Ojibwewanishinaabemowin of the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Ojibwewanishinaabemowin of the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan This is a site for those who want to learn Ojibwewasnishinaabemowin of the Western U.P. of Michigan.

07/19/2024

I am soy there has been no post as of many moons. I have been super busy, but there will be more content soon. I am tying to get to recordings of our elders from the 60's. Pray for hope!

04/05/2024

Anishinaa, Boozhoo gakina giinawaa. Hey you guys!

Some Simple phrases.
1.Maajiitaadaa. Let’s start
2. Waazakonebidoon waasamoowaazakonenjigan. Turn on lamp.
3. Wenipanad. It is easy.
4. Zanagad. It is difficult / hard.
5. Ningikendaan i'iw. I know it.
6. Gaawiin ningikendanziin.I don’t know it.
7. Naadamawishin or Wiidookawishin. Help me.
8. Aaniin i'iw ezhi-ikidoyang Ojibwemong? How do we say it in Jib?
9. Aanikanootawishin. Translate / pronounce for me.
10. Gaawiin gi’gii noondawsii’in.I did not hear you.
11. Miinawaa go aabiding ikidon i'iw. Again say it.
12. Gizhiiwen. Say it louder.
13. Awenen wiintam? Who’s turn is it?
14. Niintam. My turn.
15. Giintam. Your turn.
16. Mii i’iw. Gigiizhiitaamin. That’s it. We all are finished.
17. Atebidoon waasamoowaazakonenjigan.
18. Giga-waabamigoo. See yous later.
19. Gigawaabamin. See you later.
20. Baanimaa apii/ Baamaa/ Baamaapii. Later.

04/05/2024

Let us learn common word order.
We have the usual VSO and VOS, but you will see some modern speakers only use SVO like English. This isn't wrong by any means, just irregular.
====
The VOS/VSO alternation in Ojibwe is most readily described in relation to the alternation in DIRECT/INVERSE argument alignments.
====
In DIRECT alignments, where the subject is a “higher
ranked” PROXIMATE argument and the object is a “lower ranked” OBVIATIVE argument, VOS occurs
preferentially (1a), but VSO is also possible (1b). In INVERSE alignments, where the object is
PROXIMATE and the subject OBVIATIVE, only VSO occurs (1c)—VOS is ungrammatical (1d)
(1) DIRECT (VOS preferred; VSO possible); INVERSE (VSO only)
====
A.
o-gii-waab-am-aa-n
3-PAST-see-ANIM-DIR-30

ikwe-wan
woman-OBV

gwiiwizens
boy.PROX
‘The boy (PROX) saw the woman’ (OBV)’

*Ogii-waabamaan ikwewan gwiiwizensan.
====
B.
o-gii-waab-am-aa-n
3-PAST-see-ANIM-DIR-30

gwiiwizens
boy.PROX

ikwe-wan
woman-OBV
‘The boy (PROX) saw the woman (OBV)’

Ogii-waabamaan gwiiwizns ikwewan.
====
C.
o-gii-waab-am-igoo-n
3-PAST-see-ANIM-INV-30

gwiiwizens-an
boy-OBV

ikwe
woman.PROX
‘The boy (OBV) saw the woman’ (PROX)’

* Ogii-waabamigoon gwiiwizensan ikwe.
====
D.
*o-gii-waab-am-igoo-n
3-PAST-see-ANIM-INV-30

ikwe
woman.PROX

gwiiwizens-an
boy-OBV
Intended: ‘The boy (OBV) saw the woman (PROX)’

* Ogii-waabamigoon ikwe gwiiwizensan.

=============
In out dialect we almost always use demonstrative pronouns,
====
i.e. Ogii-waabamigoon gwiiwizensan (aniweniwan) ikwe (a'aw).
====
aniw, iniw,aniwe, iniwe, aniweniwan, iniweiwan ( these are all the same more or less) and are the Obviate demonstrative pronouns that express that the Obviate is not far away from the speaker and shows that they are present and that we are talk of him in the Obviate manner while a'aw (that animate there) is the proximate animate demonstrative pronoun and by using these demonstrative pronouns the listener can get a more precise idea of whom we are speaking about and where they stand in distance to us, the speaker to the listener. Ojibwe is a lot at first, and there is no single Ojibwwanishinaabemowin languag and even if you speak a Minnesota ialect and it is reocoreded as Southwestern Ojibwe does ot mean that the same rules apply, they can be just as different as say a speaker in Nothern Manitoba to us. Mutual intelligebility is something that can be attained the more exsposure we have to the different dialects, but after a while it comes to you and those differences you can learn. Miiyiw!

There are a lot of demonstrative pronouns and not everyone uses them all. Most Easten Speakers and Odaawaa use,
====
this inanimate - maanda
this inanimate - iw, wi (Used mainly by those who have Oj.)
these inanimate - nonda,
those inanimate - niw
this animate - maaba
this animate - aw , wa (used mainly by those who have Oj.)
these animate - gonda, maamnda
those animate- gow
====
Most of our speaker in the states archaically used and use the forms from nearest to furthest. We use 56 Demonstrative pronouns adding an Obviate class of pronouns.

Wikipedia is not my go to, but I have read though this and it is pretty good. Also I will attach the source of the grammar from above below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojibwe_grammar

https://christopherhammerly.com/publication/ojibwe-v1/ojibwe-v1.pdf

Although Minnesota Dialect it is the closest to our dialect besides of course LCO.

04/04/2024

Nominative vs Vocative Family Words.
====
Noos. (My dad.) Noose! (Dad!)
Ningashi. (My mama.) Ninga! (Mama!) also, Neka! Ninge!
Nimishomis. (My gramp's.) Nimisho! (Grampa!)
Nookomis. (My gramma.) Nooko! (Grandma!)
Ningwizis. (My son.) Ningwis! (Son!)
Nindaanis. (My daughter.) Nindaan! (Daughter!)
Noozhishenh. (My grandchild.) Noozis! (Grandkid!)
Nindaanikoobijigan. (My gr.grandparent, including aunties, and uncles and clan family.). KOOBII! (My Great!)

These are just a few. Nominative is how you would talk of them in a sentence or to someone. Vocative means how you call someone. If I had a cousin named waabanangookwe, I refer to them as waabanangookwe to someone but waabanangook if I was to want their attention. Pretty simple. FYI, in our dialect the use of Nimbaabaa, Nindede, Nimaamaa are not used and shouldn't be encouraged. Nimaamaa is my eyebrow and nimaamaayag is my eyebrows. We should use our archaic word always when possible. Miiyiw.

03/03/2024

Gaganoonidiiwin
++
++
1. Ingichi-minwendaan waabaminaan.
(It is nice to see you.)*chi-minwendaan waabaminaan -slang.
++
2. Aaniin eyizhichigeyamban ishkwaaj gaa-ako-waabaminaan.
(What have you ben up to since I last say you?)
++
3. Weyoonikeh, mii eta go anishaa go enda-onzaamibaatoyaan.
(Oh he, just doing a lot of running around just cause (no reason).
++
4. Ninoondam gii-aakoziyan?
(I hear you were sick.)
5. Awenen iw gaa-wiindamok? [or: Awenen iw gaa-tibaajimotok?]
(Who told you that) [Who stated that to you?]
++
6. Charlie Anakwad a'aw, mii gaa-izhid.
(Charlie Cloud, that's what he said to me.
++
7. Oonh, nindaakozinaaban bangii gii-izhaayaan iwidi Ziibiinsing, noongom idash igo, eshkam nimino-ayaa.
( I was sick at the time I went to Zeba, but now, I am better.)
++
8. Awegonen gaa-inaapineyamban? Aaniin gaa-inaapineyan?
(What kind of sickness did you have.)
++
9. Weyoonh, ingii-takaj.
(Oh, I had a cold.)
++
10. Niminjinawez ji-noondamaan gii-aakoziyan.
(I am sorry to here that you where sick.

02/11/2024

Waa ge-doodaman baanimaa apii?
What are you doing later then?

Awegonesh ge-izhichigeyan noongon?
What will you do today?

Aaniin ge-doodaman nagaj?
What will you do later?

Mii wenjidaag endoodang John.
That is purposeful what John is doing.

Onjida wiin i'iw doodam John.
John is doing that on purpose.

doodam (vai2) - he or she does something

izhichige (vai) - h/she does, makes things a certain may
/iN-/ in a certain manner or way
/-t-/ cause it to be
/-ge/ h/she acts on unspcified objct.

onjida (adv man) - purpose, intentionally

*if izhichige's roots were left alon the word would look like this; "intige", which vary well may be a word in some dialects as Ojibwe root words were used in developing trade languages amongst the central or Great Lakes Natives and Non-native, but using Ojibwe thought process through sound and all the good stuff /iN-/ and /-t-/ become the word prefix, izhit- paired with the final /-ge/ the /-t-/ becomes /-ch-/ and we ad an incorporating sound of /-i-/ before /-ge/ to make the word, izhichige. Ojibwe has many different dialects and with a careful ear and deeper understanding of the Ojibwe root system one should have vey little problem speaking to anyone who speaks Anishinaabemowin.

02/09/2024

Awegonen zhebaa waa-izhichigeyamban?

What did you want to do earlier?

This is an Ojibwewanishinaabemowin sound chart. after you do your initial, baa, bii, boo (bow), be (bay) be (bet) ba, bi...
02/09/2024

This is an Ojibwewanishinaabemowin sound chart. after you do your initial, baa, bii, boo (bow), be (bay) be (bet) ba, bi, bo, add a glottal stop at the end of each. A glottal stop should be a quick stop like a vocal fry, but snappy. baa', bii', the sound of the glottal stop is important as any consonants. The function of the glottal will be explained when it comes up, okay. To practice glottalization, start by saying uh-oh, just as in English. The stopping sound is what you want to project. This will take practice as it is probably the only difficult sound to make in Ojibwe, so don't sweat too much. Have fun sounding like a weirdo practicing aloud by yourself. If you are trying to attain the dialect of our area, make sure that the long vowels have a slight nasally aspiration and don't forget the double consonant secret. These are ticks I've learned by my teacher. Developing the muscled needed to speak Ojibwe is important as English speakers we speaker from the font of our mouth if that makes sense. We have to assimilate ourselves to the natural flow of Ojibwe by developing the muscles in our mouth. In our variety the tongue does not go past your Eagle talon cusps on the back of your teeth if you have them. Don't fret on pronunciation though at fist as Ojibwe is lucky enough to not be a tone language, the sounding is just for greater authentication.

Address

405 Iron Street, #2
Negaunee, MI
49866

Telephone

+19063603786

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ojibwewanishinaabemowin of the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Ojibwewanishinaabemowin of the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan:

Shortcuts

Share

Category