Noongwa e-Anishinaabemjig: The People Who Speak Anishinaabemowin Today

Enweying, How We Sound (Rhythm)

Nsostamokiiwans, To Understand Little Things, (Explanation)
Ezhichigen, You Do It, (Practice)
Gikendaan, You Know, (Summary)

Nsostamokiiwans, To Understand Little Things, (Explanation)

Anishinaabemowin has a pronunciation pattern that is different from English. Many languages have variation in sounds that speakers use to convey meaning. This variation in sound can be produced by saying one word harder, stressing that word; or by allowing your voice to rise up at the end of a sentence, giving it intonation. Anishinaabemowin, traditionally had neither stress nor intonation. To understand stress and intonation, consider the following examples.

"I ate the COOKIE." (When the word 'cookie' is stressed, the speaker is emphasizing what was eaten, not who ate or what was done.)
"I ATE the cookie." (When the word 'ate' is stressed, the speaker is emphasizing what was done.)
"Did you eat the cookie?" (When a speaker asks a question in English, he or she uses intonation to cause the voice to rise at the end of the sentence. In Anishinaabemowin, there is no intonation, simply the addition of a question word at the beginning, or 'ina' after the subject of the question.)

The most correct way to read Anishinaabemowin is without any stress or intonation - simply grouping syllables to create a regular pattern. The most recognizable form of this pattern in English is poetry, in the iambic pentameter. Instead of stressing words or syllables to create meaning, speakers of Anishinaabemowin stress syllables consistently.

Ezhichigen, You Do It, (Practice)

One way to learn the rhythm of Anishinaabemowin is to practice reading sentences with the words broken up into pairs of consonants and vowels. Practice reading the following sentences with the words separated, and then put back together.

1.	Ge	kinoo	maa	gaa	zi	jig	n'daaw	mi.
	Gekinoomaagaazjig						n'daaw	mi.
	being taught ones						we are.
	Students						we are.

Slow:
Fast:

2.	Waa	ezhi	ki	do	yeg	Ani	shi	naa	be	mo	win.
	Waa	ezhi	kidoyeg			Anishinaabemowin
	Would	the way	to say you all			Anishinaabe Language.
	This is the way you all speak Anishinaabemowin.

Slow:
Fast:

3.	Gi	ken	daa	miig	waa	ezhi	ki	do	yeg.
	Gikendaamiig				waa	ezhi	kidoyeg.
	Learn it, you all!				would	the way	to say you all
	You all would learn how to speak this way.

Slow:
Fast:

4.	Nii	zhing	ki	don	ezhi	bii	gaa	de	gan.
	Niizhing		kidon		ezhi	biigaadegan.
	Twice		say it, you!		the way	it is written.
	Say it twice the way it's written.

Slow:
Fast:

Gikendaan, You Know, (Summary)

1.	Ge	gwa	ba	men	di	ke.
	Gegwa		bamendike.
	Don't		pay attention to it.
	Leave it alone. / Never mind.

2.	G'	zhaa	en	ji	ge.
	G'zhaaenjige.
	You are jealous.
	You are jealous.

3.	G'	ba	ka	de	ina?
	G'bakade ina?
	You hungry?
	Are you hungry?

4.	Aa	niin	en	sa	di	baa	ga	neg?
	Aaniin		ensa		dibaaganeg?
	What		the amount		hours?
	What time is it? (using a clock)

5.	We	nesh	e	pii	chaak?
	Wenesh		epiichaak?
	What is		the while?
	What time is it? (using the sun and constellation and space as an indicator)

6.	We	nesh	en	sa	di	baa	baa	neg?
	Wenesh		ensa		dibaabaaneg?
	What		the amount		miles?
	How many miles?

7.	Mi	no	zhe	yaanh
	Minozheyaanh
	He/She is feeling good.

8.	Za	ga	ji	gaa	boo	yaanh.
	Zagajigaabooyaanh.
	Going out standing I.
	I am stepping outside.

9.	Ji	gi	zii	biing.
	Jigiziibiing.
	Next to river place
	By the river.

10.	M	skwaa	si	nii'	ing.
	Mskwaasinii'ing.
	Bleeding rocks place.
	Swamp.

11.	Me	gwe	m	ti	gwa	ki.
	Megwemtigwaki.
	Among trees land.
	Forest.

12.	Niizh	waab	shki	waa	ba	ga	noo	jiinh	ig.
	Niizh	waabshkiwaabaganoojiinhig.
	Two	to be white mice.
	Two white mice.

Rhythm

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Next Lesson: Numbers

Giishpin gwa pane anishinaabemoying...Ingoding gwa giishigag kina kaa Anishinaabemowin. If we all speak Anishinaabemowin...one day everyone will speak Anishinaabemowin