Lenape Lesson #3 - Spell 3 & Greet 3

Alënixsitàm!

Let's Talk Lenape!

Lesson 3

More on the Spelling System:

Some people have asked why we don’t write letters like B, D, G, etc. They say they can hear those sounds, so we will discuss that subject so you will be familiar with the spelling we are using. The reason is that in each case the first letter is voiceless – in other words when you say that sound you do not vibrate your vocal cords. The second letter in each case is voiced which means you do vibrate your vocal cords.

The location on the chart also indicates the part of the mouth where these sounds are produced. What is important is that in the Lenape language the ONLY time you have a voiced consonant is when it follows the letter N or M. In other words, if you have a Lenape word like Kahes meaning Mother you simply put the N- (my) in front of it and you have Nkahes = my mother. The only thing you have to remember is that the K is pronounced like a G because it has an N in front of it. That also means the basic form of the word does not change because if we wrote that as a G the word would become Gahes or Ngahes which looks quite a bit different from the basic form of the word.

Special Consonant Combinations

	Letters	At the beginning of a word	At the end of a word, or in the middle of a word before a vowel or before -h- or -x-	In the middle of a word before any consonant except -h- or -x-
m + p		like the -b- in English "back" Lenape: mpa = I come mpisun = medicine	like the -mb- in English "ember" Lenape: hèmpës = shirt	like the -mp- in English "hemp" Lenape: aonhèmpse = she has a blue dress
	n + ch	like the -j- in English "jungle" Lenape: nchuski = I wade nchu = friend (man to man)	like the -ng- in English "engine" Lenape: pënchi = he enters something through a small opening	like the -nch- in English "pinch" Lenape: mpënchtunèna = I put my finger in his mouth
	n + k	like the -g- in English "go" Lenape: nkata = I want nkwis = my son	like the -ng- in English "anger" Lenape: winkàn = it tastes good	like the -nk- in English "tank" Lenape: pëpankpe = it drips
	n + s	like the -z- in English "zero" Lenape: nsùkwis = my mother-in-law nsit = my foot	like the -ns- in English "answer" Lenape: answikàn = a fish net [note that the n + s combination nasalize the preceding vowel]	like the -ns- in English "answer" Lenape: anskan = last dance after a stomp dance [note that the n + s combination will nasalize the preceding vowel]
	n + sh	Like Eng. -z- in Azure, or -s- in Measure, Lenape: nshis = my uncle nshimwi = I flee	like the -nsh- in English "kinship" Lenape: manshapi = a bead [note that the n + sh combination nasalize the preceding vowel]	like the -nsh- in English "kinship" Lenape: panshpèkw = cantaloupe [note that the n + sh combination will nasalize the preceding vowel]
	n + t	like the -d- in English "dip" Lenape: nta = I go ntakohchi = I am cold	like the -nd- in English "wind" Lenape: ènta = when	like the -nt- in English "winter" Lenape: këntka = you dance

Stress

As stated in Lesson 1 in Lenape the stress normally falls on the vowel in the next to last syllable, as in the words salàpòn (frybread) and tipas (chicken). If the vowel in the next to last syllable is an -ë- the stress will often be placed on the preceding syllable. Here is an example nkëlënëmën (I carry it). In these lessons we will underline the vowel if the stress falls on other than next to last syllable.

He and She; His and Her

In the Lenape language there are no separate pronouns for He and She, or for His and Her. Unlike European languages (which includes English) the same pronoun forms are used for both genders. Here are some examples:

On Verbs:

mitsu he or she eats

wëlinakwsu he or she looks good

On Nouns:

wshètun his or her lip

kwisa his or her son

Some New Words: Beyond regular greetings:

If you see a person you consider a friend, there are special terms you can use to greet him. It is important to understand that these terms are used only in speaking to a friend and not one speaking of a friend.

[Note: Among the Lenape the use of the term “friend” is not used as freely as it is in English. You would not normally use the friendship terms for someone you had only met a few days before.]

In Lenape the terms for “friend” are used only as man-to-man or woman-to-woman, and they are as follows:

Nchu Friend! (man-speaking-to-man)

Nchutia Dear Friend! (man-speaking-to-man)

Ichu Friend! (woman-speaking-to-woman)

A man can greet his man friend as follows:

Hè, Nchu! Kulamàlsi hàch? Hi, Friend! How are you?

or the words could be arranged as:

Hè! Kulamàlsi hàch, Nchu? Hi! How are you, Friend?

If you meet a person whom you haven't seen for a long time, you may say:

Kpaihàkwinakwsi I haven't seen you for a long time

Then you can add:

Ta(ni) hàch kta? Where did you go?