Alënixsitàm! 

Let's Talk Lenape!

Lesson 5

Building sentences -  While one word in Lenape can mean a whole sentence in English here are a few small words to help create sentences:

 alëmi                                            to begin

 hàch  (some speakers said hèch)    (indicates a question)

 konaèt                                          maybe

 ktite                                             you think

 ntite                                             I think

xu                                                will; shall (future marker)

Now let’s put some short sentences about weather together:

 Alëmi sukëlan                                It’s beginning to rain

Sukëlan hàch?                              Is it raining?

 Wine hàch?                                   Is it snowing?

 Xu sukëlan                                    It will rain

Ntite xu sukëlan                            I think it will rain

 Ktite hàch xu sukëlan?                   Do you think it will rain?

Konaèt xu sukëlan                         Maybe it will rain

More sentences can be made by replacing sukëlan with  kshëlànte (hot day),  kùmhòkòt (cloudy), and most of the words above.  This should give you a possibility of 90+ sentences.

Making Plurals of Lenape Nouns:

         It is important in any language to learn how to form the plural forms for the words, and that is what we will discuss at this point for Lenape.  Formation of the plurals is fairly regular and simple in Lenape, and here are the basic rules.  We will try to use some of the nouns that we have already gone over in previous classes.

         One thing to understand in the formation of plurals in Lenape is that you need to remember which words are Animate and which are Inanimate.  As stated in earlier lessons this is usually pretty straightforward in that anything living is animate, while anything not living is inanimate.  We say “usually” because as with any language there are exceptions to the rules.  An example would be the Lenape word for bucket, hus, which is borrowed from Dutch and is considered animate, as are many of the early loanwords.

Animate Nouns:

1.  The regular plural ending for Animate Nouns is [-àk].  Examples:

Singular                              Plural                                 English

 pushis                      pushisàk                              cats

 tipas                         tipasàk                                 chickens

 ahas                         ahasàk                                 crows

 hus                           husàk                                   buckets

2.  For words ending with –e the Animate Plural is [-yok].  Examples:

 mwekane                    mwekaneyok                     dogs       

 uche                           ucheyok                             flies

 chinkwe                       chinkweyok                      bobcats

When the plural ending is added to a word which ends in [–w], the [–w] and the [–àk] combine to make [-ok].  Examples:

 xanikw                       xanikok                             squirrels

 òpinkw                       òpinkok                            opossums

4.  For words ending with –m the Animate Plural is [-uk].  Examples:

 chikënëm                  chikënëmuk                      turkeys

 aihàm                       aihàmuk                            golden eagles

5.  For words ending with –im (usually the names for fruits and nuts) the word takes no plural.  Examples:

 wisahkim                  wisahkim                           grape(s)

 wtehim                     wtehim                               strawberry(s)

Inanimate Nouns:

1.  The regular plural for Inanimate Nouns is [-a]. Some examples are:

 ahsën                       ahsëna                                 rocks        

 ahpòn                       ahpòna                                 bread(s)

 lokèns                       lokènsa                                dishes

 salàpòn                    salàpòna                              frybread(s)

2.  For words ending with –e the Inanimate Plural is [-yo].  Examples:

 kitahtëne                   kitahtëneyo                          big mountains

3.  When the plural ending is added to a word which ends in [–w], the [–w] and the [–a] combine to make [-o]. For example:

 skikw                          skiko                                    blades of grass

 hàkhàkw                    hàkhàko                               bottles

Some Lenape Loanwords From Dutch:

Some of the earliest Europeans to meet the Lenape were the Dutch, and some of their words for things new to the Lenape people were borrowed.  Here are some examples:

 Lenape                              Dutch                                 English

 halpànkël                   half anker                            barrel

 hèmpës                      hemd                                   shirt; skirt

 kënup                         knoop                                  button

 mòkël                         moker                                  hammer

 pan’kuk                      pannekoek                           pancake

 putël                           boter                                   butter

 shëmìt  (or)  shmìt        smid                                 blacksmith

 shkëp                          schop                                 playing card

 shukël                         suiker                                 sugar

The Swedes settled in the southern area of the Lenape homeland ( Lënapehòkink) and at least one word was borrowed by the Lenape:

 tipas                            tippa (word to call chickens)  chicken