Noun Stems with two elements

Short forms of animal nouns acting as finals

Observation

ᐅᓵᐤ + ᔅᒄ			ᐅᓵᐅᔅᒄ
usaau + skw	=		usaauskw
brown + bear			brown bear

The word ᐅᓵᐅᔅᒄ usaauskw brown bear is made from the initial ᐅᓵᐤ usaau- brown and a shorter form of the noun ᒪᔅᒄ maskw bear. A short form like ᔅᒄ -skw cannot be used on its own, but only when attached to something else.

Many animal names occur with both a long form and, when modified, a short form.

Long Form	Short Form	Complex Noun
ᐊᒥᔅᒄ	-ᒥᔅᒄ	ᒋᔐ				ᒥᔅᒄ			ᒋᔐᒥᔅᒄ
amiskw	-miskw	chishe		+		miskw	=		chishemiskw
beaver	beaver	old				beaver			adult beaver
ᓂᔅᒃ	-ᔅᒃ	ᓅᔐ				ᔅᒃ			ᓅᔐᔅᒃ
nisk	-(i)sk	nuushe		+		sk	=		nuushesk
goose	goose	female				goose			female goose
ᒪᔅᒄ	-ᔅᒄ	ᓅᔐ				ᔅᒄ			ᓅᔐᔅᒄ
maskw	-skw	nuushe		+		skw	=		nuusheskw
bear	bear	female				bear			female bear
ᒪᔅᒄ	-ᔅᒄ	ᐅᓵᐤ				ᔅᒄ			ᐅᓵᐅᔅᒄ
maskw	-skw	usaau		+		skw	=		usaauskw
bear	bear	brown				bear			brown bear
ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓐ	-ᐋᐱᔥᑖᓐ	ᓅᔐ		ᔾ		ᐋᐱᔥᑖᓐ			ᓅᔐᔮᐱᔥᑖᓐ
waapishtaan	-aapishtaan	nuushe	+	y	+	aapishtaan	=		nuusheyaapistaan
marten	marten	female				marten			female marten
ᑳᒄ	-ᐋᒄ	ᓅᔐ		ᔾ		ᐋᒄ			ᓅᔐᔮᒄ
kaakw	-aakw	nuushe	+	y	+	aakw	=		nuusheyaakw
porcupine	porcupine	female				porcupine			female porcupine
ᐧᐋᐳᔥ	-ᐋᐳᔥ	ᓅᔐ		ᔾ		ᐋᐳᔥ			ᓅᔐᔮᐳᔥ
waapush	-aapush	nuushe	+	y	+	aapush	=		nuusheyaapush
rabbit	rabbit	female				rabbit			female rabbit
ᔒᔒᑉ	-ᔑᑉ	ᓅᔐ				ᔑᑉ			ᓅᔐᔑᑉ
shiishiip	-ship	nuushe		+		ship	=		nuusheship
duck	duck	female				duck			female duck
ᐊᒋᑳᔥ	-ᒋᑳᔥ	ᓅᔐ				ᒋᑳᔥ			ᓅᔐᒋᑳᔥ
achikaash	-chikaash	nuushe		+		chikaash	=		nuushechikaash
mink	mink	female				mink			female mink
ᐊᑎᒻ	-ᔥᑎᒻ	ᓅᔐ				ᔥᑎᒻ			ᓅᔐᔥᑎᒻ
atim	-shtim	nuushe		+		shtim	=		nuusheshtim
dog	dog	female				dog			female dog
ᐊᑎᐦᒄ	-ᑎᐦᒄ	ᓈᐯ				ᑎᐦᒄ			ᓈᐯᑎᐦᒄ
atihkw	-tihkw	naape		+		tihkw	=		naapetihkw
caribou	caribou	male				caribou			male caribou
ᒪᐦᒉᔔ	-ᐊᐦᒉᔔ	ᐧᐋᑉ				ᐊᐦᒉᔔ			ᐧᐋᐸᐦᒉᔔ
mahcheshuu	-ahcheshuu	waap		+		ahcheshuu	=		waapahcheshuu
fox	fox	white				fox			white fox