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Nsostamokiiwans, To Understand Little Things, (Explanation)
Anishinaabemowin has a pattern of stress that is different from English. Instead of stressing words or syllables to create meaning, speakers of Anishinaabemowin should stress syllables in a consistent pattern. For instance, to indicate a question use "ina" rather than allow your voice to go up at the end of a sentence.
Students should also be aware there is some variation considered acceptable among speakers. Men and women will often have slight variations in their stress patterns. Sometimes women choose longer words which will make statements more musical than the shorter more direct statements men might choose. For instance, as noted in the examples below, a man might say "boon-taan" and a woman might say "geg-wa shki-naa."
In some places, both male and female speakers will drop whole sounds. For instance, some Eastern dialects drop the "w" from gaawiin. In these lessons, we leave all the letters in the written words so the sounds will be familiar when they are pronounced again which can happen when certain prefixes and suffixes are added.
Most importantly, students should listen to a wide range of speakers, male and female, of all ages and pay special attention to the elders in your own community.
Here are some examples to be read first in syllables and then faster as a sentence:
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Gekinoo maa gaaz jig n'daaw mi.
Gekinoomaagaazjig n'daaw mi.
Students we are.
Waa ezhi kidiyeg Anish inaa be mowin.
Waa ezhikidiyeg Anishinaabemowin.
How it is spoken, Anishinaabemowin.
Kend aamiig waa ezhi kid yeg.
Kendaamiig waa ezhikidyeg.
You all learn how to speak.
Niizh ing kidon ezhi bii gaa degan.
Niizhing kidon ezhi biigaadegan.
Twice say each one that is written.
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Ezhichigen, You Do It, (Practice)
Say each sentence first in parts, then faster as a whole.
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1)
Come here.
Maa jaan maam pii
Maajaan maampii
2)
Here (right here) go. (command)
Maam pii bi izhaan.
Maampii bizhaan.
3)
Leave it alone/Never mind.
Geg wa ba men dige.
Gegwa bamendige.
4)
You are jealous.
G'zhaa enj ige.
G'zhaaenjige.
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5)
Don't
Geg wa shki naa (women's) Boon taan (men's)
Gegwa shkinaa (women's) Boontaan (men's)
6)
Oh my!
A shiish maaj ii! (women's) Shtaa ta haa! (men's)
Ashiishmaajii! (women's) Shtaatahaa! (men's)
7)
What time is it? (by the clock)
Aa niin en sa dibaaga neg?
Aaniin ensa dibaaganeg?
8)
What time is it? / How many miles?
Wen esh e pii chaak?
Wenesh epiichaak?
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9)
How many miles?
Wen esh en sa dibaa baan eg?
Wenesh ensa dibaabaaneg?
10)
He/She is feeling good.
Mi nen dam.
Minendam.
11)
I am stepping outside.
Zagaji gaa boo yaanh.
Zagajigaabooyaanh.
12)
We are hungry.
N' bak de mi.
N'bakdemi.
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13)
By the river
Jigi zii biing.
Jigiziibiing.
14)
Swamp
Mskwaa sinii 'ing.
Mskwaasinii'ing.
15)
Forest
Meg wem ta gwake.
Megwemtagwake.
16)
Two white (as a verb) mice.
Niizh waab shki waabaganoo jiinh ig.
Niizh waabshkiwaabaganoojiinhig.
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Gikendaan, You Know, (Summary)
Use what you have learned to pronounce these phrases:
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Biinish naage nii taa Anish inaa bem iiyaambaa maam piich.
Biinishnaage niitaa Anishinaabemiiyaambaa maampiich.
I wish I could speak well sooner or later.
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Aapiichi gwa waa saa n'gii binji baa wii bi anken monigog maan da Anish inaa bem owin.
Aapiichi gwa waasaa n'gii binjibaa wii bi ankenmonigog maanda Anishinaabemowin.
Very far I did come to give this language.
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Kaa' aanken maa genaa maan da gaa miinigo'aa Anish inaa bem owin.
Kaa' aankenmaagenaa maanda gaa miinigo'aa Anishinaabemowin.
I will give it, this language that was given to me.
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