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Malian's SongAdditional Resources:Cultural and Historical Background |
Malian’s Song – Abenaki Language Glossary
By Marge Bruchac
Table of Contents
The Name Wôbanakiak or Abenaki
Alnôbaôdwa – Speaking Western Abenaki
Glossary and pronunciation: Abenaki names and words used in Malian’s Song
Glossary and pronunciation: Samadagwis’ words in Malian’s Song
Glossary – Select Abenaki place names, personal names, and family names
Glossary – Abenaki months and seasons
Glossary – Select Abenaki terms for relatives
Glossary – Select Abenaki words and phrases
The Name Wôbanakiak or Abenaki [top]
The tribal name Abenaki is adapted from the original Wôbanakiak, a noun that combines the morphemes for dawn or white light (wôban), and land (-aki) with an animate plural ending to indicate the people who dwell in that place (-ak). During the 1700s, English, French, and Dutch attempts to pronounce Wôbanakiak or Wôbanaki resulted in many different spellings - Abnaki, Abanaki, Abenaki, Banakee, Wabanaki, etc. - that appear in colonial records. The most common modern pronunciations of Abenaki are the following:
- Abenaki (stress the first syllable, and pronounce “a” as in “lab” and “e” as in “end”)
- Abénaquis (stress the second syllable, and pronounce “a” as in “ah” and “e” as in “end”)
- Abnaki (stress the first syllable, and pronounce “a” as in “lab”)
- Abanaki (stress the first and third syllables, and pronounce “a” as in “lah”)
Alnôbaôdwa – Speaking Western Abenaki [top]
During the 1700s, the Native population at Odanak (Saint Francis) was mixed, with Native people who originally came from Cowass, Missisquoi, Pennacook, Pequawket, Pocumtuck, Sokoki, Woronoco, and elsewhere. Many of the words and family names in the Western Abenaki language today are directly traceable to these older Abenaki communities and other dialects.
Native Abenaki speakers could easily understand each other when speaking face to face, since specific pronunciations, gestures, and context gave meaning to the words, and dialects identified where the speaker came from. A fluent speaker could form compound words and phrases that would clearly indicate the speaker’s intent, the relationship of the speaker to the audience, the time of the events being spoken of, and the importance of this information. There were, however, distinct differences between the “Western Abenaki” languages (spoken in New Hampshire, Vermont, parts of northern Massachusetts, southeastern Canada, and upstate northeastern New York) and the “Eastern Abenaki” languages of Malecite, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot (spoken in Maine and the Maritimes). These languages are all part of a larger language family called “Algonquian,” that includes all of the Native people of New England,
the Great Lakes, and most of Canada.
The following is a very simple introduction to a very sophisticated language. Here are just a few tips on pronouncing the Western Abenaki language for English speakers:
Vowels:
- the letter “a” sounds like “ah” (as in pa)
- the letter “e” sounds like “eh” (as in set)
- the letter “i” sounds like “ih” (as in sit)
- when the letter “i” is preceded by the letter “a” it sounds like “eye” (as in mine)
- when the letter “i” is preceeded by a consonant it sounds like “ee” (as in see)
- when the letter “i” is followed by the letter “a” or “o” it sounds like “ee” (as in see)
- the letter “o” sounds like “oh” (as in no)
- the letter “o” with an accent - “ô” (which can also be spelled “8”) - is a unique Abenaki sound, a nasalized “ohn” made by pursing one’s lips and forcing the sound through the nasal cavity
- the letter combination “ou” sounds like “ow”
- when the letter “u” begins a word, it sounds like “u” (as in you)
- when the letter “u” is preceded by the letters i, g, or k, it sounds like “u” (as in you)
- when the letter “u” is preceded by any other letter, it sounds like “eh” (as in net)
Consonants:
All consonants in a word must sounded; there are no silent letters.
- as the first letter in a word, “b” is sounded like the letter b
- as the final letter in a word, “b” is sounded like the letter p
- as the first letter in a word, “c” is sounded like “ts”
- as the first letter in a word, “d” is sounded like the letter d
- as the final letter in a word, “d” is sounded like the letter t
- the letter “g” is sounded like a hard letter g
- the letter “j” is sounded as a hard “ch” (as in watch)
- the letter “w” is sounded with a breath of air as “wh”
- the letter combination “ch” is sounded as a soft “ch”
- the letter combination “dz” (which can also be spelled “tsi”) is pronounced “tsee”
- any double consonants are sounded slightly longer
Please note that it can sometimes be difficult to read the written Abenaki language today, since different linguists may choose to spell the same words in entirely different ways. For example, one writer may use the letter “b” where another uses “p” for the same sound, or “d” for “t”. There are several different ways to spell Abenaki words, based on the many different orthographies (spelling systems) that try to convey the sound of the spoken language. There is not one spelling system that everyone agrees on – the sound is the most important thing. For proper pronunciation, it is best to listen to Native-born Western Abenaki speakers.
The following are some select Western Abenaki names, words and phrases that refer specifically to the people, objects, places, and events recounted in Malian’s Song. These particular words and phrases come from Gordon Day’s fieldnotes about Elvine Obomsawin’s story and several other printed sources listed in the bibliography that follows.
| Word | Phonetic Pronunciation | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| akwi | ahk-wee | stop; do not |
| Alsigontekw | ahl-sih-gon-tek-wh | river of many shells |
| anakwika | ah-nahk-wee-kah | trees are growing up |
| awanagiak | ah-wah-nah-gee-ahk | strangers |
| bemômahla | beh-mohn-mah-lah | run |
| Cowass | coh-wahs | pine-tree place |
| idam | ee-dahm | he said |
| madahôdo | mah-dah-hohn-doh | bad spirit |
| Malian | mah-lee-ahn | personal name (Marian in French) |
| Maliazonis | mah-lee-ah-zoh-nees | personal names (Marie Jeanne in French) |
| Msadoques | mh-sah-doh-kees | personal name |
| namassaak. | nah-mahs-sahk | fish |
| Nanibôsad | nah-nee-boh-sahd | the night walker |
| nda | un-dah | no |
| nemikwaldamnana | neh-mik-wahl-dahm-nah-nah | we remember |
| nôbamiskw | nohn-bah-meesk-wh | old beaver |
| ndodana | un-doh-dah-nah | in our town |
| Nokomis | noh-koh-mees | grandmother |
| nziwaldam | un-zee-wahl-dahm | I am lonesome |
| Obomsawin | oh-bohm-sah-ween | one who leads or guides |
| oziwaldam | oh-zee-wahl-dahm | very lonesome |
| pita | pih-tah | she is |
| Sibosek | see-boh-sehk | little river |
| Simôn | see-mohn | personal name (Simon in English) |
| skamôn | skah-mohn | corn |
| tômô | tohn-mohn | not any; none |
| widôba | wee-dohn-bah | her friends |
| wlioni | wh-lee-oh-nee | thank you |
| wôbi | wohn-bee | white |
| yokeag | yoh-keg | ground corn (New England dialect) |
Glossary and pronunciation: Samadagwis’ words in Malian’s Song [top]
NOTE: In the story told in Malian’s Song, a young Abenaki girl named Maliazonis is warned by a Stockbridge Mohican man who is a scout for Robert Rogers. According to Abenaki family traditions, this man did not speak Abenaki very well. Even though the words that he speaks in Malian’s Song are not correct Abenaki, they would still have been understandable to an Abenaki speaker. Samadagwis’ words are listed below, alongside the correct word in Abenaki:
| Samadagwis’ word | Pronunciation | Abenaki word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| akwi [in English, this means “stop”, or “do not”] |
ahk-wee | akwi | ahk-wee |
| sagez [in English, this means, “to be afraid”] |
sah-gaze | sagezo | sah-geh-zo |
| ndapsizak [in English, this means “my little friend”] |
ni-dahp-see-zahk | nidôbasizek | nee-doh-bah-see-zek |
| kwawimleba [in English, this means “you are being warned”] |
k-wah-weem-le-bah | k’wawidokawa | k-wah-wee-doh-kah-wah |
| Word | Meaining |
|---|---|
| Alsigontekw | river of many shells (St. Francis River) |
| Azon | personal name (Jeanne in English) |
| Bitawbakw | waters in-between (Lake Champlain) |
| Cowass | pine-tree place (upper Connecticut River, eastern Vermont) |
| Iglismôn | Englishman |
| Kebek | obstructed current (now Quebec in French) |
| Kwinitekw | long tidal river (Connecticut River) |
| Magwak | man-eater (Abenaki term for Mohawk or Iroquois) |
| Mali | personal name (Marie in French, Mary in English) |
| Malian | personal name (Marian in French, Mary Ann in English) |
| Maliazonis | personal name (Mary Jeanne in French, Mary Jean in English) |
| Malgelit | personal name (Marguerite in French, Margaret in English) |
| Missisquoi or Mazipskoik | place of the flint (northwestern Vermont around Swanton) |
| Msadoques | big river person (family name) |
| Obomsawin | fire-tender (family name) |
| Odanak | the dwelling place (St. Francis) |
| Pastoni | American man (based on the English word “Boston”) |
| Pennacook | place of ground-nuts (central New Hampshire) |
| Pequawket | broken, cleared land (eastern New Hampshire into Maine) |
| Plachmon | Frenchman |
| Pocumtuck | swift, sandy river (around Deerfield, Massachusetts) |
| Samadagwis | personal name (one of Rogers’ Stockbridge Mohican scouts) |
| Sibosek | little river in a ravine |
| Simôn | personal name (Simon in English) |
| Sokoki | southern place (northern Massachusetts, southern Vermont) |
| Winooski | onion-river place (northwestern Vermont around Burlington) |
| Wôbanakiak | dawn-land people, Abenaki Indians |
| Wôbi Madahôdo | white bad spirit, “White Devil” (Abenaki name for Robert Rogers) |
| Woronoco | winding river (Westfield, Massachusetts) |
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| alôgomômek | a relative |
| awissisak | children |
| awissisimek | your children |
| môdzakwnegwak | she that raised us |
| mziwi | everybody, all our relatives |
| nadôgwsis | my female cousin, daughter of mother’s brother or father’s sister |
| nadôgwseskua | my male cousin, son of mother’s brother or father’s sister |
| ndaawôsizemòwò | their children |
| nigawes | my mother |
| nigawesega | my late mother |
| nigawesenogak | our late mothers |
| nidokan | my older brother |
| nijia | my brother |
| nijia | my male cousin, son of mother’s sister or father’s brother |
| niswiak | my spouse (married partner, wife, husband) |
| niswiidiji | his or her spouse |
| nitsakaso | my sister |
| nitsakaso | my female cousin, daughter of mother’s sister or father’s brother |
| n’mahom | my grandfather |
| nmessis | my older sister |
| nmitôgwes | my father |
| nmitôgwesega | my late father |
| nmitôgwsenogak | our late fathers |
| nokemesis | my mother’s sister (aunt) |
| nokomes | my grandmother |
| noses | my grandchild (granddaughter or grandson) |
| odawôsozmôwô | their children |
| okemessa | his or her grandmother |
| Word/Phrase | Definition |
|---|---|
| aiamihawigamigw | house of prayer, church |
| abazenoda | basket |
| abaziak | trees |
| abonek | on the bed |
| adalgadimek | dancing place |
| adebôlagw | a rifle |
| adio | goodbye |
| agema ahlômek | he told |
| agema | he or she |
| agômek | on the other side |
| ahaiagwa | when we lived |
| akwi sagezo | do not be afraid |
| alakwssak | stars |
| alemos | dog |
| alôdokaogowak | she that tells us |
| alosada | let us go |
| alnôbak | Abenaki people |
| alnôbaôdwa | to speak Abenaki |
| amkuôn | spoon |
| anakwika | trees are growing up |
| askwa | still |
| asolkwônsis | a small hat or cap |
| awanagia | who are you |
| awanagiak | strangers |
| awanii | someone |
| awanocewiwigwôm | French-style wooden house |
| awasiwi | beyond |
| awazonal | firewood |
| awighigan | a book |
| awôsis | child |
| awôsizwit | she was young |
| bakwasataizatal | dried blueberries |
| bamegizegak | today |
| bemômahla | run |
| gawi | to sleep |
| gedakinna | our homeland |
| gejokôn | doll |
| iglismôniwi | to speak in the English style |
| jimeli | brick or stone fireplace (based on the English word “chimney”) |
| kagwesa | what |
| kagwi lla | what is the matter |
| kalozimuk | to speak |
| kawakeniga | to harvest or gather by pulling or picking |
| kikawôgan | to cultivate and harvest a field by digging and cutting |
| kina | look |
| kiptôômek | he was shot down |
| kita | listen |
| kizos | the sun |
| koaikok | at the pines |
| kôkanilinto | calmly singing |
| kôtlizidiidep | they were hiding |
| kôtlôôdit | they hide |
| kowawtamenô | you understand |
| kpiwsi | in the little woods |
| ktsi psakaigan | big ravine |
| ktsi wigwôm | big house |
| kwai kwai | greetings |
| kwalaskonigan | cornhusk |
| kwatiz | small container or pot |
| kwidôbawô nia | I am your friend |
| kwilawatôzik | to search |
| kwutguabizon | a belt |
| labizowan | petticoat, skirt |
| leguasowôgan | a dream |
| linto | to sing |
| lintowôgan | song |
| lômpskahigan | any decorated leather or cloth, fancy clothing |
| madahôdo | a bad spirit |
| mahlakws | ash tree |
| maji | bad |
| makezenal | my shoes (moccasins) |
| malisjômuk | to weep |
| maksa | a blanket |
| manazaawimuk | to save |
| maskwa | birch bark |
| maskwamozi | birch tree |
| menahan | island |
| migakamuk | to fight |
| miji or mitzi | to eat |
| mijowôgan | provisions |
| mizôwimôniinôkwkil | jewelry |
| mkezenal | shoes, moccasins |
| môdzoldimek | leaving |
| môjimuk | to go away |
| môni | silver (based on the English word “money” and French “monnaie”) |
| msali nthlôk | many were killed |
| nadawaha | a scout or spy |
| nadialin | to be hunting |
| namaskan | to be fishing |
| namassak | fish |
| namiogwzo | he is seen |
| nanibôsad | night-walker (moon) |
| naodzi | some |
| nda | no or none |
| ndakinna | my homeland |
| ndodonna | in our town |
| negôni gamigw | an old house |
| nemikwaldamnana | we remember |
| ni aodimek | at the time of the fight |
| nidoba | my friend |
| nidobaskwa | my female friend |
| nikskwasisak | young girls |
| nita | at once |
| n’namihôb | I saw |
| n’wajônônnôb | we had |
| nodahlôt | she is left behind |
| nodamagwôgan | fish spear |
| nônegôni | very old |
| nônegwetsi | alone |
| ntodziwi | at that time |
| nziwaldam | I am lonesome |
| ôbamiskw | old beaver |
| odagimônô | they counted them |
| odasolkwôn | his hat |
| odebestawônô | they listen to |
| ododanak | in their village |
| odoka | to be speaking |
| odzanego | he stopped her |
| odzeksemenô | they burned it |
| odzizawôbin | she was looking out |
| o’gemak | snow shoes |
| olinamiôn | well-seen |
| olitonô | they made a song |
| olômawalmoônôp | they did not believe her |
| onamiôwi | she could not see him |
| onkawôdokaogowak | she who passed the story on to us |
| onôdzi | they went |
| ôtalinto | she was singing |
| o’wdesis | a path |
| oziwaldam | she is lonesome |
| paakuinôgwzian | greetings, you appear new to me |
| pamgisgak | today |
| paskhigan | an exploding implement (gun) |
| patlihôz | priest |
| pezgelôgwihla | it is dark |
| pezgiwi | in the dark |
| pilewakak | strangers |
| pita | very |
| pitigat | go in |
| pkagôt sibo | he crossed the river |
| podawazwigamigok | council house |
| pmekhadimek | people dancing |
| psakwlata | shining |
| saagad | how sad |
| sagezo | to be afraid |
| saksahon | earring |
| sanôba | the man |
| senomozi | maple tree |
| sibos | a brook or stream |
| sibosis | a little brook |
| siziwan | a dance rattle |
| skamôn | corn |
| skamônal | corn (plural) |
| sogal | sugar (based on the English word “sugar”) |
| sôkhipozit kisos | at sunrise |
| spozidoki | wake up early in the morning |
| tabat | be quiet |
| tagwôgwiwi | during the autumn |
| tawipodi | table |
| tawzôganek | the window |
| tawszôganek | on the window sill |
| tebinawônô | to see about |
| tmakwaawa | beaver pelt |
| tokima | to awaken |
| tokop | awake |
| todziwi | at that time |
| tômô | not any; none |
| wagin | wagon (based on the English word “wagon”) |
| wagitôzik | to break or damage |
| waniadôzik | to lose |
| wanialôbenop | we lost her |
| wawaldamôwen | she or he does not know |
| wawôdokawa | to be warned |
| wawôdokawômek | she had been warned |
| wawôdokawôn | she warned |
| wdupkuanal | hair of the head |
| wednôn | he took her away |
| widôba | his or her friend |
| wigwam or wigwôm | a dwelling place, house |
| wijokadimuk | to help each other |
| wiwizô | suddenly |
| wiwzômôdzin | quickly he left |
| wli | good; gentle (also spelled oli) |
| wlibomkanni | travel well |
| wligo | it is good |
| wli nanawalmezi | go in good health |
| wlioni | thank you |
| wlôgwiwi | during the evening |
| wôhôbaks | shirt |
| w’paskhigan | his gun |
| wskidakuam | tree sap |
| wskinôkskwa | their young girl |
| wzômi | because |
| yokeag | ground corn for corn porridge (in southern Algonkian dialect) |
Bibliography – Souces for the Western Abenaki Language [top]
The Western Abenaki language was first recorded in print during the early 1700s by Jesuit missionaries. Abenaki tribal members have been publishing their own dictionaries and grammars for generations; Peter Paul Wzokhilain published the first written Abenaki grammar in 1832. Some linguists believe that the Abenaki language is dying or extinct, but there more Abenaki speakers today than there were a generation ago, thanks to the efforts of elders like Cecile Wawanolet, her son Eli Joubert, and others who have conducted language classes for Abenaki people at Odanak and Missisquoi. A few print sources are listed below.
Joseph Aubery and Stephen Laurent. 1995 [1700s]. Father Aubery’s French Abenaki Dictionary. Portland, ME: Chisholm Brothers.
Jeanne Brink and Gordon M. Day. 1990. Alnobaodwa: A Western Abenaki Language Guide (book and audio tape). Swanton, VT: Franklin Northwest Supervisory Union and Title V Indian Education Office.
Gordon M. Day. 1967. “An Agawam Fragment,” International Journal of American Linguistics 33 (3):244-247.
Gordon M. Day. 1975. The Mots Loups of Father Mathevet. Publications in Ethnology No. 8. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: National Museum of Man.
Gordon M. Day. 1980. “Abenaki Place Names in the Champlain Valley,” International Journal of American Linguistics, 47 (2):143-171, 1981.
Gordon M. Day. 1994. Western Abenaki Dictionary. Canadian Ethnology Service Paper No. 128. Hull, Quebec, Canada: Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Joseph Laurent. 1884. New Familiar Abenakis & English Dialogues. Quebec, Canada: Leger Brousseau. An electronic version is available through Early Canadiana Online at: <http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/mtq?id=a6450175ac&doc=08895>
Stephen Laurent. 1956. “The Abenakis: Aborigines of Vermont - Part 1,” Vermont History, new series XXIII (4):286 – 295.
Stephen Laurent. 1956. “The Abenakis: Aborigines of Vermont - Part 2,” Vermont History, new series XXIV (1):3 – 11.
Henry Lorne Masta. 1932. Abenaki Indian Legends, Grammar and Place Names. Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada: La Voix des Bois-Francs.
Father Sebastan Rasles. 1833 [1691]. “A Dictionary of the Abnaki Language in North America,” with notes by John Pickering. Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, new series I:370-571.