Wolastoqey latuwewakon
Maliseet-Passamaquoddy
Algic
Maliseet-Passamaquoddy (also Wolastoqey-Passamaquoddy, Wəlastəkwiyik) is the language of the Passamaquoddy and Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) peoples of the Wabanaki Confederacy, spoken in coastal Maine and the Saint John River valley of New Brunswick. The Wolastoqey ("People of the Beautiful River") and Passamaquoddy ("Pollock-Spearers") share a common dialect continuum with mutual intelligibility, though the names emphasize geographic and ethnic distinctness. As an Abenakian Algonquian language, Maliseet-Passamaquoddy is closely related to Penobscot (abe, now extinct as L1) and Eastern Abenaki. Significant language revitalization through the Wabanaki Reconciliation Council, the Maliseet Language Project at the University of Maine, and the Passamaquoddy School at Pleasant Point.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Maliseet-Passamaquoddy
Water
samaqan
/samakʷan/
Fire
skwut
/skʷut/
Sun
kisuhs
/kisuhs/
Moon
nipawset
/nipawset/
Star
possesom
/pəsːesɒm/
Mother
nikuwoss
/nikuwoss/
Father
mihtaqs
/mihtaqs/
I
nil
/nil/
You
kil
/kil/
Name
wisuwon
/wisəwɒn/
Eye
ʼskinekekutu
/skinekekutu/
Hand
lukikʼn
/lukikən/
Heart
utʼine
/utinə/
Love
kosi
/kosi/
Tree
ʼsupi
/supi/
House
wikkihtit
/wikːihtit/
Dog
ʼmuʼs
/muʔs/
Cat
mihtukomuhs
/mihtukomuhs/
Eat
mititi
/mititi/
Drink
mun
/mun/
One
pesokul
/pesokul/
Two
nis
/nis/
Hello
kʼulasuwiyat
/kulasuwijat/
Thank you
woliwon
/woliwon/
Good
woli
/woli/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic languages
| Meaning | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy | Western Abenaki | Atikamekw | Plains Cree | Mi'kmaq | Cree (Plains) | Munsee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | samaqan /samakʷan/ | nebi /nebi/ | nipi /nipi/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ | samqwan /samɡʷan/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipij/ | mpíi /mbiː/ |
| Fire | skwut /skʷut/ | skuda /skuda/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | puktew /puɡdew/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ |
| Sun | kisuhs /kisuhs/ | kisos /kisos/ | pisim /pisim/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | naku'set /naɡuːset/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ |
| Moon | nipawset /nipawset/ | nanibossad /nanibossad/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | tepkunaset /tebɡunaset/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ |
| Star | possesom /pəsːesɒm/ | alakws /alakʷs/ | atcakos /atʃakos/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | kloqoej /kl̩qwetʃ/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ |
| Mother | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ | nigueno /niɡweno/ | okawi /okawi/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | nikij /niɡidʒ/ | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ |
| Father | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ | mitôgwes /mitõɡwes/ | ohi /ohi/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | nujj /nudʒː/ | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ |
| I | nil /nil/ | nia /nia/ | nir /niɾ/ | ᓂᔭ /niya/ | ni'n /niːn/ | ᓂᔭ /nija/ | nii /niː/ |
| You | kil /kil/ | kia /kia/ | kir /kiɾ/ | ᑭᔭ /kiya/ | ki'l /kiːl/ | ᑭᔭ /kija/ | kii /kiː/ |
| Name | wisuwon /wisəwɒn/ | wizôwôgan /wizɔ̃wɔ̃ɡan/ | wirowin /wiɾowin/ | ᐑᐦᐅᐏᐣ /wiːhowin/ | wisun /wisun/ | ᐏᐦᐅᐎᐣ /wiːhowin/ | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ |
| Eye | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ | seskaganno /seskaɡanno/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | pukweck /puɡʷedʒɡ/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ |
| Hand | lukikʼn /lukikən/ | nelidj /nelidʒ/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | piten /biden/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ |
| Heart | utʼine /utinə/ | matagua /mataɡwa/ | mite /mite/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ukamlamun /uɡamlamun/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ |
| Love | kosi /kosi/ | wadjawimaɔ /wadʒawimɔ̃/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | kesalk /ɡesalɡ/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ |
| Tree | ʼsupi /supi/ | abazi /abazi/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | nipi /nibi/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ |
| House | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ | wigwôm /wiɡwõm/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | wikuom /wiɡuom/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ |
| Dog | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ | alemos /alemos/ | atim /atim/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | lmu'j /lmuːdʒ/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ |
| Cat | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ | minasso /minasso/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | mia'wj /miaʔwdʒ/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ |
| Eat | mititi /mititi/ | midjoda /midʒoda/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mij /midʒ/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mit /mit/ |
| Drink | mun /mun/ | minoda /minoda/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ | sa'q /saːɡ/ | ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ /minihkweːw/ | mneew /mneew/ |
| One | pesokul /pesokul/ | ngwedi /ŋɡwedi/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | newt /newt/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ |
| Two | nis /nis/ | nis /nis/ | niso /niso/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | ta'pu /taːbu/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | niisha /niːʃa/ |
| Hello | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ | kwai /kwai/ | kwei /kwej/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | kwe' /kweː/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | hé /heː/ |
| Thank you | woliwon /woliwon/ | wliwni /wliwni/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ | wela'lin /welaːlin/ | ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ /kinanaːskomitin/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ |
| Good | woli /woli/ | wlaha /wlaha/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | kelu'lk /ɡeluːlɡ/ | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ |
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