Potawatomi language

Language

Potawatomi

bodwéwadmimwen
Native to| United States, Canada
Region| Michigan, Oklahoma, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, and southern Ontario, formerly Northeastern Illinois
Ethnicity| Potawatomi

Native speakers

| <10 (2015)[1]
5 first language speakers[citation needed]
Revival| 2010s

Language family

Algic

* Algonquian
* Ojibwe–Potawatomi
* Potawatomi

Writing system

| Latin (various alphabets),
Great Lakes Algonquian syllabics
Language codes
ISO 639-3| `pot`
Glottolog| `pota1247`
ELP| Potawatomi
Linguasphere| `(Potawatomi) 62-ADA-dc (Potawatomi)`

Potawatomi is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.
Person| Bodéwadmi
(Neshnabé)

|

People| Bodéwadmik
(Neshnabék)
Language| Bodwéwadmimwen
(Neshnabémwen)

Potawatomi (/ˌpɒtəˈwɒtəmi/, also spelled Pottawatomie; in Potawatomi Bodwéwadmimwen, Bodwéwadmi Zheshmowen, or Neshnabémwen) is a Central Algonquian language. It was historically spoken by the Pottawatomi people who lived around the Great Lakes in what are now Michigan and Wisconsin in the United States, and in southern Ontario in Canada. Federally recognized tribes in Michigan and Oklahoma are working to revive the language.

## Classification

[edit]

Potawatomi is a member of the Algonquian language family (itself a member of the larger Algic stock). It is usually classified as a Central Algonquian language, with languages such as Ojibwe, Cree, Menominee, Miami-Illinois, Shawnee and Fox. The label Central Algonquian signifies a geographic grouping rather than the group of languages descended from a common ancestor language within the Algonquian family. Of the Central languages, Potawatomi is most similar to Ojibwe, but it also has borrowed a considerable amount of vocabulary from the Sauk.

Generally, in developments since Indian Removal in the 19th century, Potawatomi has become differentiated in North America among separated populations. It is divided between Northern Potawatomi, spoken in Ontario, Canada; and Michigan and Wisconsin of the United States; and Southern Potawatomi, which is spoken in Kansas and Oklahoma, where certain Pottawatomi ancestors were removed who had formerly lived in Illinois and other areas east of the Mississippi River.[2]

## Phonology

[edit]

Here, the phonology of the Northern dialect is described, which differs somewhat from that of the Southern dialect, spoken in Kansas.

There are five vowel phonemes, four diphthongs, and nineteen consonant phonemes.

⟨é⟩, which is often written as ⟨e'⟩, represents an open-mid front unrounded vowel, /ɛ/. ⟨e⟩ represents the schwa, /ə/, which has several allophonic variants. Before /n/, it becomes [ɪ]; before /kː/, /k/, /ʔ/ and word-finally, it becomes [ʌ].

⟨o⟩ is pronounced /u/ in Michigan and /o/ elsewhere. When it is in a closed syllable, it is pronounced [ʊ]. There are also four diphthongs, /ɛj ɛw əj əw/, spelled ⟨éy éw ey ew⟩. Phonemic /əj əw/ are realized as [ɪj ʌw].

Obstruents, as in many other Algonquian languages, do not have a voicing distinction per se but what is better termed a "strong"/"weak" distinction. "Strong" consonants, written as voiceless (⟨p t k kw⟩), are always voiceless, often aspirated, and longer in duration than the "weak" consonants, which are written as voiced (⟨b d g gw⟩) and are often voiced and are not aspirated. Nasals before another consonant become syllabic, and /tː/, /t/, and /n/ are dental: [t̪ː t̪ n̪].

### Vowels

[edit]

| Front | Back

|
|

High | i | o
Mid | ə
Low | ɛ | a

### Consonants

[edit]

| Bilabial | Dental | Palatal | Velar | Glottal

|
|
|
|
|

plain | labial
Occlusive | p | t | tʃ | k | kʷ | ʔ
pː | tː | tʃː | kː | kːʷ |
Fricative |  | s | ʃ |  |  | h
| sː | ʃː |  |  |
Sonorant | m | n | j |  | w |

Lenis type consonants can frequently be voiced in various surroundings as [b d dʒ ɡ ɡʷ] for plosives and affricates, and [z ʒ] for fricatives.[3]

## Writing systems

[edit]

### Current writing system

[edit]

Though no standard orthography has been agreed upon by the Potawatomi communities, the system most commonly used is the "Pedagogical System" developed by the Wisconsin Native American Languages Program (WNALP). As the name suggests, it was designed to be used in language teaching. The system is based on the Roman alphabet and is phonemic, with each letter or digraph representing a contrastive sound. The letters used are a b ch d e é g ' h i j k m n o p s sh t w y z zh.

In Kansas, a different system called BWAKA is used. It too is both based on the Roman alphabet and phonemic, with each letter or digraph representing a contrastive sound. The letters used are ' a b c d e e' g h i I j k m n o p s sh t u w y z zh.

### Traditional system

[edit]

The traditional system used in writing Potawatomi is a form of syllabic writing. Potawatomi, Ottawa, Sac, Fox and Winnebago communities all used it. Derived from the Roman alphabet, it resembles handwritten Roman text. However, unlike the Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics or the Cherokee alphabet, it has not yet been incorporated into the Unicode standards.

Each Potawatomi syllabic block in the system has at least two of the seventeen alphabetic letters, which consist of thirteen consonants and four vowels. Of the thirteen phonemic consonantal letters, the /h/, written ⟨A⟩, is optional.

Consonants  | Traditional
System  | Pedagogical
System

|

l  | b/p
(lA)  | (p)
t  | d/t
(tA)  | (t)
tt  | j/ch
(ttA)  | (ch)
ĸ  | g/k
(ĸA)  | (k)
s  | z/s
(sA)  | s
sH  | zh/sh
(sHA)  | (sh)
m  | m
n  | n
q  | gw/kw
(qA)  | (kw)
g  | g of "-ng"
w  | w
y  | y
(none)  | '/h
(A)  | (h)
Vowels  | Traditional
System  | Pedagogical
System

|

a  | a
e  | e (ë) (ê)
e  | é (ė)
i  | i
o  | o

## Morphology

[edit]

Potawatomi has six parts of speech: noun, verb, pronoun, prenoun, preverb, and particle.[4]

### Pronouns

[edit]

There are two main types of pronoun: personal pronouns and demonstrative pronouns. As nouns and verbs use inflection to describe anaphoric reference, the main use of the free pronouns is for emphasis.

#### Personal pronouns

[edit]

Personal pronouns, because of vowel syncope, resemble those of Odaawaa but structurally resemble more those in the Swampy Cree language:

| Swampy Cree  | Ojibwe  | Odaawaa  | Potawatomi

|
|
|
|

1st person  | singular  | nîn | niin | nii | nin
plural  | exclusive  | nînanân | niinawind | niinwi | ninan
inclusive  | gînanân | giinawind | giinwi | ginan
2nd person  | singular  | gîn | giin | gii | gin
plural  | gînawâ | giinawaa | giinwaa | ginwa
3rd person  | singular  | wîn | wiin | wii | win
plural  | wînawâ | wiinawaa | wiinwaa | winwa

### Verbs

[edit]

Conjugation sample of majit 'to leave'  | Independent  | Conjunct

|
|

1sg | nmaji | majiyan
2sg | gmaji | majiyen
3sg | maji(wak) | majit
3sg.obv | majin | majinet
1sg.excl | nmajimen | majiyak
1pl.incl | gmajimen | majiygo
2pl | gmajim | majiyék
3pl | majik | majiwat

## Correspondences to Ojibwe

[edit]

The relatively-recent split from Ojibwe makes Potawatomi still exhibit strong correspondences, especially with the Odaawaa (Ottawa) dialect.

Fiero
Double Vowel
System  | Rhodes
Double Vowel
System  | Potawatomi
WNALP System  | Potawatomi
BWAKA System  | IPA Value

|
|
|
|

a (unstressed)  | (none)  | (none)  | (none)/u  | ∅
a (stressed)  | a (stressed)  | e (ë)  | e/u  | ə
aa  | aa  | a  | a/o  | a~ʌ
b  | b  | b  | b/p  | b
ch  | ch  | ch  | c  | tʃ
d  | d  | d  | d/t  | d
e (secondary stress)  | e (secondary stress)  | e (ė)  | e  | ə
e (primary stress)  | e (primary stress)  | é/e'  | e'  | ɛ
g  | g  | g  | g/k  | ɡ
gi (unstressed)  | g  | j  | j/ch  | dʒ
g  | g  | j (from gy*)  | j/c (from gy*)  | dʒ
-g  | -g  | -k  | -k  | k
h  | h  | h  | h  | h
'  | h  | '  | '  | ʔ
i (unstressed)  | (none)  | (none)  | (none)/I  | ∅
i (stressed)  | i (stressed)  | e  | e/I  | ə
ii  | ii  | i  | i  | ɪ
j  | j  | j  | j/ch  | dʒ
k  | k  | k  | k  | k
ki (unstressed)  | k  | ch  | c  | tʃ
k  | k  | ch (from ky*)  | c (from ky*)  | tʃ
m  | m  | m  | m  | m
mb  | mb  | mb  | mb  | mb
(not from PA *n)
n/(none)  | n/(none)  | n/y  | n/y  | n~j
(from PA *n)
n  | n  | n  | n  | n
nd  | nd  | nd/d  | nd/d  | nd~d
ng  | ng  | ng/g  | ng/g  | ŋɡ~ɡ
nj  | nj  | nj/j  | nj/j  | ndʒ~dʒ
ns  | ns  | s  | s  | s
nz  | nz  | z  | z  | z
ny/-nh  | ny/-nh  | (none)  | (none)  | ∅
nzh  | nzh  | zh  | zh  | ʒ
o (unstressed)  | (none)/w/o (unstressed)  | (none)/w/o/e  | (none)/w/o/e  | ∅~w~o~ʊ~ə
o (stressed)  | o (stressed)  | o (ê)  | o  | o~ʊ
oo  | oo  | o  | o  | o
p  | p  | p  | p  | p
s  | s  | s  | s  | s
sh  | sh  | sh  | sh  | ʃ
shk  | shk  | shk  | shk  | ʃk
shp  | shp  | shp  | shp  | ʃp
sht  | sht  | sht  | sht  | ʃt
sk  | sk  | sk  | sk  | sk
t  | t  | t  | t  | t
w  | w/(none)  | w/(none)  | w/(none)  | w~∅
wa (unstressed)  | wa (unstressed)/o  | w/o  | w/o  | w~o~ʊ
waa (unstressed)  | waa (unstressed)/oo  | wa/o  | wa/o  | wa~o~ʊ
wi (unstressed)  | wi (unstressed)/o  | w/o  | w/o  | w~o~ʊ
y  | y  | y (initial glide)  | y (initial glide)  | j
(none)  | (none)  | y (medial glide)  | y (medial glide)  | j
z  | z  | z  | z/s  | z
zh  | zh  | zh  | zh/sh  | ʒ

## Language revitalization

[edit]

Cecelia Miksekwe Jackson, one of the last surviving native speakers of Potawatomi, died in May 2011, at the age of 88. She was known for working to preserve and teach the language.[5]

Donald Neaseno Perrot, a native speaker who grew up in the Powers Bluff, Wisconsin, area, has a series of Potawatomi videos, a website, and books available to preserve the language.[6]

The federally recognized Pokégnek Bodéwadmik Pokagon Band of Potawatomi started a master-apprentice program in which a "language student (the language apprentice) will be paired with fluent Potawatomi speakers (the language masters)" in January 2013.[7] In addition, classes in the Potawatomi language are available, including those at the Hannahville summer immersion camp,[8] with webcast instruction and videoconferencing.[7]

There are also free online language courses on Mango Languages from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi,[9] released in October 2022.[10] and on Memrise from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma.[11]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "Did you know Potawatomi is critically endangered?". Endangered Languages. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
2. ^ Native Languages of the Americas: Potawatomi Pronunciation and Spelling Guide
3. ^ Hockett, 1948
4. ^ Buszard-Welcher, L. (2003) "Constructional Polysemy and Mental Spaces in Potawatomi Discourse". PhD Thesis, U.C. Berkeley
5. ^ "Tribal elder dies at 88: Woman was dedicated to Potawatomi language preservation". Topeka Capital-Journal. May 31, 2011.
6. ^ "About Neaseno". Neaseno. May 31, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
7. ^ a b "Potawatomi Language". Pokégnek Bodéwadmik Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. 2012. Archived from the original on November 25, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
8. ^ "Potawatomi Language". Hannahville Culture Language and History Website. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
9. ^ "Potawatomi". Mango Languages.
10. ^ Utykanski, Lauren (October 26, 2022). "Start the Conversation in Potawatomi". Mango Languages. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023.
11. ^ Neely (December 16, 2023). "Language update: February 2023" (Press release). Shawnee, Oklahoma. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2024. "We also have two courses at memrise.com. One called "A Day in the Life" and the other "Conversational Potawatomi." They can be found after signing up on Memrise then searching for Potawatomi."

## Further reading

[edit]

* Gailland, Maurice (1840). English-Potawatomi Dictionary.
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1939a). The Potawatomi Language: A Descriptive Grammar (Thesis). Yale University. OCLC 46436906.
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1939b). "Potawatomi Syntax". Language. 15 (4): 235–248\. doi:10.2307/409107. JSTOR 409107.235-248&rft.date=1939&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/409107&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/409107#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Hockett&rft.aufirst=Charles+Francis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1948a). "Potawatomi I: Phonemics, Morphophonemics, and Morphological Survey". International Journal of American Linguistics. 14 (1): 1–10\. doi:10.1086/463970. S2CID 144356302.1-10&rft.date=1948&rft_id=info:doi/10.1086/463970&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:144356302#id-name=S2CID&rft.aulast=Hockett&rft.aufirst=Charles+Francis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1948b). "Potawatomi II: Derivations". International Journal of American Linguistics. 14 (2): 63–73\. doi:10.1086/463984.63-73&rft.date=1948&rft_id=info:doi/10.1086/463984&rft.aulast=Hockett&rft.aufirst=Charles+Francis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1948c). "Potawatomi III: The Verb Complex". International Journal of American Linguistics. 14 (3): 139–149\. doi:10.1086/463995. S2CID 143596538.139-149&rft.date=1948&rft_id=info:doi/10.1086/463995&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:143596538#id-name=S2CID&rft.aulast=Hockett&rft.aufirst=Charles+Francis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1948d). "Potawatomi IV: Particles and Sample Texts". International Journal of American Linguistics. 14 (4): 213–225\. doi:10.1086/464008. S2CID 143465585.213-225&rft.date=1948&rft_id=info:doi/10.1086/464008&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:143465585#id-name=S2CID&rft.aulast=Hockett&rft.aufirst=Charles+Francis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Hockett, Charles Francis (1950). "The Conjunct Modes in Ojibwa and Potawatomi". Language. 26 (2): 278–282\. doi:10.2307/410064. JSTOR 410064.278-282&rft.date=1950&rft_id=info:doi/10.2307/410064&rft_id=https://www.jstor.org/stable/410064#id-name=JSTOR&rft.aulast=Hockett&rft.aufirst=Charles+Francis&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Quimby, George Irving (1939). "Some Notes on Kinship and Kinship Terminology Among the Potawatomi of the Huron". Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters. 25: 553–563.553-563&rft.date=1939&rft.aulast=Quimby&rft.aufirst=George+Irving&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Potawatomi+language" class="Z3988">
* Wisconsin Native American Languages Project; Nichols, John (1975). Potawatomi Traditional Writing. Milwaukee, WI: Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council.

## External links

[edit]

* Potawatomi Language Vocabulary, Audio and Video, Interactive Language Games, Online Courses
* Potawatomi Pronunciation and Spelling Guide
* The Neshnabe Institute for Cultural Studies – Dedicated to Potawatomi Language Revitalization
* Prairie Band Potawatomi Language Project Smokey McKinney, 1997
* Prairie Band Potawatomi Language Department
* Citizen Potawatomi Department of Language
* Hannahville Indian Community Department of Culture, Language and History
* Forest County Potawatomi Cultural Center, Library and Museum
* Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Department of Language
* Pokégnek Bodéwadmik Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Department of Language and Culture
* Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Department of Language and Culture
* OLAC resources in and about the Potawatomi language
* Potawatomi Dictionary, by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation

* v
* t
* e

Algic languages

Algonquian|

| Arapahoan|

* Arapaho
* Besawunena
* Gros Ventre
* Nawathinehena

|

Cree–Montagnais–Naskapi|

| Cree|

* East Cree
* Moose Cree
* Plains Cree
* Michif1
* Swampy Cree
* Woods Cree

|

Others|

* Atikamekw
* Innu-aimun
* Naskapi

Eastern Algonquian|

| Southern New England|

* Loup
* Massachusett
* Massachusett Pidgin1
* Massachusett Pidgin English1
* Mohegan–Pequot
* Narragansett
* Quiripi–Naugatuck–Unquachog

|

Delawaran|

* Delaware
* Munsee
* Unami
* Pidgin Delaware1
* Mahican

Nanticockan|

* Nanticoke
* Piscataway

Others|

* Abenaki
* Carolina Algonquian
* Etchemin
* Maliseet–Passamaquoddy
* Mi'kmaq
* Powhatan

Mesquakie–Sauk–Kickapoo|

* Mesquakie–Sauk
* Sauk
* Kickapoo

Ojibwa–Potawatomi|

| Ojibwa|

* Algonquin
* Berens River Ojibwa
* Border Lakes Ojibwa
* Broken Oghibbeway1
* Central Ojibwa
* Chippewa
* Eastern Ojibwa
* Nipissing Ojibwa
* North of Superior Ojibwa
* Northwestern Ojibwa
* Oji-Cree
* Ottawa
* Western Ojibwa

|

Potawatomi|

* Potawatomi

Others|

* Algonquian–Basque pidgin1
* Blackfoot
* Cheyenne
* Menominee
* Miami–Illinois
* Shawnee

Others|

* Wiyot
* Yurok

Uncertain|

* Nansemond
* Pamunkey

Proto-languages|

* Proto-Algic
* Proto-Algonquian

1 Creole/Pidgin/Mixed language • Italics indicate extinct languages

* v
* t
* e

Languages of Oklahoma

Italics indicate extinct languages * indicates extinct language in Oklahoma but still spoken elsewhere

Indigenous|

* Alabama*
* Arapaho
* Caddo
* Cayuga
* Cherokee
* Cheyenne
* Chickasaw
* Chiwere (Iowa and Otoe)
* Choctaw
* Comanche
* Delaware
* Hitchiti-Mikasuki
* Kansa
* Koasati
* Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache
* Mesquakie (Fox, Kickapoo, and Sauk)
* Muscogee
* Osage
* Ottawa
* Pawnee
* Plains Apache
* Ponca
* Potawatomi
* Quapaw
* Seneca
* Shawnee
* Tonkawa
* Wichita
* Wyandot
* Yuchi

Sign languages|

* American Sign Language
* Black American Sign Language
* Plains Sign Talk

Non-Indigenous|

* English
* German
* Spanish
* Vietnamese

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Languages of Canada

Official languages|

* English
* French

Indigenous languages|

| Algonquian|

* Abenaki
* Algonquin
* Blackfoot
* Cree
* Innu
* Malecite-Passamaquoddy
* Miꞌkmaq
* Munsee
* Naskapi
* Ojibwe
* Ottawa
* Potawatomi

|

Athabaskan|

* Babine-Witsuwitʼen
* Carrier
* Chilcotin
* Chipewyan
* Dogrib
* Gwichʼin
* Hän
* Kaska
* Nicola
* Sekani
* Slavey
* Tagish
* Tahltan
* Tsuutʼina
* Tutchone

Inuit|

* Inuinnaqtun
* Inuktitut
* Inupiaq
* Inuvialuktun

Iroquoian|

* Cayuga
* Mohawk
* Oneida
* Onondaga
* Seneca
* Tuscarora
* Wyandot

Salishan|

* Bella Coola
* Comox
* Halkomelem
* Lillooet
* Okanagan
* Saanich
* shíshálh
* Shuswap
* Squamish
* Thompson

Wakashan|

* Ditidaht
* Haisla
* Heiltsuk-Oowekyala
* Kwakʼwala
* Nuu-chah-nulth

Siouan|

* Stoney
* Sioux
* Assiniboine

other|

* Beothuk
* Haida
* Kutenai
* Tlingit
* Coast Tsimshian

Pidgins, creoles and mixed|

* Algonquian–Basque pidgin
* Broken Slavey
* Bungee
* Chinook Jargon
* Labrador Inuit Pidgin French
* Michif

Minority languages|

* Mandarin
* Cantonese
* Punjabi
* Spanish
* Tagalog (Filipino)
* Arabic
* German
* Italian
* Canadian Gaelic
* Hutterite German
* Doukhobor Russian
* Newfoundland Irish
* Pennsylvania German
* Plautdietsch
* Ukrainian

Sign languages|

* American Sign Language
* Quebec Sign Language
* Inuk Sign Language
* Plains Indian Sign Language
* Maritime Sign Language

Canadian style guides \- Canadian dictionaries ‎

* v
* t
* e

Anishinaabe culture

Family|

* Clan system

Religion, myth and stories|

* Aayaase
* Baykok
* Deer Woman
* Dreamcatcher
* Drumkeeper
* Elbow witch
* Gitche Manitou
* Grand Medicine Society
* Jiibayaabooz
* Jingle dress
* Little people
* Manitou
* Medicine wheel
* Mishi-ginebig ("great snake")
* Mudjekeewis
* Nanabozho
* Nokomis
* Powwow
* Pukwudgie
* Seven fires prophecy
* Shingebis
* Teachings of the Seven Grandfathers
* Turtle Island
* Traditional beliefs
* Underwater panther
* Wendigo

Languages|

* Algonquian
* Birch bark scrolls
* Ojibwe
* Ottawa dialect
* Potawatomi

Art|

* Birchbark biting
* Quillwork
* Ribbon work
* Wampum

Education|

| Residential|

* U.S. residential schools
* Canadian residential schools

|

Primary/Secondary|

* Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School
* Hannahville Indian School
* Joseph K. Lumsden Bahweting Anishnabe School

Tertiary|

* Anishinabek Educational Institute
* Bay Mills Community College
* Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
* Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College

Housing|

* Wigwam

Authority control databases: National |

* Israel

|

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template