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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:I am a murderer
Lenape:nìnhiluwe [via]

Comments

/nn/ coalesces to a single occurrence /n/.
/ë/ of the reduplicated prefix is raised to /ì/ when adjacent to /n/.
/ë/ of the root metathesizes with /h/ and is raised to /i/.
/ë/ is inserted as a transition sound between /l/ and /w/ and is rounded to /u/ in anticipation of /w/.
Stress fall on the antepenult: /nìnhíluwe/.
Note: the word is structured as a verb meaning "I repeatedly kill."

Analysis

Form:
nìnhiluwe
Structure:
n-në-nëhl-we
Meaning:
1-redup-kill-vb