Friday, May 1, 2009

Week 17: Relatives

In Ojibwe, you can’t just say a mother. You have to say my mother or your mother and so on. That is to say that they are dependent nouns. They are also called NAD’s or noun animate dependent’s.

nimaamaa - my mother
nindede - my father
nindaanis(ag) - my daughter
ningozis(ag) - my son
nimishoomis(ag) - my grandfather
nookomis(ag) - my grandmother
noozhis(ag) - my grandchild
niwiiw - my wife
ninaabem - my husband
nisaye - my older brother
nimise - my older sister
nishiime(yag) - my younger brother or sister
nindawemaa(g) - my sibling of the opposite sex

Awenen a’aw? - Who’s that?

Mii a’aw­­­­__________. - That’s __________.