of preverb adjective for wiiyaas. In effect, what we're saying is "the deering meat" and not "deer-meat".

Other vocabulary:
  • bizhiki - cow
  • makwa - bear
  • baaka'aakwenh - chicken
  • gookooshi - pork
  • bizhikiwi-wiiyaas - beef
  • mako-wiiyaas - bear meat
  • baaka'aakwenh-wiiyaas - chicken meat
  • gookooshi-wiiyaas - pork
  • ode'imin - strawberry
Here is another take on "smell":
  • minomaam - enjoy the smell of SOMETHING
    • Niminomaamaa ode'iminan. - I like the smell of strawberries.

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