Alënixsitàm! 

Let's Talk Lenape!

Lesson #11

Let’s Take a Minute to Talk About Time:

    The Lenape people had no clocks so time was discussed by the time of day.  Here are many of the terms used starting in the very early morning. 

General terms for the times of the day:

 pètapàn                                      dawn; it is approaching dawn; it is coming daylight; first light of day

 kchinkwehële                              it is sunrise

 kchinkwehëlak                            sunrise

 òpàn                                           it dawns; morning

 alàpaèk                                      morning       

 alàpae                                        early in the morning

 òpànke                                       next morning; tomorrow morning;

 sëtpuk                                        tomorrow morning; early in the morning

 nèsko paxhàkwe                        forenoon; before noon 

 paxhàkwe                                   noon

 kìshi paxhàkwe                           afternoon

 lòku                                            evening; it is evening time

 lòkwik                                         evening

 lòkwëni                                       eveningtime

 wëlòku                                       nice evening

 wëli lòku                                    it is a nice evening

 tòkanilòku                                  nice evening (beginning at sundown)

 piske                                          it is night; it is dark (no light)

 piskèk                                        night; dark

 tòkanitpikàt                                nice, pleasant night          

 laitpuko                                      midnight      

Terms and concepts adopted from Europeans:

 kwëti spànkweokàn                       one second (lit: one blink of the eye)

 mìnìt                                              minute

 awël                                               hour

 këlak                                              clock; o’clock

 newa këlak                                     it is four o’clock

 Kèxa hèch këlak?                          What time is it?

 Tèlën òk palenàxk kìshi newa.      It is four-fifteen.

 Tèlën mìnìt xu palenàxk.               It is ten minutes to five.

Some other time related words:

 yukwe                                            now

 yukwe ènta kishkwik                     today

 alàpa                                            yesterday

 lòkëwe                                         tomorrow

 lòmëwe                                        long ago

 lilòmëwe                                       very long ago

 kishux                                          month; sun; moon

PRONOUNS IN LENAPE

      Before we look at the Lenape verbs we need to look at pronouns.  In Lenape pronouns frequently are attached to the verb but there is a set called the separable pronouns that can stand by themselves.  They are as follows:                      

First Person                                I                                                               ni

Second Person                            you                                                         ki

Third Person                               he (or)  she                                             nèka

First Person  Plural Exclusive    we [other person(s) and me]                   niluna

First Person Plural Inclusive      we  [you and me]                                     kiluna

Second Person Plural                 you  [plural: you-all; you people]            kiluwa

Third Person Plural                    they                                                         nèkao

        For the plural pronouns, the only possible surprise is kiluna, which translates as ‘we’ but specifically includes the listener whereas niluna specifically excludes the listener.  Thus kiluna is often described as first person INCLUSIVE, whereas niluna is referred to as first person EXCLUSIVE based on the inclusion or exclusion of the listener.

Examples of how they are used:

 Lënape hèch ki?                          Are you a Delaware?

 Kàchi hèch ki?                             How about you?

 Awèn hèch ki?                             Who are you?

 Kèxiti Lënape ni.                         I am a little bit Delaware.

 Pahsi Lënape ni.                          I am half Delaware.

 Pilaechëch ni.                              I am a boy.

 Ku ta ni!                                       Not me!

 Lënape ta ni!                               I am a Delaware!

More on Building Sentences:

 We will use Kawi – to sleep for these examples.

 Kawi                                                 He is asleep.

 Mèchi kawi.                                      He is already asleep.

  Kati kawi.                                        He almost went to sleep.

 Kati kawi na skixkwe.                      The young woman almost went to sleep.

 Mèchi kìshi kawi.                             He already finished sleeping.

 Kahta kawi.                                      He wants to go to sleep.

 Kahta yukwe kawi.                          He wants to sleep now.      

 Kawi na sëksit pushis.                    The black cat is asleep.

 Piskèke xu nkawi.                           Tonight I will sleep.

 Na lënu tàkiti kawi.                          The man slept just a short time.

 Hakink kawi.                                   He slept on the ground.

 May kawi.                                       You go (somewhere) and sleep

 Kawi hèch?                                    Are you asleep?

 Nkawi                                             I sleep;  I slept. 

 Nkata kawi.                                    I want to sleep.

 Nkati kawi.                                     I almost went to sleep.

 Nëwinki kawi.                                I like to sleep

 Nkata yukwe kawi.                        I want to go to sleep now

 Wëlakwihe sòmi nkëshsi, ntala kawi.        Last night it was too hot, I couldn't sleep.

 kawënhe                                       he is putting him to sleep (to bed)

 kèhkawihink                                  anesthetic; something to put someone to sleep

          In Lenape there is also a bound form that can be used to describe ways to sleep or things that can happen while you sleep.  It is, –unkòm.

 nkatunkòm                                 I am sleepy

 katunkòm hèch?                         are you sleepy?

 kahtunkòm                                 he is sleepy

 wëlunkòm                                   he slept well

 kitunkòm                                    he sleeps soundly

 këkhitunkòm                              he sleeps very soundly

 ayëhèlunkòm                              he oversleeps; he sleeps late

 ntayëhelunkòm                           I slept late