Lenape Tribe Seal

Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Lënapei Luwènsëwakàn

A Delaware Name
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English:
Today I want to say a few words
Lenape:
Yukwe èntà kishkwik kèxàptun nkàtà kèku luwe
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English:
and I want to do the way the old Delawares did.
Lenape:
òk nkàtà lënëmën xuwi Lënàpeyunkàhke ehëlënëmihtit
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English:
when someone is given a name.
Lenape:
èntà àwèn milënt luwènsëwakàn.
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English:
It is cold today, February is the date of this month.
Lenape:
The yukwe èntà kishkwik, Chkwali Kishux lahkimkwësit yu kishux.
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English:
There are many things a person must do
Lenape:
Xaheli kèku kënch awèn lësite
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English:
but because it is bad weather today
Lenape:
shëk èli mahtapàn yukwe ènta kishkwik
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English:
at this place where I live I will do the best I can.
Lenape:
yushe tali wikia kèski ta lësia.
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English:
First I want to say that my name is
Lenape:
Hìtamìch nkatà luwe ntëluwènsi
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English:
Touching Leaves Woman is my Lenape name
Lenape:
Weènchipàhkihëlèxkwe èntà Lënàpeyëwènsià
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English:
and when my "White person" name is said my name is Nora Thompson Dean.
Lenape:
òk ènta Shëwànahkwi luwènsia ntëluwèsi Nora Thompson Dean.
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English:
and I am a full-blood Lenape.
Lenape:
òk mèschèsit Lënàpe nhàkày.
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English:
I have lived for a long time in Dewey, Oklahoma,
Lenape:
Lòmwe yushe Dewey, Oklahoma, nochi wikin.
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English:
I am truly glad because our Father [God] gave me
Lenape:
Kehëla nulelìntàm èli Kuxëna milùkw
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English:
that I can do naming, to give a person a Lenape name
Lenape:
tìli nkàski wihëlan, milan awèn luwènsëwakàn Lënapei
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English:
because long ago our now deceased ancestors said
Lenape:
èli lòmwe yuki kikayuyëmënaninkahke luweyok,
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English:
a person must first have received a vision
Lenape:
(“Kënch ta awèn hìtami mëshëninke linkwehëleokàn)
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English:
so he can give a person a name, he must have had a vision about something."
Lenape:
kënch kàski wihëlat awèn, kench ta linkwehëlate kèku.”
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English:
Then me, when I was a young woman, I received
Lenape:
Na ni, uskixkweiane, mëshënëmën
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English:
several visions when I was young,
Lenape:
kèxa linkwehëleokàna ènta wësksiane,
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English:
that is the reason I can give a person a Lenape name.
Lenape:
nal në wënchi nkàski milan awèn Lënapei luwènsëwakàn.