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
20 core words in Maliseet-Passamaquoddy
Water
samaqan
/samakʷan/
Fire
skwut
/skʷut/
Sun
kisuhs
/kisuhs/
Moon
nipawset
/nipawset/
Mother
nikuwoss
/nikuwoss/
Father
mihtaqs
/mihtaqs/
Eat
mititi
/mititi/
Drink
mun
/mun/
Love
kosi
/kosi/
Heart
utʼine
/utinə/
Tree
ʼsupi
/supi/
House
wikkihtit
/wikːihtit/
Dog
ʼmuʼs
/muʔs/
Cat
mihtukomuhs
/mihtukomuhs/
Hand
lukikʼn
/lukikən/
Eye
ʼskinekekutu
/skinekekutu/
Hello
kʼulasuwiyat
/kulasuwijat/
Thank you
woliwon
/woliwon/
One
pesokul
/pesokul/
Good
woli
/woli/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic languages
| Meaning | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy | Western Abenaki | Atikamekw | Mi'kmaq | Munsee | Menominee | Plains Cree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | samaqan /samakʷan/ | nebi /nebi/ | nipi /nipi/ | samqwan /samɡʷan/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ |
| Fire | skwut /skʷut/ | skuda /skuda/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | puktew /puɡdew/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ |
| Sun | kisuhs /kisuhs/ | kisos /kisos/ | pisim /pisim/ | naku'set /naɡuːset/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ |
| Moon | nipawset /nipawset/ | nanibossad /nanibossad/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | tepkunaset /tebɡunaset/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ |
| Mother | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ | nigueno /niɡweno/ | okawi /okawi/ | nikij /nidʒidʒ/ | nkáhees /ŋkahees/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ |
| Father | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ | mitôgwes /mitõɡwes/ | ohi /ohi/ | nujj /nudʒː/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ |
| Eat | mititi /mititi/ | midjoda /midʒoda/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | mij /midʒ/ | mit /mit/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ |
| Drink | mun /mun/ | minoda /minoda/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | sa'q /saːɡ/ | mneew /mneew/ | menew /menew/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ |
| Love | kosi /kosi/ | wadjawimaɔ /wadʒawimɔ̃/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | kesalk /ɡesalɡ/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ |
| Heart | utʼine /utinə/ | matagua /mataɡwa/ | mite /mite/ | ukamlamun /uɡamlamun/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | otēh /oteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ |
| Tree | ʼsupi /supi/ | abazi /abazi/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | nipi /nibi/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ |
| House | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ | wigwôm /wiɡwõm/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | wikuom /wiɡuom/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ |
| Dog | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ | alemos /alemos/ | atim /atim/ | lmu'j /lmuːdʒ/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | anēm /aneːm/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ |
| Cat | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ | minasso /minasso/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | mia'wj /miaʔwdʒ/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | — /—/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ |
| Hand | lukikʼn /lukikən/ | nelidj /nelidʒ/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | piten /biden/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ |
| Eye | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ | seskaganno /seskaɡanno/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | pukweck /puɡʷedʒɡ/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ |
| Hello | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ | kwai /kwai/ | kwei /kwej/ | kwe' /kweː/ | hé /heː/ | posoh /posoh/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ |
| Thank you | woliwon /woliwon/ | wliwni /wliwni/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | wela'lin /welaːlin/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ |
| One | pesokul /pesokul/ | ngwedi /ŋɡwedi/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | newt /newt/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | nekot /nekot/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ |
| Good | woli /woli/ | wlaha /wlaha/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | kelu'lk /ɡeluːlɡ/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ |
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