Compound Nouns

Preform + Noun

Observation
ᒥᔅᑕ + ᓰᐲ ᒥᔅᑕᓰᐲ
mista + siipii = Click here to hear this word mistasiipii
big + river big river

The noun ᒥᔅᑕᓰᐲ mistasiipii is made up of two parts: ᒥᔅᑕ mista 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.

Examples of nouns made with preforms:  (See also verbs made with preforms.)

ᒥᔅᑕ mista big
ᒥᔅᑕ ᓰᐲ ᒥᔅᑕᓰᐲ
mista + siipii = Click here to hear this word mistasiipii
big river big river
ᒥᔅᑕ ᐊᓯᓃ ᒥᔅᑕᓯᓃ
mista + asinii = Click here to hear this word mistasinii
big rock Mistissini
ᒥᔅᑕ ᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ ᒥᔅᑕᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ
mista + saakahiikan = Click here to hear this word mistasaakahiikan
big lake big lake
ᒥᔅᑕ ᐧᐋᐳᔥ ᒥᔅᑖᐳᔥ
mista + (w)aapush = Click here to hear this word mistaapush
big rabbit big rabbit
ᒪᒋ machi bad
ᒪᒋ ᒦᒋᒻ ᒪᒋᒦᒋᒻ
machi + miichim = Click here to hear this word machimiichim
bad food bad food
ᒪᒋ ᒉᐧᑳᓐ ᒪᒋᒉᐧᑳᓐ
machi + chekwaan = Click here to hear this word machichekwaan
bad thing bad thing
ᒪᒋ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᒪᒋᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
machi + nituhkuyin = Click here to hear this word machinituhkuyin
bad medicine bad drugs
ᒪᒋ ᒪᓂᑑ ᒪᒋᒪᓂᑑ
machi + manituu = Click here to hear this word machimanituu
bad god devil
ᒪᒋ ᒋᔥᑌᒫᐤ ᒪᒋᒋᔥᑌᒫᐤ
machi + chishtemaaw = Click here to hear this word machichishtemaaw
bad tobacco marijuana
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 ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐧᐃᓐ ᒥᔪᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐧᐃᓐ
miyu + chiskutamaachewin = Click here to hear this word miyuchiskutamaachewin
good teaching good teaching
ᒋᔐ chishe great
ᒋᔐ ᒪᓂᑑ ᒋᔐᒪᓂᑑ
chishe + manituu = Click here to hear this word chishemanituu
great god God
ᒋᔐ ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᒋᔐᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chishe + uchimaau = Click here to hear this word chisheuchimaau
great boss governor, government
ᒋᔐ ᐊᒥᔅᒄ ᒋᔐᒥᔅᒄ
chishe + amiskw = Click here to hear this word chishemiskw
great beaver adult beaver
ᒋᔐ ᐄᔨᔫ ᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫ
chishe + iiyiyuu = Click here to hear this word chisheiiyiyuu
great person elder
ᒋᔐ ᐧᐋᐳᔥ ᒋᔐᔮᐳᔥ
chishe + waapush = Click here to hear this word chisheyaapush
great rabbit adult rabbit
ᒋᐦᒋ chihchi big
ᒋᐦᒋ ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᒋᐦᒋᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chihchi + uchimaau = Click here to hear this word chihchiuchimaau
big boss king
ᒋᐦᒋ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ ᒋᐦᒋᒪᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ
chihchi + masinahiikan = Click here to hear this word chihchimasinahiikan
big book bible
ᐅᔅᒋ uschi new
ᐅᔅᒋ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ ᐅᔅᒋᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
uschi + pimaatisiiwin = Click here to hear this word uschipimaatisiiwin
new life new life
ᐅᔅᒋ ᓈᐯᐤ ᐅᔅᒋᓈᐯᐧᐋᓐ
uschi + naapeu = Click here to hear this word uschinaapewaan
new man groom
ᐧᐄᒋ wiichi (together with…) his/her fellow…
ᐧᐄᒋ ᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫ ᐧᐄᒋᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫᐦ
wiichi + chisheiiyiyuu = Click here to hear this word wiichichisheiiyiyuuh
fellow elder his fellow male elder
or
her elderly husband
ᐧᐄᒋ ᒋᔐᐃᔥᐧᑫᔥ ᐧᐄᒋᒋᔐᐃᔥᐧᑫᔥ
wiichi + chisheishkwesh = Click here to hear this word wiichichisheishkwesh
fellow elder her fellow female elder
or
his elderly wife
ᐧᐄᒋ ᐅᔅᒋᓃᒎ ᐧᐄᒋᐅᔅᒋᓃᒎ
wiichi + uschiniichuu = Click here to hear this word wiichiuschiniichuu
fellow youth his/her fellow youth
ᐧᐄᒋ ᐃᔅᐧᑫᐤ ᐐᒋᔅᑴᐤ
wiichi + iskweu = Click here to hear this word wiichiskweu
fellow woman his wife