Kanien'kéha
Mohawk
Iroquoian (Northern)
Mohawk (Kanien'kéha) is one of the largest surviving Iroquoian languages, native to the Mohawk Valley. It is highly polysynthetic and has a relatively small sound inventory of roughly 15–16 phonemes, including about ten consonants. Active revitalization is ongoing in Akwesasne and Kahnawake.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Mohawk
Water
ohnekanos
/ohnekanos/
Fire
otsénhaʼ
/odzʌ̃haʔ/
Sun
karahkwa
/karahkwa/
Moon
ehníta
/ehˈniːta/
Star
otsistohkwaʔ
/otsistohkwaʔ/
Mother
isté:ha
/isteːha/
Father
ranihá
/raniha/
I
í:'i
/íːʔi/
You
í:se'
/íːseʔ/
Name
ohsennaʔ
/ohsennaʔ/
Eye
kakahre
/kakahre/
Hand
o'nentsha
/oʔnentsha/
Heart
awèrià
/awɛriã/
Love
aknoronhkwa
/aknoronhkʷa/
Tree
okwire
/okʷire/
House
kanonhsa
/kanonhsa/
Dog
érhar
/erhar/
Cat
takós
/takos/
Eat
kekhwa
/kekʰwa/
Drink
kahnek
/kahnek/
One
enska
/enska/
Two
tékeni
/teːɡeni/
Hello
she:kon
/ʃeːkon/
Thank you
niáwen
/niawen/
Good
ioiánere
/jojánere/
Words compared
Compared with related Iroquoian (Northern) languages
| Meaning | Mohawk | Cayuga | Onondaga | Oneida | Tuscarora | Cora | Yao |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | ohnekano:s /ohnekanoːs/ | otiʔkwah /otiʔkwah/ | awę: /awɛ̃ː/ | hapɨn /hapɨn/ | mesi /mesi/ |
| Fire | otsénhaʼ /odzʌ̃haʔ/ | ojistaʼ /odʒistaʔ/ | oji:staʼ /odʒiːstaʔ/ | onaʔ /onaʔ/ | ujihst /udʒihst/ | ta'ai /taʔai/ | moto /moto/ |
| Sun | karahkwa /karahkwa/ | gaehkwa /ɡaehkwa/ | gaeh'kwa /ɡaehʔkwa/ | karahkwah /karahkwah/ | hęhts /hɛ̃hts/ | tahaapuá /tahaːpwa/ | lyuwa /ʎuwa/ |
| Moon | ehníta /ehˈniːta/ | sǫi:ya /sõːja/ | gaeh'kwa enitha /ɡaehʔkwa enitha/ | tsikʌ /tsikʌ/ | hęhts uri:węh /hɛ̃hts uɾiːwɛ̃h/ | mɨhka /mɨhka/ | mwesi /mwesi/ |
| Star | otsistohkwaʔ /otsistohkwaʔ/ | otsihsdaʔ /otsihsdaʔ/ | otsistoʼgwaʼ /odʒistoʔɡwaʔ/ | otsistohkwaʼ /odʒistohkwaʔ/ | utsíhstaʔ /utsíhstaʔ/ | sɨɨrabe /sɨːˈrabe/ | ndondwa /ndondwa/ |
| Mother | isté:ha /isteːha/ | agniha /aɡniha/ | ekno:ha' /eknoːhaʔ/ | aknulha /aknulha/ | raknų:hak /ɾaknũːhak/ | naana /naːna/ | amao /amaː/ |
| Father | ranihá /raniha/ | ha'nih /haʔnih/ | hak'no:ha' /hakʔnoːhaʔ/ | haʔnih /haʔnih/ | rakhnih /ɾakhnih/ | hahuá /hahwa/ | atati /atati/ |
| I | í:'i /íːʔi/ | iːʔ /iːʔ/ | iʼ /iʔ/ | iʔí /iˈʔi/ | íːʔ /iːʔ/ | neʼu /ˈneʔu/ | une /une/ |
| You | í:se' /íːseʔ/ | iːs /iːs/ | íseʼ /iseʔ/ | isé /iˈse/ | íːsaʔ /iːsaʔ/ | aʼu /ˈaʔu/ | mmwe /mːwe/ |
| Name | ohsennaʔ /ohsennaʔ/ | ohsęːnaʔ /ohsẽːnaʔ/ | yaʼts /jaʔts/ | yukyáts /juˈɡjats/ | utsheːnaʔ /utsʰeːnaʔ/ | yeuwa /ˈjeuwa/ | lina /lina/ |
| Eye | kakahre /kakahre/ | oga:t /oɡaːt/ | oga:tha' /oɡaːtʰaʔ/ | oʔloh /oʔloh/ | ka:tæk /kaːtæk/ | húi /hwi/ | liso /liso/ |
| Hand | o'nentsha /oʔnentsha/ | onénǫhsa /onenõhsa/ | onénǫhsa' /onenõhsaʔ/ | okaʔ /okaʔ/ | kéhskweh /kehskweh/ | mam /mam/ | ngaila /ŋɡaila/ |
| Heart | awèrià /awɛriã/ | awéri /aweri/ | awé:ri /aweːri/ | oianeh /oianeh/ | kęhsa' /kɛ̃hsaʔ/ | hɨurí /hɨuri/ | mtima /mtima/ |
| Love | aknoronhkwa /aknoronhkʷa/ | gaihwiyu /ɡaihwiju/ | gaonihsdá:wę /ɡaonihsdaːwɛ̃/ | — /—/ | krunyę:tas /kɾuɲɛ̃ːtas/ | ka'na /kaʔna/ | chikondi /tʃikondi/ |
| Tree | okwire /okʷire/ | gaentaʼ /ɡaentaʔ/ | ga:enda' /ɡaːendaʔ/ | oyʌte /ojʌte/ | nyęt /ɲɛ̃t/ | kɨré /kɨre/ | mtela /mtela/ |
| House | kanonhsa /kanonhsa/ | ganǫhsoot /ɡanõhsoːt/ | ganǫhsoht /ɡanõhsoht/ | kanúhsote /kanuhsote/ | kanéhse'ę /kanehseʔɛ̃/ | kíh /kih/ | nyumba /ɲumba/ |
| Dog | érhar /erhar/ | shǫkáos /ʃõkaos/ | só:wa:s /soːwaːs/ | é:lhal /ˈeːlhal/ | čerʼ /tʃeɾʔ/ | tsɨ'ɨ /tsɨʔɨ/ | mbwa /mbwa/ |
| Cat | takós /takos/ | ditshokwáʔ /ditʃokwaʔ/ | takó:s /takoːs/ | taks /taks/ | takʼo:s /takʔoːs/ | mistú /mistu/ | paka /paka/ |
| Eat | kekhwa /kekʰwa/ | gekho /ɡekʰo/ | ekho:ne' /ekʰoːneʔ/ | ohkaʔ /ohkaʔ/ | kré:nuʼ /kɾeːnuʔ/ | kuá /kwa/ | kulya /kuʎa/ |
| Drink | kahnek /kahnek/ | gehnegira /ɡehneɡira/ | ehnega:i'ron /ehneɡaːiʔron/ | ohwisaʔ /ohwisaʔ/ | kré:hwiʼ /kɾeːhwiʔ/ | hi'i /hiʔi/ | kumwa /kumwa/ |
| One | enska /enska/ | skat /skat/ | ska:t /skaːt/ | skaʔkoh /skaʔkoh/ | ę:cæ /ɛ̃ːtsæ/ | cei /tsei/ | mo /mo/ |
| Two | tékeni /teːɡeni/ | téknih /ˈteknih/ | tékni /teɡni/ | tékeni /ˈtekeni/ | néʔkti /neʔkti/ | huapoa /waˈpoa/ | iŵili /iβili/ |
| Hello | she:kon /ʃeːkon/ | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | — /—/ | skę:nu /skɛ̃ːnu/ | ke'kuanenki /keʔkwanenki/ | salama /salama/ |
| Thank you | niáwen /niawen/ | niáwę /niawɛ̃/ | nya:wę' /njaːwɛ̃ʔ/ | — /—/ | nyaʼwę: /ɲaʔwɛ̃ː/ | atsipiraá /atsipiraː/ | nakwete /nakwete/ |
| Good | ioiánere /jojánere/ | oyanre /ojanre/ | oyá:nre /ojaːnre/ | kaʔuh /kaʔuh/ | unę:tsweht /unɛ̃ːtsweht/ | huá'i /hwaʔi/ | chechete /tʃetʃete/ |
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