Compound Nouns

Preform + Noun

Observation
ᒥᔅᑎ ᓰᐲ ᒥᔅᑎᓰᐲ
misti + siipii = Click here to hear this word 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 = Click here to hear this word mistisiipii
big river big river
ᒥᔅᑎ ᐊᓯᓃ ᒥᔅᑎᓯᓃ
misti + asinii = Click here to hear this word mistisinii
big rock Mistissini
ᒥᔅᑎ ᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ ᒥᔅᑎᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ
misti + saakahiikan = Click here to hear this word mistisaakahiikan
big lake big lake
ᒥᔅᑎ ᐧᐋᐳᔥ ᒥᔅᑎᐋᐳᔥ
misti + (w)aapush = Click here to hear this word mistaapush
big rabbit big rabbit
ᒥᒋ michi bad
ᒥᒋ ᒦᒋᒻ ᒥᒋᒦᒋᒻ
michi + miichim = michimiichim
bad food bad food
ᒥᒋ ᒉᐧᑳᓐ ᒥᒋᒑᐧᑳᓐ
michi + chaakwaan = Click here to hear this word michichaakwaan
bad thing bad thing
ᒥᒋ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᒥᒋᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
michi + nituhkuyin = Click here to hear this word michinituhkuyin
bad medicine bad drugs
ᒥᒋ ᒥᓂᑑ ᒥᒋᒥᓂᑑ
michi + minituu = Click here to hear this word 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 = Click here to hear this word miyumiichim
good food good food
ᒥᔪ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ ᒥᔪᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
miyu + pimaatisiiwin = Click here to hear this word miyupimaatisiiwin
good life good life
ᒥᔪ ᒋᔅᑯᑎᒫᒑᐧᐃᓐ ᒥᔪᒋᔅᑯᑎᒫᒑᐧᐃᓐ
miyu + chiskutimaachaawin = Click here to hear this word miyuchiskutimaachaawin
good teaching good teaching
ᒥᔪ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᐤ ᒥᐧᔮᐱᑎᓰᐤ
miyu + aapatisiiu = Click here to hear this word miywaapatisiiu
good he works he works well
ᒋᓵ chisaa great
ᒋᓵ ᐲᓯᒻ ᒋᓵᐲᓯᒻ
chisaa + piisim = Click here to hear this word chisaapiisim
great month February
ᒋᔖ ᒥᓂᑑ ᒋᔖᒥᓂᑑ
chishaa + minituu = Click here to hear this word chishaaminituu
great god God
ᒋᓵ ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᒋᓵᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chisaa + uchimaaw = chisaauchimaaw
great boss governor, government
ᒋᓵ ᐊᒥᔅᒄ ᒋᓵᒥᔅᒄ
chisaa + amiskw = Click here to hear this word chisaamiskw
great beaver adult beaver
ᒋᓵ ᐄᔨᔫ ᒋᓵᐄᔨᔫ
chisaa + iiyiyuu = chisaaiiyiyuu
great person elder
ᒋᓵ ᐧᐋᐳᔥ ᒋᓵᔮᐳᔥ
chisaa + waapush = Click here to hear this word chisaayaapush
great rabbit adult rabbit
ᒋᐦᒋ chihchi big
ᒋᐦᒋ ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᒋᐦᒋᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chihchi + uchimaaw = Click here to hear this word chihchiuchimaaw
big boss king
ᒋᐦᒋ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐄᑭᓐ ᒋᐦᒋᒥᓯᓂᐦᐄᑭᓐ
chihchi + misinihiikin = chihchimisinihiikin
big book bible
ᐅᔅᒋ uschi new
ᐅᔅᒋ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ ᐅᔅᒋᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
uschi + pimaatisiiwin = Click here to hear this word uschipimaatisiiwin
new life new life
ᐅᔅᒋ ᓈᐹᐧᐋᓐ ᐅᔅᒋᓈᐹᐧᐋᓐ
uschi + naapaawaan = Click here to hear this word uschinaapaawaan
new man groom
ᐧᐄᒋ wiichi (together with…) his/her fellow…
ᐧᐄᒋ ᒋᓵᐄᔨᔫ ᐧᐄᒋᒋᓵᐄᔨᔫᐦ
wiichi + chisaaiiyiyuuh = Click here to hear this word wiichichisaaiiyiyuuh
fellow elder his fellow male elder
or
her elderly husband
ᐧᐄᒋ ᒋᔖᔨᔥᐧᑳᔥ ᐧᐄᒋᒋᔐᐃᔥᐧᑫᔥ
wiichi + chishaayishkwaash = Click here to hear this word 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 = Click here to hear this word wiichiskwaau
fellow woman his wife