The Peculiarity of the Potawatomi language.
Bonye wit – finished/es, he/she (needs prefix)
Bon gizh – to finish s.t.
Gizh – finish.
Gizhi – finished.
Zhabshkan – h/s finishes, accomplishes s.t.
Bonshkat – h/s finished s.t.
Gizhita – to finish s.t.
Gizhitat – h/s finishes s.t.
Gizhtot – h/s finishes s.t.
Gizhton – to finish s.t. (inan.)
Zheto – to make s.t.
Neto – to try s.t./try/attempt.
Shketo – to make an attempt.
Wzhege – to build s.t.
Ewdadset – h/s who was born.
Gi wdaze – that one was born.
Egi nigyan – I was born.
Egi mashkayan – I flew.
Egi pabmashkayan – I flew all over or I flew all around.
Egi wdadsiyan – when I was born.
Egi nigyan – when I was born.
Kyendesen – hurry.
Wewendesen – hurry.
Wjandan kyenep – cook quickly s.t. (inan.)
Zhishjegen/jigtegen – broom.
Also jishtegen – broom.
Zhibawaseya – transparent (inan.)
Zhibawasezi – transparent (anim.)
Zhabwatezigwa – ice (referring to the opaque quality)
Zhibawase mjedasnen – sheer stockings.
Zhabwate’egen mjedas – sheer nylon stocking.
Bkwakwet – ball.
Wizhgebkwakwet – hard ball.
Wagjaya bkwade – curve ball.
Nisaj bkwade – sinker ball.
Gzyeka bkwade – fast ball.
Nenjis bkwade – knuckle ball.
Bgeshnem bkwade – drop ball.
Azhtoge bkwade – change up ball.
Giwshkwe bkwade – corkscrew ball.
Bimskwem bkwade – corkscrew ball.
Gonaken bkwade – knuckle ball.
Medagwegwet I kigdowen – that’s an interesting subject.
Medagwegwet I – that’s interesting!
Gete medagwegwet – velly intellesting!
Emedagwegwat – they’re having an interesting time….
Mkedewkonye – priest or black robe.
Msenagkesget – secretary.
Msenazget – photographer.
Wzhobyewmsenazget – artist or painter.
Msenabiget – artist.
Various Neshnabe Games.
Mamkeznewen – moccasin game (man’s game)
Bnekwe – woma’s bowl game.
Epeskewewen – another word for woman’s bowl game….
Associated with a form of lacrosse game with it….
Egsegkewat – they are playing the women’s dice game/bowl game.
Ksekenek – old style word for bowl and dice (belonging to the women)
Epeski’a – another word for woman’s ball game.
Pegnegewen – Lacrosse.
Pagishenak – racket.
Sheshawinitjiken – cup and pin game.
Mzekwage – the icicle/could also be used to describe a fluttering bird,
usually an eagle, how they seem to hang in one spot while fluttering.
Nizgikdadwa – bother s.o.
Nizgakdadwat – bother each other.
Nizgikwat – they bother s.o.
Nnigiskwa – I bother s.o.
Nnizgikdadmen – we – you bother s.o.
Gnizgikdadmen – we + you bother s.o.
Mskogat – yarn belt.
Mskogaden – plural.
Meme – piliated woodpecker.
Memeyek – plural.
Mikjewitaget – work for s.o. (people).
Anokagiget – a worker for hire.
Nokana – to hire s.o.
Nwi nokanage – I will hire s.o.
Pepij – once in awhile.
Mjeshak or nanakech —-often
Mbish nwi wzan – I’m going to boil water.
Gwi ndo mbes – are you going to take a bath?
Neskwe – brush hair.
Gzi yabde – he/she brushes his/her teeth.
Nwi gzi yabde – I will brush my teeth.
Gzi yab deon – brush your teeth!
Ga bme je bgeshyen – where you camp.
Ga bme je bgeshyek – where you folks camp.
Ga bme je bgeshyan – where I camp.
Bakwiyangemek – tent.
Bebkoyangemek – cloth tent.
Nso’egan – wigwam/teepee, a tripod house….
referring to the tripod needed to support the dwellings they used to make and cover with whatever…
negekgemek – bark house.
Shkwadem – door.
Gashkika’on – threshold.
Wasejgen – window. (literally, s.t. you can see light through).
Waskonenjegas – small lamp.
Waskonenjegen – light.
Nibwaskonenjegen – floor lamp.
Naken – rug.
Aneskewes – small throw rug.
Pegwen – mat, as in cat tail.
Beshmonkojgen – large rug.
Dopwen – table.
Jibtebwenen – chairs.
Jibtebwen – chair.
Pedyebwen – s.t. to sit on.
Pedyebwenen – plural.
Mbagen (en) – bed/beds.
Waboyan (en) – blanket/blankets.
Bakweshmowen (en) – pillow/pillows.
Wnagen (en) – dish/dishes.
Bdekjigen (en) – fork/forks.
Taswen – cupboard/closet.
Gzhabkezgen – stove.
Deschegen – shelf; also desk or a low table.
Atsek – room.
Datseknan – add a room.
Pakwan – roof.
Shpemsegen – ceiling.
Atsekwnegadek – a specific room.
Koman – knife.
Wagakoman – curved blade knife.
Zhadi – arrow.
Pekwe (yen) – arrow (referring to the straight shaft of the arrow).
they were very straight, like the cat tails shafts….
Nwib – arrow (referring to the sharpened projectile point).
Newi – projectile, usually a shell
Mtegwab – bow.
Megos – awl.
Jishkwajgen – scraper.
Megeshkan – hook.
Biwabkon – flint.
Biwabken – iron striker.
Bodwe – make a fire.
Shkwede – fire.
Msen – firewood.
Emkwan (en) – spoon/spoons.
Mtegemkwan (en) – wooden spoon (s).
Kwabgen – cup or dipper.
Kwabegas – small cup or small dipper.
Mnekwajgen – s.t. to drink from, usually a cup.
Begwedemget – it is dry.
Begwedejgadek – dryer.
Ksinjegadek – washer.
Wnagenksinjegadek – dish washer.
Zhoshkwe’en – iron.
Zhoshkwe’an – to iron s.t.
Itsge – dye.
Itsgeke – to dye s.t.
Begwedege – drying s.t.
Gepisege – parching s.t.
Pegejis segat – threshing s.t.
Noshketon – winnowing.
Seshjegen – set the table.
Sesh che gen – another spelling.
Mneschegen – straighten things, put things in order.
Nazhikege – scrape, as in a hide.
Jizhikwaige – scrape-stretch a hide.
Zhi shibwaige – stretch a hide over a frame.
Gazhko – shave or scrape off with a sharp knife.
Gazhke’a o – to scrape or shave s.o.
Penejegewen – persistense.
Awanjegewen – perserverance.
Zhiptem – stubborn.
Kwtegwe – stubborn.
Mishkwes – diligent.
Minwewes – hard working/enterprising.
Mamwe je pi – most of the time.
Odo pi – at this time.
Ode zhe pi – right now!
Iw pi – then.
Iw pi je – when.
Iw she pi – at that time.
Megwe pi – long time ago/or a long way off.
Mno wi pi – long time ago.
Ibe pi – over there.
Iw je pi – it was then.
Zhote zhi – over here.
Ezhi – over there.
Wesibe – way over there.
Wa gin negwne – oh, so it’s you!
Wi pe – to lye with s.o.
Ndo wi pe – to go lye with s.o.
Ndo wi pe ma’a o nde kweyom pkonyak – I will lye with my wife tonight.
Wi pe mesh – lye with me.
Moshkabwadan – add liquid to a pot or kettle.
Pabwe – add s.t. to soup or a pot.
Pabwewiyanabo – stew.
Nmoshkabwadan – I add liquid to a pot or kettle.
Kwech – yet!
Wasemajishkamowen – electricity.
Wasemowen – another form of electricity.
Shpemwnagendapnewen – satellite.
Bemisiwnagewen – another satellite.
Mawandonan – weld.
Mawandojege – welder.
Winkeshage – carver/one who carves.
Nnaikwat – to fix s.t.
Dabyankewnene – mechanic.
Wasemownene – electrician.
Psakwnemownene – another electrician.
Psakwnemowen – electricity.
Inanemowen – air/oxygen.
Nese – breathe.
Anemo – breathe.
Nemwin – breath
Nemo
Namwin
Nesewen
Namog
Anemowen – s.o.’s breath.
Mbeknam – breathless.
Neaseno 