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
31 core words in Mi'kmaq
Water
samqwan
/samɡʷan/
Fire
puktew
/puɡdew/
Sun
naku'set
/naɡuːset/
Moon
tepkunaset
/tebɡunaset/
Star
kloqoej
/kl̩qwetʃ/
Mother
nikij
/niɡidʒ/
Father
nujj
/nudʒː/
I
ni'n
/niːn/
You
ki'l
/kiːl/
Name
wisun
/wisun/
Eye
pukweck
/puɡʷedʒɡ/
Hand
piten
/biden/
Heart
ukamlamun
/uɡamlamun/
Love
kesalk
/ɡesalɡ/
Tree
nipi
/nibi/
House
wikuom
/wiɡuom/
Dog
lmu'j
/lmuːdʒ/
Cat
mia'wj
/miaʔwdʒ/
Eat
mij
/midʒ/
Drink
sa'q
/saːɡ/
One
newt
/newt/
Two
ta'pu
/taːbu/
Hello
kwe'
/kweː/
Thank you
wela'lin
/welaːlin/
Good
kelu'lk
/ɡeluːlɡ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian, Eastern) languages
| Meaning | Mi'kmaq | Munsee | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy | Algonquin | Ojibwe | Western Abenaki | Menominee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | samqwan /samɡʷan/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | samaqan /samakʷan/ | nibì /nɪbiː/ | nibi /nibi/ | nebi /nebi/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ |
| Fire | puktew /puɡdew/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | skwut /skʷut/ | ishkotè /ɪʃkɔteː/ | ishkode /iʃkode/ | skuda /skuda/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ |
| Sun | naku'set /naɡuːset/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | kisuhs /kisuhs/ | kìzis /kiːzɪs/ | giizis /ɡiːzis/ | kisos /kisos/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ |
| Moon | tepkunaset /tebɡunaset/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | nipawset /nipawset/ | tibik-kìzis /tɪbɪkkiːzɪs/ | dibik-giizis /dibik ɡiːzis/ | nanibossad /nanibossad/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ |
| Star | kloqoej /kl̩qwetʃ/ | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ | possesom /pəsːesɒm/ | anang /aˈnaŋ/ | anang /anaŋ/ | alakws /alakʷs/ | anaeq /anɛːʔ/ |
| Mother | nikij /niɡidʒ/ | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ | ningà /nɪŋɡaː/ | nimaamaa /nimaːmaː/ | nigueno /niɡweno/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ |
| Father | nujj /nudʒː/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ | nòs /nɔːs/ | indede /indede/ | mitôgwes /mitõɡwes/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ |
| I | ni'n /niːn/ | nii /niː/ | nil /nil/ | niin /niːn/ | niin /niːn/ | nia /nia/ | nenah /nɛnah/ |
| You | ki'l /kiːl/ | kii /kiː/ | kil /kil/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | kia /kia/ | kenah /kɛnah/ |
| Name | wisun /wisun/ | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ | wisuwon /wisəwɒn/ | wiinzowin /wiːnzowin/ | izhinikaazowin /ɪʒɪnɪkaːzowɪn/ | wizôwôgan /wizɔ̃wɔ̃ɡan/ | -esian /ɛsian/ |
| Eye | pukweck /puɡʷedʒɡ/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ | oshkìnzhig /ɔʃkiːnʒɪɡ/ | oshkiinzhig /oʃkiːnʒiɡ/ | seskaganno /seskaɡanno/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ |
| Hand | piten /biden/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | lukikʼn /lukikən/ | ninj /nɪndʒ/ | ninij /ninidʒ/ | nelidj /nelidʒ/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ |
| Heart | ukamlamun /uɡamlamun/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | utʼine /utinə/ | odè /ɔdeː/ | odeʼ /odeʔ/ | matagua /mataɡwa/ | otēh /oteːh/ |
| Love | kesalk /ɡesalɡ/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | kosi /kosi/ | sàgi'à /saːɡiʔaː/ | zaagiʼiwewin /zaːɡiʔiweːwin/ | wadjawimaɔ /wadʒawimɔ̃/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ |
| Tree | nipi /nibi/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | ʼsupi /supi/ | mitig /mɪtɪɡ/ | mitig /mitiɡ/ | abazi /abazi/ | metekoh /metekoh/ |
| House | wikuom /wiɡuom/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ | wàkàigan /waːkaːiɡan/ | wiigiwaam /wiːɡiwaːm/ | wigwôm /wiɡwõm/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ |
| Dog | lmu'j /lmuːdʒ/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ | animosh /anɪmɔʃ/ | animosh /animoʃ/ | alemos /alemos/ | anēm /aneːm/ |
| Cat | mia'wj /miaʔwdʒ/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ | — /—/ | gaazhagens /ɡaːʒaɡens/ | minasso /minasso/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | mij /midʒ/ | mit /mit/ | mititi /mititi/ | wìsini /wiːsɪni/ | wiisini /wiːsini/ | midjoda /midʒoda/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ |
| Drink | sa'q /saːɡ/ | mneew /mneew/ | mun /mun/ | minikwe /mɪnɪkwe/ | minikwe /minikwe/ | minoda /minoda/ | menew /menew/ |
| One | newt /newt/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | pesokul /pesokul/ | pejig /peʒɪɡ/ | bezhig /beʒiɡ/ | ngwedi /ŋɡwedi/ | nekot /nekot/ |
| Two | ta'pu /taːbu/ | niisha /niːʃa/ | nis /nis/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | nis /nis/ | nīs /niːs/ |
| Hello | kwe' /kweː/ | hé /heː/ | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ | Kwe /kwe/ | boozhoo /boːʒoː/ | kwai /kwai/ | posoh /posoh/ |
| Thank you | wela'lin /welaːlin/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | woliwon /woliwon/ | Migwech /mɪɡwetʃ/ | miigwech /miːɡʷetʃ/ | wliwni /wliwni/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ |
| Good | kelu'lk /ɡeluːlɡ/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | woli /woli/ | mino /mɪnɔ/ | mino /mino/ | wlaha /wlaha/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ |
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