Mi'kmawi'simk
Mi'kmaq
Algic (Algonquian, Eastern)
Mi'kmaq (Mi'kmawi'simk, sometimes Micmac) is an Eastern Algonquian language of the Mi'kmaq people of the Canadian Maritimes (Mi'kma'ki) and northern Maine. Polysynthetic with productive verb morphology. Historically used the Mi'kmaw hieroglyphic script (developed by Catholic missionaries from earlier indigenous mnemonic glyphs and used 1670s–early 20th c.) — one of very few pre-Columbian-era logographic writing traditions in North America. Today written in the Smith-Francis Latin orthography (1980).
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Mi'kmaq
Water
samqwan
/samɡʷan/
Fire
puktew
/puɡdew/
Sun
naku'set
/naɡuːset/
Moon
tepkunaset
/tebɡunaset/
Mother
nikij
/nidʒidʒ/
Father
nujj
/nudʒː/
Eat
mij
/midʒ/
Drink
sa'q
/saːɡ/
Love
kesalk
/ɡesalɡ/
Heart
ukamlamun
/uɡamlamun/
Tree
nipi
/nibi/
House
wikuom
/wiɡuom/
Dog
lmu'j
/lmuːdʒ/
Cat
mia'wj
/miaʔwdʒ/
Hand
piten
/biden/
Eye
pukweck
/puɡʷedʒɡ/
Hello
kwe'
/kweː/
Thank you
wela'lin
/welaːlin/
One
newt
/newt/
Good
kelu'lk
/ɡeluːlɡ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Mi'kmaq | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy | Western Abenaki | Yele | Menominee | Munsee | Kera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | samqwan /samɡʷan/ | samaqan /samakʷan/ | nebi /nebi/ | mbwaa /mbʷaː/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | mam /mam/ |
| Fire | puktew /puɡdew/ | skwut /skʷut/ | skuda /skuda/ | ndê /ndɘ/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | ákə̀rə /akərə/ |
| Sun | naku'set /naɡuːset/ | kisuhs /kisuhs/ | kisos /kisos/ | kââdî /kaːdɨ/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | kêr /keːɾ/ |
| Moon | tepkunaset /tebɡunaset/ | nipawset /nipawset/ | nanibossad /nanibossad/ | d:ââ /dːaː/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | mə̀sə̀rə /məsərə/ |
| Mother | nikij /nidʒidʒ/ | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ | nigueno /niɡweno/ | pye /pje/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | nkáhees /ŋkahees/ | nâ /naː/ |
| Father | nujj /nudʒː/ | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ | mitôgwes /mitõɡwes/ | m:aa /mːaː/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | bâ /baː/ |
| Eat | mij /midʒ/ | mititi /mititi/ | midjoda /midʒoda/ | ma /ma/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | mit /mit/ | nà /na/ |
| Drink | sa'q /saːɡ/ | mun /mun/ | minoda /minoda/ | ndanî /ndaˈnɨ/ | menew /menew/ | mneew /mneew/ | sā /saː/ |
| Love | kesalk /ɡesalɡ/ | kosi /kosi/ | wadjawimaɔ /wadʒawimɔ̃/ | — /—/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | kùm /kum/ |
| Heart | ukamlamun /uɡamlamun/ | utʼine /utinə/ | matagua /mataɡwa/ | gha /ɣa/ | otēh /oteːh/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | gùm /ɡum/ |
| Tree | nipi /nibi/ | ʼsupi /supi/ | abazi /abazi/ | yi /ji/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | kòsō /kosoː/ |
| House | wikuom /wiɡuom/ | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ | wigwôm /wiɡwõm/ | ngomo /ŋomo/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | gòl /ɡol/ |
| Dog | lmu'j /lmuːdʒ/ | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ | alemos /alemos/ | w:ââ /wːaː/ | anēm /aneːm/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | kŋā /kŋaː/ |
| Cat | mia'wj /miaʔwdʒ/ | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ | minasso /minasso/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | mūsā /muːsaː/ |
| Hand | piten /biden/ | lukikʼn /lukikən/ | nelidj /nelidʒ/ | kêê /kɘː/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | kéu /keu/ |
| Eye | pukweck /puɡʷedʒɡ/ | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ | seskaganno /seskaɡanno/ | ngwolo /ŋʷolo/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | gìr /ɡir/ |
| Hello | kwe' /kweː/ | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ | kwai /kwai/ | mw:aandiye /mʷaːndije/ | posoh /posoh/ | hé /heː/ | ásālāmā /asaːlaːmaː/ |
| Thank you | wela'lin /welaːlin/ | woliwon /woliwon/ | wliwni /wliwni/ | mw:ââkó /mʷaːˈkɔ/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | shùkūr /ʃukuːɾ/ |
| One | newt /newt/ | pesokul /pesokul/ | ngwedi /ŋɡwedi/ | ngmidi /ŋmidi/ | nekot /nekot/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | ká /ka/ |
| Good | kelu'lk /ɡeluːlɡ/ | woli /woli/ | wlaha /wlaha/ | mb:aa /mbːaː/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | kúɗá /kuɗa/ |
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