Noun Stems with two elements

Short forms of animal nouns acting as finals

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