Some Thoughts On The Potawatomi Language

The Old Potawatomi Language has been written by many people over the years, and there are various attempts advanced by different folks utilizing the Roman alphabet. Therefore, none of the following is to be construed as being completely representative of the old Potawatomi language, as that language cannot be written in English. The following thoughts which we freely share is based on the Roman alphabet system and is a decent representation of the old language of the Bodéwadmik inasmuch as the sounds and other characteristics of the tongue.  We would like to submit this one more study for further consideration.

A    ah     as in bah

É   eh     as in bet

I    ee     as in eel

O    oh      as in coat

E    uh      as in put

 

B    bah      beh      bee     boh

D    dah     deh     dee     doh

G    gah     geh     gee     goh

H    hah     heh     hee     hoh

J    jah     jeh     jee     joh

K    kah     keh     kee     koh

M    mah     meh     mee     moh

N    nah     neh     nee     noh

P    pah     peh     pee     poh

S    sah     seh     see     soh

T    tah     teh     tee     toh

W    wah     weh     wee     woh

Y    yah     yeh     yee     yoh

Z    zah     zeh     zee     zoh

In addition:     Tth pronounced as CH

                      Tthe pronounced as j as in joe

Some Potawatomi writers have also written the ch sound as (c).

So you can see the discrepancies found within the structure of the language that we use today.  One further note:  you may find the e (for uh) written like this in some of the Prairie Band notes:  u (for uh)

To say that any of these alphabets are more correct than any other would probably cause someone’s ego to swell, but we shall attempt it by giving credence to the one we have just written down.  Let us say it is closer to the truth of the Potawatomi language in use today.  I do not believe the old Potawatomi language can be written any other way than it was put down by so many of the old folks who attempted to convey certain thoughts to us, such as old medicine recipes, songs, stories, and prayers.  Too, certain missionaries, priests, nuns, educators, and even members of the foreign military powers who conquered us wrote many facts down about our various languages. 

My grandfather once told me there was no one correct way to write this language.  It was in the mind of the one who wrote it down, but we have these folks with us today who think they know the truth of everything and so we go.

No matter how many differences we may discover within the writing of the Potawatomi language in use today, we must remember that we still have a culture and we cannot separate language from culture or vice-versa.  Our language has always been a part of our culture and it is through our language that much of the old truth was passed from generation to generation.  It is through the language that the young were initiated into the larger context of the cultural group they were born into.  The language identified them by way of giving them an identity with a specific sound and meaning in the Old Potawatomi Language.  It was an Elder who knew the language who gave them a name ushering them into their world and it was these same elders who further instructed them in all they needed to know of that world.

Without the language we are much like a ship in the great oceans without a rudder.  We need our language to begin to understand and appreciate the values, customs, and traditions of our many Neshnabé People.  We can then demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for our unique communication systems that our elders used since the beginning of time.  We can also develop a more fuller appreciation, thus a more complete relationship with our natural world and customs.  It can be said that we may realize the importance of the spiritual world and acquire a more deeper comprehension along with a fuller appreciation for the workings of that dimension also.

True, when we address the Sacred Powers, we know if we call upon them in the original tongue of our people, our prayers become more efficacious.  In fact, the older the language used, the more effective the efforts of talking to the God and the various powers under his supposed command.  My elders told me to always pray in this tongue I was born with and to sing to the powers in this same manner.  The songs are nothing more than expressions of our deep appreciation of all we have been gifted with.  One might say they are equivalent to the Psalms written in the Christian Bible which we are led to understand came about as a result of the Hebrew experience with their God.  Certainly, our songs contain a rich history of the many positive experiences with our God/gods.  Often, they are meant to remind the people how mighty and holy the proceedings and doings of the People are to be.

Some words on what I have written thus far, in the Old language; Bo dé wad mi:

Bodéwadmi		Potawatomi
Menomeni		Menominee
Wjibwa		Ojibwa/Chippewa
Wdawa		Odawa/Ottawa
Nin		I
Gin		You
Win		He/she
Bo zho		Hello/a greeting
Ni je na		How are you?
I she anwe		I am fine
Gin je		And you
I she anwe gé nin		I am fine too
Wétthbkeshmok		West
Wétthksenyak		North
Wétthmokék		East
Wétthnawkwék		South
Keshémenedo		Great Spirit
Mamogosnan		Creator/the greatest father of us all
Shpemek		Above or heavenward
Namkemek		Underground
Kises		Sun
Dbekises		Moon
Negos		Star
Ankod		Cloud
Ankedon		Clouds
Jigwé		Thunder

By Donald A. Perrot

Aka, Neaseno

 

© Copyright 2003 Donald Perrot