Chapter 4: Animate Singular

Doris Googoo

Chapter 4 – Animate

Chapter 4: Animate Singular

Level 1 Mi'kmaw: Video 05 - Animate Nouns

Source: Video produced by Captive Expression for No'kmaq Village / Flat Bay Band, Inc., June 12, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSswUb97iPQ

Level 1 Mi'kmaw: Video 06 - Animate Verbs

Source: Video produced by Captive Expression for No'kmaq Village / Flat Bay Band, Inc., June 12, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRnkMSCbvnQ

This chapter contains a number of animate nouns, which you can combine with other words, such as colours or verbs to begin forming simple sentences. If you would a condensed compilation of Animate & Inanimate words, both singular and plural, this sheet is available.

Animate Word List

Na'ku'set	sun	Tepknu'set	moon
Kloqoej	star	Walqwan	rainbow
Aluk	cloud

E'pit	woman	Ji'nm	man
E'pite'ji'j	girl	L'pa'tuj	boy
Mijuaji'j	baby	Nijan	my child
Nsis	my big brother	Nmis	my big sister
Njiknam	my little brother	Nkwe'ji'j	my little sister

Saqmaw	Chief (male)	Saqmawi'skw	Chief (female)
Kisiku	elderly man	Kisikui'skw	elderly woman

Tapatat	potato	Klitaw	raspberry
Stoqn	fir tree

Tia'm	moose	Lentuk	deer
Weti	worm	Juji'j	bug
Qalipu	caribou	Mkopit	beaver
Te'sipow	horse	Muin	bear
Kitpu	eagle	Ples	pigeon
Katew	eel

Animate Verbs

Here are two animate verbs using the first person singular present tense that you can practice with.

Nemi'k	I see	Nutaq	I hear

E.g,

Nemi'k kitpu.	I see an eagle.
Nutaq tia'm.	I hear a moose.

Animate Colours

Review the Atlantic First Nation Tech Services Mi'kmaw Language Learning Mi'kmaq Colours "talking poster" to see and hear how colours are pronounced in Mi'kmaw.

With this first set, there are no differences between animate and inanimate.
Mekwe'k	Red	Wape'k	White
Maqtewe'k	Black	Maqtewimkwe'k	Burgundy
With this set however, the words change between animate and inanimate.
Watapsit	Yellow	Stoqnamuksit	Green
Tupkwanamuksit	Brown	Musqunamuksit	Blue
Nisqunamuksit	Purple	Nijinjewamuksit	Pink
Nikjawiknejewamuksit	Orange	Ntlu'tewamuksit	Grey
Sulieweyewamuksit	Silver	Wisawsulieweyewmuksit	Gold
Jijjuaqitewamukist	Rust	Amalamuksit	Multi-colour

Using the provided word list and sample verbs, you can now add detail to your simple sentences.

E.g.,

Nemi'k stoqnamuksit juji'j.	I see a green bug.
Nutaq tupkwanamuksit tia'm.	I hear a brown moose.

More Animate Verbs

Next, try adding another verb so that the animate object you see or hear is doing something. These verbs are therefore in the third person singular tense. Do not worry about conjugating verbs yet. That will come in later lessons. But you should note that third person singular can refer to male or female subjects.