Compound Nouns

Noun + Noun

Observation

ᒥᔥᑎᒄ + ᓈᐯᐤ			ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ
mishtikw + naapeu	=		mishtikunaapeu
wood + man			carpenter

The noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu is made up of two nouns: the words ᒥᔥᑎᒄ mishtikw and the word ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu. Such a noun is called a compound noun. It is made by adding two nouns together. There can be other ways of making compound nouns. In [noun + noun] compounds, the independent (long) forms of the noun are joined together. The compound noun has the second noun as its head, which means, for example, that a ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu is a type of ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu. The second noun is the one that gives its gender (animate or inanimate) to the compound noun. Therefore, the noun ᒥᔥᑎᑯᓈᐯᐤ mishtikunaapeu is animate because ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu is animate.

Noun	+	Noun	=		Noun
ᐧᐋᐳᔓᔮᓐ		ᓂᐹᑲᓐ			ᔓᔮᓂᐹᑲᓐ
waapushuyaan	+	nipaakan	=		waapushuyaanipaakan
rabbitskin		sleeping bag			rabbitskin sleeping bag
ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓐ		ᐧᐊᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ			ᐧᐋᐱᔥᑖᓂᐧᐊᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ
waapishtaan	+	wanahiikan	=		waapishtaaniwanahiikan
marten		trap			marten trap
ᓂᔅᒃ		ᓇᒣᔥᑌᒄ			ᓂᔅᑲᒣᔥᑌᒄ
nisk	+	nameshtekw	=		niskameshtekw
goose		smoke-dried carcass			dried goose
ᓇᒣᔅ		ᓇᒣᔥᑌᒄ			ᓇᒣᓴᒣᔥᑌᒄ
names	+	nameshtekw	=		namesameshtekw
fish		smoke-dried carcass			dried fish
ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓐ		ᐊᐦᒑᐲ			ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓇᐦᒑᐲ
chistuhchikan	+	ahchaapii	=		chistuhchikanahchaapii
violin		bow			violin bow
ᓂᒥᔅᒌᐤ		ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ			ᓂᒥᔅᒌᐅᔥᑯᑌᐤ
nimischiiu	+	ishkuteu	=		nimischiiushkuteu
electricity		fire			lightning
ᐱᔦᓲ		ᐅᐲᐧᐄᐦ			ᐱᔦᓲᐲᐧᐄᐦ
piyesuu	+	upiiwiih	=		piyesuupiiwiih
duck		feather			duck feather
ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓐ		ᐱᒎ			ᒋᔅᑐᐦᒋᑲᓇᐱᒎ
chistuhchikan	+	pichuu	=		chistuhchikanapichuu
violin		resin			violin resin
ᓂᐲ		ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ			ᓂᐲᐅᔅᒋᐦᒄ
nipii	+	aschihkw	=		nipiiuschihkw
water		bucket			water bucket
ᐱᒦ		ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ			ᐱᒦᐅᔅᒋᐦᒄ
pimii	+	aschihkw	=		pimiiuschihkw
grease		bucket			grease bucket
ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ		ᐅᑖᐹᓐ			ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓐ
ishkuteu	+	utaapaan	=		ishkuteutaapaan
fire		vehicle			train

Sometimes the nouns themselves are already compounded or derived, either the left noun or the right noun:

ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ		[ ᐅᑖᐹᓐ + ᐋᔅᒄ ]			ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ
ishkutew	+	[ utaapaan + aaskw ]	=		ishkuteutaapaanaaskw
fire		[ vehicle + long and rigid ]			fire truck
ᐲᐦᒉᒪᑲᓐ		[ ᒋᔐ + ᐄᔨᔫ / ᐄᓅ ]			ᐲᐦᒉᒪᑲᓂᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫ
piihchemakan	+	[ chishe + iiyiyuu/iinuu ]	=		piihchemakanichisheiiyiyuu
december		[ old + person ]			Santa Claus
					ᐲᐦᒉᒪᑲᓂᒋᔐᐄᓅ
			=		piihchemakanichisheiinuu
					Santa Claus
[ ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ + ᐲᐧᐄ ]		ᓲᑉ			ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᐲᐧᐄᓲᑉ
[mishtikwaan + piiwii]	+	suup	=		mishtikwaanipiiwiisuup
[ head + hair ]		soap			shampoo
[ ᐹᓐ + ᐊᔅᒋᐦᒄ ]		ᐋᔫ			ᐹᓇᔅᒋᐦᐧᑳᔫ
[ paan + aschihkw ]	+	aayuu	=		paanaschihkwaayuu
[ pan + pot ]		tail			frying pan handle
[ ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐤ + ᐅᑖᐹᓐ ]		ᒣᔅᑲᓅ			ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐅᑖᐹᓂᒣᔅᑲᓅ
[ ishkutew + utaapaan ]	+	meskanuu	=		ishkuteutaapaanimeskanuu
[ fire+vehicule ]		path			train track

Sometimes a shorter form of the noun in final position is used. For example, the noun ᓈᐯᐤ naapeu man, also has a short form ᐋᐯᐤ -aapeu, which is used to create the word ᐊᑎᐦᐧᑳᐯᐤ atihkwaapeu ‘caribou man’. The short form for ᒪᔅᒋᓯᓐ maschisin shoe is ᐁᔅᒋᓯᓐ -eschisin.

ᐊᑎᐦᒄ		ᐋᐯᐤ			ᐊᑎᐦᐧᑳᐯᐤ
atihkw	+	aapeu	=		atihkwaapeu
caribou		man			caribou man
ᒨᓱᔮᓐ		ᐁᔅᒋᓯᓐ			ᒨᓱᔮᓀᔅᒋᓯᓐ
muusuyaan	+	eschisin	=		muusuyaaneschisin
moosehide		shoe			moosehide moccasin

Dependent Noun + Noun

A dependent noun is one which always shows up with a personal prefix.  They are mostly either body parts or kinship terms, but there are a few others such as ᒦᐧᐃᑦ miiwit suitcase, container, box and ᒦᒡ miich home. They may form the first element of a compound noun but it seems to be mainly body part nouns which do so.

ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ		ᐲᐧᐄᐦ			ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᐲᐧᐄᐦ
mishtikwaan	+	piiwiih	=		mishtikwaanipiiwiih
head		hair/fur/feathers			hair
ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓐ		ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ			ᒥᔥᑎᐧᑳᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
mishtikwaan	+	nituhkuyin	=		mishtikwaanituhkuyin
head		medicine			head-ache pain-reliever
ᒦᐱᑦ		ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ			ᒦᐱᑎᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
miipit	+	nituhkuyin	=		miipitinituhkuyin
tooth		medicine			tooth-ache pain-reliever
ᒥᑯᔫ		ᐊᑯᐦᑉ			ᒥᑯᔨᐧᐋᐅᑯᐦᑉ
mikuyuu	+	akuhp	=		mikuyiwaaukuhp
neck		coat			parka
ᒥᐦᑑᑲᐃ		ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ			ᒥᐦᑑᑲᔨᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
mihtuukai	+	nituhkuyin	=		mihtuukayinituhkuyin
ear		medecine			ear-ache pain-reliever