There are two different ways an inanimate noun can be possessed by someone in Myaamiaataweenki (see this post for the difference between animate and inanimate nouns). The first are the types of nouns that require possession (the speaker must indicate who owns the noun). Examples of these are a number of body parts. The second…
Tag: Myaamiaataweenki
weehki kaloosioni: šoohkwaakana ‘New Word: Car’
The Myaamia word we’re going to introduce today is our word for ‘car’ šoohkwaakana. This term was created years ago, but it’s a very useful one! So let’s talk through what the different pieces of the word mean and other related words that you can use. šoohkw + aakan + a ‘slide’ + ‘tool that…
Lacrosse Language
Summer is officially upon us, and that means it’s time to pick up our lacrosse sticks for peekitahaminki. In many different parts of our community we have already played the first game of the season and look forward to many more after two long years without it. Here is a quick look at what the…
weehki kaloosioni: kiinteelintaakani ‘New Word: Computer’
Computers are everywhere today. Everyone has them and we all use them on a daily basis. It’s important in any language to be able to talk about your daily life and the things around you, and Myaamia is no exception. For our new word post today we introduce a word we created many years ago,…
iši neepwaamici nintaana ‘what my daughter has taught me’ part 4
When we last left off in the story of what I’ve learned from nintaana ‘my daughter’ Seenseewia, my family and I were just a couple weeks away from the initial stay-at-home orders that were intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. Like many people, we were caught pretty unawares by the entire event but tried…
weehki-kihkatwe! ‘It’s the Myaamia Lunar New Year!’
With the sprouting of Mahkoonsa Kiilhswa ‘Young Bear Moon’ in the night sky on February 4, 2022, we can say: “weehki-kihkatwe – It’s the Myaamia Lunar New Year!” Historically, it was during this month that mahkoonsaki ‘black bear cubs’ emerged from their dens for this first time (for more about Mahkoonsa Kiilhswa click here). This…
iši neepwaamici nintaana ‘what my daughter has taught me’ Part 3
Part 3: 2 years-3 years In the previous post from this series, I provided an overview of Seenseewia’s and my learning up to her second birthday. There was a lot going on in that time span, and it all happened fairly quickly. This post will cover ages 2 to 3. The changes we experienced during…
wiiyaakiteeheelo weehki-kihkatwe ‘Happy (Gregorian) New Year!’
In the next few days, we’ll be celebrating the Gregorian New Year! While this is the most commonly celebrated calendar new year around the world, it is also not the only one. For Myaamiaki, our year is based on the lunar calendar which reflects the cycles of the moon. This puts our lunar new year…
hohowa pyaaci ‘Santa is coming’
For most of us, the holidays are a time to relax in the good company of family and friends! Many children are also eagerly awaiting a visit from Santa Claus which means it’s a perfect time to introduce the phrase hohowa pyaaci! ‘Santa is coming!’ Since Santa says “hohoho!” so much we figured that was…
The Four Verb Types of Myaamiaataweenki
In today’s post we’re talking about the different types of verbs in Myaamiaataweenki. This may seem a little odd because in English we only have one type and we just call them ‘verbs’. Myaamia, however, has four different types. The reason for that is because the language uses verbs in more scenarios and in more…