#inwewin

[madweweyaan]

Dibaajimotoonagoog Gii-Abinoojiinhwiyaan

Eko-Niizhing: Gii-kii’igoshimoyaan

Gii-ikwezensiwiyaan iko apane imaa sa ingii-izhaa iwidi zhaawanong da-o-gii’igoshimoyaan. Nashke ingii-oshkiniigikwew gii-midaasobiboonagiziyaan, mii gaa-onji-gii’igoshimoyaan waasaa zhaawanong. Nigwiinawendaan gii-danakiiyaan imaa, gii-siigwang. Covid-19ish gii-pi-izhaa miinawaa dash gii-kibaakwa’igaadegin iniw miikanan da-ipizoyaan iwidi.

[kidiyaan]

Inwewin/Pronunciation Guide:

Consonants:

B: as in Boy

Ch: as is Chance

D: as in Dog

G: as in Guide

H: as in House

J: as in Joke

K: as in Kayak

M: as in mom

N: as in No

P: as in Pay

S: as in Sand

Sh: as in Shaman

T: as in Tuck

W: as in Wade

Y: as in Y’all

Z: as in Zebra

Zh: like French J, J’aime, or close to Shame in English

Note that there are no F, L, R, V sounds in ojibwe

Vowels

A: like the o in Mother

AA: like the a in Father

E: like Spanish E within words (e in get or send), like ay in Lay at the end of words

I: as in Sit

II: like the “ee” sound, as in see or dream

O: as in go or boat

OO: as in goo or spool

Sample words

Imaa gomaa ayaanan kidiyaanan gigodanishinaabemod:

Here are some sample words to practice pronunciation:

Pane (pan-ay): Always

Kawe (kuh-way): First (in a sequence)

Makoons (muh-koons): Bear cub

Diindisii (deen-di-see): Blue Jay (a bird)

Asabikeshiinh (uh-suh-bi-keh-sheen): Spider

Bikwaakoninjiini (bik-wah-koh-nin-jee-neh): they make a fist

Aazhooningwa’on (ah-jhoon-ehng-wuh-ohn): bandolier bag

Zhakipon (jhuh-kih-pohn): wet snow falls

O’owe kidiyaan gigodanishinaabemom giishpin daa-nishnaabemom:

Y’all can try your hand at this word if y’all are up for a challenge:

Miinibaashkiminaasiganibiitoosijiganibadangwiingweshiganibakwezhigan.

One of the longest words nishnaabemong which means Blueberry Pie:

Miin: blueberry

Baashkiminaasigan: Jam, preserves

Biitoosijigan: something layered

Badangwiingweshigan: lie on the face of something

Bakwezhigan: Bread