Wild Mammals
atižu They (f) are wild animals.
[ah-tee-zhoo]
ati- feminine-zoic plural agent – they
-žu verb root – be a wild animal + stative aspect
Bear anyǫnyęʼ[1] It is a bear
[an-yon-yen-en]
a- feminine-zoic singular agent – it
-nyǫnyę- verb root – be a bear
-ˀ stative
hatinyǫnyęʼrǫnǫ They (m) are people of the bear; Bear clan.
[hah-teen-yon-yen-en-ron-non]
hati- masculine plural agent – they (m)
-nyǫnyęˀ- verb root – be a bear
-rǫnǫ populative + stative aspect
anyǫyętaʼ It is made of bear; bearskin
[an-yon-yen-tah-ah]
a- feminine-zoic singular agent – it
-nyǫnyę- verb root – be a bear
-t- causative root suffix
-aˀ habitual aspect
Beaver tsuʼtahi It has very thick fur.
[tsoo-oo-tah-hee]
ts- repetitive – very
-u- feminine-zoic singular patient – it
-ˀatah- verb root – have thick fur
-i stative aspect
Bobcat skęˀkwaˀa.
[sken-en-kwah-ah]
Buffalo tsatarižaˀi
[tsah-tah-ree-zhah-ah-ee]
Cougar/Mountain Lion yęriš[2]
[yen-reesh]
Fox skęhšu
[sken-shoo]
Fox tsinęˀtǫtǫh [for the cross fox]
[tsee-nen-en-ton-tonh]
Lynx tehutsiˀtut [He has two standing blossoms (ear tufts).
[teh-hoo-tsee-ee-toot]
te- dualic – two
-hu- masculine singular patient – he
-tsiˀt- noun root – flower, blossom
-ut- verb root – stand + stative aspect
Mink, Weasel suhǫmędiˀa
[soo-hon-men-dee-ee-ah]
Moose auskwaʼ[3]
[ah-oo-skwah-ah]
Mouse tsuˀngyatęˀah[4]
[tsoo-oon-gyah-teh-en-ah]
Muskrat suhiˀahšayaha
[soo-hee-ee-ah-shah-yah-hah]
Otter tawindeh
[tah-ween-deh]
Porcupine tsinęˀkaˀ
[tseen-en-en-kah-ah]
Rabbit tanyǫnyęha
[tan-yon-yen-hah]
Raccoon tirǫ
[tee-ron]
tukwežakweh
[too-kweh-zhah-kweh
Skunk uwaʼtatsiʼah[5] skunk; its body smells bad
[oo-wah-ah-tah-tsee-ee-ah]
uw- feminine-zoic singular patient – it
-aˀt- noun root – body
-a- joiner vowel
-tsiˀa- verb root – smell bad, strong
-h stative aspect
Squirrel uʼtahi It has thick fur.
[oo-oo-tah-hee]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient – it -ˀtah- verb root – have thick fu
-i stative aspect
Wolf y[6]aˀnariskwaˀ [It used to chew bones].
[yah-ah-nah-ree-skwah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent – it
-ˀn– noun root – bone(s)
-ri- verb root – bite, chew
-s- habitual aspect
-kwaˀ past aspect suffix
hatinariskwaˀ They (masculine) used to chew bones, Wolf clan.
[hah-ee-nah-ree-skwah-ah]
-hati- masculine plural agent
-ˀn- noun root, ‘bone(s)’
-a- joiner vowel
-ri- verb root – bite, suck, chew’
-s- habitual aspect
-kwaˀ past aspect suffix
[1] There is an irregular absence of the initial -y- at the beginning of this word. Normally a feminine-zoic singular agent with the consonant conjugation has that -y-.
[2] This is the word from which Lake Erie is named. While there is some speculation that the name means ‘long tail’, there is no solid proof that it contains a root for ‘tail.’
[3]This appears to be adapted from an Algonquian language term for ‘moose’, the original source for the English word
[4] This word has the feminine-zoic singular patient pronominal prefix -u- and what seems to be the noun root -ngy- ‘finger.’ It is somewhat possible that the verb root -ten- ‘dry’ is used along with the diminutive aspect suffix -ah’ giving the meaning ‘It has very dried up fingers.’
[5]This seems to have a shortened form of the verb root –tsiway– ‘smell bad, strong’.
[6] Sometimes the initial -y- is dropped.