Lunaapeew
Munsee
Algic (Algonquian, Eastern, Lenape)
Munsee (Lunaapeew, "the Lenape language") is an Eastern Algonquian language of the Munsee Lenape people, originally inhabiting the lower Hudson Valley and Delaware River basin (NY/NJ/PA, including the area now called Manhattan). Forced westward by colonial pressure in the 17th-18th centuries, Munsee speakers eventually settled in scattered Ontario reserves (Moraviantown being the linguistic center today). Sister language to Unami Lenape (now extinct). Critically endangered with ~2 fluent elderly speakers; heritage-revival programs at Munsee-Delaware Nation maintain limited transmission.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Munsee
Water
mpíi
/mbiː/
Fire
lúhsuw
/luhsuw/
Sun
kíishux
/kiːʃux/
Moon
nipáhum
/nipahum/
Mother
nkáhees
/ŋkahees/
Father
nóoxw
/noːxw/
Eat
mit
/mit/
Drink
mneew
/mneew/
Love
ahóoluw
/ahoːluw/
Heart
ulehyii
/ulehjiː/
Tree
hìttuk
/hitːuk/
House
wíikwam
/wiːkwam/
Dog
mwáakaneew
/mwaːkaneːw/
Cat
póshiis
/poʃiːs/
Hand
mléelii
/mleːliː/
Eye
wíikšiit
/wiːkʃiːt/
Hello
hé
/heː/
Thank you
wanìshi
/waniʃi/
One
ngwútii
/ŋɡwutiː/
Good
weltóok
/weltoːk/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian, Eastern, Lenape) languages
| Meaning | Munsee | Plains Cree | Menominee | Cree (Plains) | Potawatomi | Irula | Cheyenne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mpíi /mbiː/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipij/ | mbish /mbɪʃ/ | nīr /niːɾ/ | mahpe /mahpe/ |
| Fire | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | shkodé /ʃkode/ | tī /tiː/ | ho'ėstá /hoʔɛsta/ |
| Sun | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | gises /ɡises/ | čūriyen /tʃuːɾijen/ | éšeʼhe /éʃeʔhe/ |
| Moon | nipáhum /nipahum/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | dbëk-gises /dbək‿ɡises/ | niLā /niɭaː/ | ame'háo'o /ameʔhaʔoʔo/ |
| Mother | nkáhees /ŋkahees/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | nge /ŋɡe/ | ammā /amːaː/ | néhe'e /néheʔe/ |
| Father | nóoxw /noːxw/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | nos /nos/ | ayyā /ajːaː/ | néhyo /néhjo/ |
| Eat | mit /mit/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | wisne /wɪsne/ | činnu /tʃinːu/ | mésehe /mésehe/ |
| Drink | mneew /mneew/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ | menew /menew/ | ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ /minihkweːw/ | mnëkwé /mnəkwe/ | kuDi /kuɖi/ | mane /mane/ |
| Love | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | zhawéndan /ʒaweːndan/ | kāhal /kaːhal/ | méhotó'o /meʔhotoʔo/ |
| Heart | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | otēh /oteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | déh /deː/ | idayam /idajam/ | ohtsé /ohtse/ |
| Tree | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | mtëg /mtəɡ/ | maram /maɾam/ | hohtsestse /hohtsestse/ |
| House | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | wigwam /wiɡwam/ | vīDu /viːɖu/ | vee'e /veːʔe/ |
| Dog | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | anēm /aneːm/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | nemosh /nemoʃ/ | nāyi /naːji/ | oeškeso /oːʃkeso/ |
| Cat | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | — /—/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | gazhag /ɡaʒaɡ/ | pūne /puːne/ | pó'po /poʔpo/ |
| Hand | mléelii /mleːliː/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | nej /net͡ʃ/ | kayyu /kajːu/ | ma'kahko /maʔkahko/ |
| Eye | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | shkishek /ʃkɪʃek/ | kaNN /kaɳː/ | vóome /voːme/ |
| Hello | hé /heː/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | posoh /posoh/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | bozho /boʒo/ | vannakkam /vanːakːam/ | Haaahe /haːhe/ |
| Thank you | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ /kinanaːskomitin/ | migwéch /miɡwet͡ʃ/ | nanri /nanɾi/ | néá'eše /néáʔeʃe/ |
| One | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | nekot /nekot/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ngot /ŋɡot/ | onnu /onːu/ | no'ka /noʔka/ |
| Good | weltóok /weltoːk/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | mno /mno/ | nalla /nalːa/ | pevohto /pevohto/ |
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