Compound Nouns

Preform + Noun

Observation

ᒥᔅᑎ		ᓰᐲ			ᒥᔅᑎᓰᐲ
misti	+	siipii	=		mistisiipii
big		river			big river

The word ᒥᔅᑎᓰᐲ mistisiipii is made up of two parts: ᒥᔅᑎ misti and ᓰᐲ siipii. The first part, which acts as a modifier, is called a preform. A preform must occur with a noun or a verb, never on its own; it is usually translated as an adjective in English.

Some words formed with preforms.

ᒥᔅᑎ misti big

ᒥᔅᑎ		ᓰᐲ			ᒥᔅᑎᓰᐲ
misti	+	siipii	=		mistisiipii
big		river			big river
ᒥᔅᑎ		ᐊᓯᓃ			ᒥᔅᑎᓯᓃ
misti	+	asinii	=		mistisinii
big		rock			Mistissini
ᒥᔅᑎ		ᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ			ᒥᔅᑎᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ
misti	+	saakahiikan	=		mistisaakahiikan
big		lake			big lake
ᒥᔅᑎ		ᐧᐋᐳᔥ			ᒥᔅᑎᐋᐳᔥ
misti	+	(w)aapush	=		mistaapush
big		rabbit			big rabbit

ᒥᒋ michi bad

ᒥᒋ		ᒦᒋᒻ			ᒥᒋᒦᒋᒻ
michi	+	miichim	=		michimiichim
bad		food			bad food
ᒥᒋ		ᒉᐧᑳᓐ			ᒥᒋᒑᐧᑳᓐ
michi	+	chaakwaan	=		michichaakwaan
bad		thing			bad thing
ᒥᒋ		ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ			ᒥᒋᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
michi	+	nituhkuyin	=		michinituhkuyin
bad		medicine			bad drugs
ᒥᒋ		ᒥᓂᑑ			ᒥᒋᒥᓂᑑ
michi	+	minituu	=		michiminituu
bad		god			devil
ᒥᒋ		ᒋᔥᑌᒫᐤ			ᒥᒋᒋᔥᑖᒫᐤ
michi	+	chishtaamaau	=		michichishtaamaau
bad		tobacco			marijuana
ᒥᒋ		ᐋᔨᒧᒫᐤ			ᒥᒑᔨᒧᒫᐤ
michi	+	aayimumaau	=		michaayimumaau
bad		he talks of him			he is bad mouthing him

ᒥᔪ miyu good

ᒥᔪ		ᒦᒋᒻ			ᒥᔪᒦᒋᒻ
miyu	+	miichim	=		miyumiichim
good		food			good food
ᒥᔪ		ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ			ᒥᔪᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
miyu	+	pimaatisiiwin	=		miyupimaatisiiwin
good		life			good life
ᒥᔪ		ᒋᔅᑯᑎᒫᒑᐧᐃᓐ			ᒥᔪᒋᔅᑯᑎᒫᒑᐧᐃᓐ
miyu	+	chiskutimaachaawin	=		miyuchiskutimaachaawin
good		teaching			good teaching
ᒥᔪ		ᐋᐱᑎᓰᐤ			ᒥᐧᔮᐱᑎᓰᐤ
miyu	+	aapatisiiu	=		miywaapatisiiu
good		he works			he works well

ᒋᓵ chisaa great

ᒋᓵ		ᐲᓯᒻ			ᒋᓵᐲᓯᒻ
chisaa	+	piisim	=		chisaapiisim
great		month			February
ᒋᔖ		ᒥᓂᑑ			ᒋᔖᒥᓂᑑ
chishaa	+	minituu	=		chishaaminituu
great		god			God
ᒋᓵ		ᐅᒋᒫᐤ			ᒋᓵᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chisaa	+	uchimaaw	=		chisaauchimaaw
great		boss			governor, government
ᒋᓵ		ᐊᒥᔅᒄ			ᒋᓵᒥᔅᒄ
chisaa	+	amiskw	=		chisaamiskw
great		beaver			adult beaver
ᒋᓵ		ᐄᔨᔫ			ᒋᓵᐄᔨᔫ
chisaa	+	iiyiyuu	=		chisaaiiyiyuu
great		person			elder
ᒋᓵ		ᐧᐋᐳᔥ			ᒋᓵᔮᐳᔥ
chisaa	+	waapush	=		chisaayaapush
great		rabbit			adult rabbit

ᒋᐦᒋ chihchi big

ᒋᐦᒋ		ᐅᒋᒫᐤ			ᒋᐦᒋᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chihchi	+	uchimaaw	=		chihchiuchimaaw
big		boss			king
ᒋᐦᒋ		ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐄᑭᓐ			ᒋᐦᒋᒥᓯᓂᐦᐄᑭᓐ
chihchi	+	misinihiikin	=		chihchimisinihiikin
big		book			bible

ᐅᔅᒋ uschi new

ᐅᔅᒋ		ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ			ᐅᔅᒋᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
uschi	+	pimaatisiiwin	=		uschipimaatisiiwin
new		life			new life
ᐅᔅᒋ		ᓈᐹᐧᐋᓐ			ᐅᔅᒋᓈᐹᐧᐋᓐ
uschi	+	naapaawaan	=		uschinaapaawaan
new		man			groom

ᐧᐄᒋ wiichi (together with…) his/her fellow…

ᐧᐄᒋ		ᒋᓵᐄᔨᔫ			ᐧᐄᒋᒋᓵᐄᔨᔫᐦ
wiichi	+	chisaaiiyiyuuh	=		wiichichisaaiiyiyuuh
fellow		elder			his fellow male elder
				or
					her elderly husband
ᐧᐄᒋ		ᒋᔖᔨᔥᐧᑳᔥ			ᐧᐄᒋᒋᔐᐃᔥᐧᑫᔥ
wiichi	+	chishaayishkwaash	=		wiichichishaayishkwaash
fellow		elder			her fellow female elder
				or
					his elderly wife
ᐧᐄᒋ		ᐅᔅᒋᓃᒋᓯᐤ			ᐧᐄᒋᐅᔅᒋᓃᒋᓯᐤ
wiichi	+	uschiniichisin	=		wiichiuschiniichisin
fellow		youth			his/her fellow youth
ᐧᐄᒋ		ᐃᔅᐧᑳᐤ			ᐧᐄᒋᔅᐧᑳᐤ
wiichi	+	iskwaau	=		wiichiskwaau
fellow		woman			his wife