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
31 core words in Munsee
Water
mpíi
/mbiː/
Fire
lúhsuw
/luhsuw/
Sun
kíishux
/kiːʃux/
Moon
nipáhum
/nipahum/
Star
alaánkw
/alaːŋkʷ/
Mother
nkáhees
/ŋkaheːs/
Father
nóoxw
/noːxw/
I
nii
/niː/
You
kii
/kiː/
Name
wiinzuwaakan
/wiːnzuwaːkan/
Eye
wíikšiit
/wiːkʃiːt/
Hand
mléelii
/mleːliː/
Heart
ulehyii
/ulehjiː/
Love
ahóoluw
/ahoːluw/
Tree
hìttuk
/hitːuk/
House
wíikwam
/wiːkwam/
Dog
mwáakaneew
/mwaːkaneːw/
Cat
póshiis
/poʃiːs/
Eat
mit
/mit/
Drink
mneew
/mneew/
One
ngwútii
/ŋɡwutiː/
Two
niisha
/niːʃa/
Hello
hé
/heː/
Thank you
wanìshi
/waniʃi/
Good
weltóok
/weltoːk/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian, Eastern, Lenape) languages
| Meaning | Munsee | Plains Cree | Cree (Plains) | Menominee | Algonquin | Ojibwe | Irula |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mpíi /mbiː/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipij/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | nibì /nɪbiː/ | nibi /nibi/ | nīr /niːɾ/ |
| Fire | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | ishkotè /ɪʃkɔteː/ | ishkode /iʃkode/ | tī /tiː/ |
| Sun | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | kìzis /kiːzɪs/ | giizis /ɡiːzis/ | čūriyen /tʃuːɾijen/ |
| Moon | nipáhum /nipahum/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | tibik-kìzis /tɪbɪkkiːzɪs/ | dibik-giizis /dibik ɡiːzis/ | niLā /niɭaː/ |
| Star | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | anaeq /anɛːʔ/ | anang /aˈnaŋ/ | anang /anaŋ/ | naTčattiram /naʈtʃatːiɾam/ |
| Mother | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | ningà /nɪŋɡaː/ | nimaamaa /nimaːmaː/ | ammā /amːaː/ |
| Father | nóoxw /noːxw/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | nòs /nɔːs/ | indede /indede/ | ayyā /ajːaː/ |
| I | nii /niː/ | ᓂᔭ /niya/ | ᓂᔭ /nija/ | nenah /nɛnah/ | niin /niːn/ | niin /niːn/ | nānu /naːnu/ |
| You | kii /kiː/ | ᑭᔭ /kiya/ | ᑭᔭ /kija/ | kenah /kɛnah/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | nī /niː/ |
| Name | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ | ᐑᐦᐅᐏᐣ /wiːhowin/ | ᐏᐦᐅᐎᐣ /wiːhowin/ | -esian /ɛsian/ | wiinzowin /wiːnzowin/ | izhinikaazowin /ɪʒɪnɪkaːzowɪn/ | pēru /peːɾu/ |
| Eye | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | oshkìnzhig /ɔʃkiːnʒɪɡ/ | oshkiinzhig /oʃkiːnʒiɡ/ | kaNN /kaɳː/ |
| Hand | mléelii /mleːliː/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | ninj /nɪndʒ/ | ninij /ninidʒ/ | kayyu /kajːu/ |
| Heart | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | otēh /oteːh/ | odè /ɔdeː/ | odeʼ /odeʔ/ | idayam /idajam/ |
| Love | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | sàgi'à /saːɡiʔaː/ | zaagiʼiwewin /zaːɡiʔiweːwin/ | kāhal /kaːhal/ |
| Tree | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | mitig /mɪtɪɡ/ | mitig /mitiɡ/ | maram /maɾam/ |
| House | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | wàkàigan /waːkaːiɡan/ | wiigiwaam /wiːɡiwaːm/ | vīDu /viːɖu/ |
| Dog | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | anēm /aneːm/ | animosh /anɪmɔʃ/ | animosh /animoʃ/ | nāyi /naːji/ |
| Cat | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | gaazhagens /ɡaːʒaɡens/ | pūne /puːne/ |
| Eat | mit /mit/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | wìsini /wiːsɪni/ | wiisini /wiːsini/ | činnu /tʃinːu/ |
| Drink | mneew /mneew/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ | ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ /minihkweːw/ | menew /menew/ | minikwe /mɪnɪkwe/ | minikwe /minikwe/ | kuDi /kuɖi/ |
| One | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | nekot /nekot/ | pejig /peʒɪɡ/ | bezhig /beʒiɡ/ | onnu /onːu/ |
| Two | niisha /niːʃa/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | nīs /niːs/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | reNDu /reɳɖu/ |
| Hello | hé /heː/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | posoh /posoh/ | Kwe /kwe/ | boozhoo /boːʒoː/ | vannakkam /vanːakːam/ |
| Thank you | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ | ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ /kinanaːskomitin/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | Migwech /mɪɡwetʃ/ | miigwech /miːɡʷetʃ/ | nanri /nanɾi/ |
| Good | weltóok /weltoːk/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | mino /mɪnɔ/ | mino /mino/ | nalla /nalːa/ |
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