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Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Detailed Entry Information

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English:he bothers you people
Lenape:nachihkawa [vta]

Comments

The phonological development of this form follows special rules.
The expected second person prefix is omitted.
Unstressed /ë/ of the inverse suffix is elided (as usual).
/ë/ is inserted as a transition sound preceding and following third person /-w/, and the resulting /ëwé/ sequence contracts to /a/, apparently in anticipation of the vowel in the following syllable.
The first /w/ of the second person plural suffix is retained as a transition sound; the remaining /w/, in final position following a vowel, is elided as expected.

Analysis

Form:
nachihkawa
Structure:
(k-)nachih-ëk-w-waw
Meaning:
2-bother-inv-3-2pl