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Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Detailed Entry Information

Sound Icon
English:did you eat turkey?
Lenape:këmuhò hèch chikënëm [vta]

Comments

/ë/ is inserted as a transition sound between /k/ and /m/.
The /ë/ of the root is rounded to /u/ following /m/.
/w/ is elided in final position after a vowel, and /wa/ is realized as /o/.
Note: The verb applies to eating food derived from animate objects and thus is treated as a transitive animate verb. Some speakers would prefer /hàch/ to /hèch/ as the question particle.

Analysis

Form:
këmuhò hèch chikënëm
Structure:
k-mëhw-a-w hèch chikënëm
Meaning:
2-eat-dir-3 Q turkey