Compound Nouns

Noun + Noun

Observation
ᒥᔥᑎᒄ + ᓈᐯᐤ ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ
mishtikw + naapeu = Click here to hear this word mishtikunaapeu
wood + man carpenter

The noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu is made up of two nouns: the words ᒥᔥᑎᒄ mishtikw and the word ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu. Such a noun is called a compound noun. It is made by adding two nouns together. There can be other ways of making compound nouns. In [noun + noun] compounds, the independent (long) forms of the noun are joined together. The compound noun has the second noun as its head, which means, for example, that a ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu is a type of ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu. The second noun is the one that gives its gender (animate or inanimate) to the compound noun. Therefore, the noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu is animate because ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu is animate.

Noun + Noun = Noun
ᐧᐋᐳᔓᔮᓐ ᓂᐹᑲᓐ ᔓᔮᓂᐹᑲᓐ
waapushuyaan + nipaakan = Click here to hear this word waapushuyaanipaakan
rabbitskin sleeping bag rabbitskin sleeping bag
ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓐ ᐧᐊᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓂᐧᐊᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ
waapishtaan + wanahiikan = Click here to hear this word waapishtaaniwanahiikan
marten trap marten trap
ᓂᔅᒃ ᓇᒣᔥᑌᒄ ᓂᔅᑲᒣᔥᑌᒄ
nisk + nameshtekw = Click here to hear this word niskameshtekw
goose smoke-dried carcass dried goose
ᓇᒣᔅ ᓇᒣᔥᑌᒄ ᓇᒣᓴᒣᔥᑌᒄ
names + nameshtekw = Click here to hear this word namesameshtekw
fish smoke-dried carcass dried fish
ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓐ ᐊᐦᒑᐲ ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓇᐦᒑᐲ
chistuhchikan + ahchaapii = Click here to hear this word chistuhchikanahchaapii
violin bow violin bow
ᓂᒥᔅᒌᐤ ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ ᓂᒥᔅᒌᐅᔥᑯᑌᐤ
nimischiiu + ishkuteu = Click here to hear this word nimischiiushkuteu
electricity fire lightning
ᐱᔦᓲ ᐅᐲᐧᐄᐦ ᐱᔦᓲᐲᐧᐄᐦ
piyesuu + upiiwiih = Click here to hear this word piyesuupiiwiih
duck feather duck feather
ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓐ ᐱᒎ ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓇᐱᒎ
chistuhchikan + pichuu = Click here to hear this word chistuhchikanapichuu
violin resin violin resin
ᓂᐲ ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ ᓂᐲᐅᔅᒋᐦᒄ
nipii + aschihkw = Click here to hear this word nipiiuschihkw
water bucket water bucket
ᐱᒦ ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ ᐱᒦᐅᔅᒋᐦᒄ
pimii + aschihkw = Click here to hear this word pimiiuschihkw
grease bucket grease bucket
ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ ᐅᑖᐹᓐ ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓐ
ishkuteu + utaapaan = Click here to hear this word ishkuteutaapaan
fire vehicle train

Sometimes the nouns themselves are already compounded or derived, either the left noun or the right noun:

ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ [ ᐅᑖᐹᓐ + ᐋᔅᒄ ] ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ
ishkutew + [ utaapaan + aaskw ] = Click here to hear this word ishkuteutaapaanaaskw
fire [ vehicle + long and rigid ] fire truck
ᐲᐦᒉᒪᑲᓐ [ ᒋᔐ + ᐄᔨᔫ / ᐄᓅ ] ᐲᐦᒉᒪᑲᓂᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫ
piihchemakan + [ chishe + iiyiyuu/iinuu ] = Click here to hear this word piihchemakanichisheiiyiyuu
december [ old + person ] Santa Claus
ᐲᐦᒉᒪᑲᓂᒋᔐᐄᓅ
= Click here to hear this word piihchemakanichisheiinuu
Santa Claus
[ ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ + ᐲᐧᐄ ] ᓲᑉ ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᐲᐧᐄᓲᑉ
[mishtikwaan + piiwii] + suup = Click here to hear this word mishtikwaanipiiwiisuup
[ head + hair ] soap shampoo
[ ᐹᓐ + ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ ] ᐋᔫ ᐹᓇᔅᒋᐦᐧᑳᔫ
[ paan + aschihkw ] + aayuu = Click here to hear this word paanaschihkwaayuu
[ pan + pot ] tail frying pan handle
[ ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ + ᐅᑖᐹᓐ ] ᒣᔅᑲᓅ ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓂᒣᔅᑲᓅ
[ ishkutew + utaapaan ] + meskanuu = Click here to hear this word ishkuteutaapaanimeskanuu
[ fire+vehicule ] path train track

Sometimes a shorter form of the noun in final position is used. For example, the noun ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu man, also has a short form ᐋᐯᐤ -aapeu, which is used to create the word ᐊᑎᐦᐧᑳᐯᐤ atihkwaapeu ‘caribou man’. The short form for ᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ maschisin shoe is ᐁᔅᒋᓯᓐ -eschisin.

ᐊᑎᐦᒄ ᐋᐯᐤ ᐊᑎᐦᐧᑳᐯᐤ
atihkw + aapeu = Click here to hear this word atihkwaapeu
caribou man caribou man
ᒨᓱᔮᓐ ᐁᔅᒋᓯᓐ ᒨᓱᔮᓀᔅᒋᓯᓐ
muusuyaan + eschisin = Click here to hear this word muusuyaaneschisin
moosehide shoe moosehide moccasin

Dependent Noun + Noun

A dependent noun is one which always shows up with a personal prefix.  They are mostly either body parts or kinship terms, but there are a few others such as ᒦᐧᐃᑦ miiwit suitcase, container, box and ᒦᒡ miich home. They may form the first element of a compound noun but it seems to be mainly body part nouns which do so.

ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ ᐲᐧᐄᐦ ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᐲᐧᐄᐦ
mishtikwaan + piiwiih = Click here to hear this word mishtikwaanipiiwiih
head hair/fur/feathers hair
ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
mishtikwaan + nituhkuyin = Click here to hear this word mishtikwaanituhkuyin
head medicine head-ache pain-reliever
ᒦᐱᑦ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᒦᐱᑎᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
miipit + nituhkuyin = Click here to hear this word miipitinituhkuyin
tooth medicine tooth-ache pain-reliever
ᒥᑯᔫ ᐊᑯᐦᑉ ᒥᑯᔨᐧᐋᐅᑯᐦᑉ
mikuyuu + akuhp = Click here to hear this word mikuyiwaaukuhp
neck coat parka
ᒥᐦᑑᑲᐃ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᒥᐦᑑᑲᔨᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
mihtuukai + nituhkuyin = Click here to hear this word mihtuukayinituhkuyin
ear medecine ear-ache pain-reliever