Compound Nouns

Preform + Noun

Observation

ᒥᔅᑕ + ᓰᐲ			ᒥᔅᑕᓰᐲ
mista + siipii	=		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	=		mistasiipii
big		river			big river
ᒥᔅᑕ		ᐊᓯᓃ			ᒥᔅᑕᓯᓃ
mista	+	asinii	=		mistasinii
big		rock			Mistissini
ᒥᔅᑕ		ᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ			ᒥᔅᑕᓵᑲᐦᐄᑲᓐ
mista	+	saakahiikan	=		mistasaakahiikan
big		lake			big lake
ᒥᔅᑕ		ᐧᐋᐳᔥ			ᒥᔅᑖᐳᔥ
mista	+	(w)aapush	=		mistaapush
big		rabbit			big rabbit

ᒪᒋ machi bad

ᒪᒋ		ᒦᒋᒻ			ᒪᒋᒦᒋᒻ
machi	+	miichim	=		machimiichim
bad		food			bad food
ᒪᒋ		ᒉᐧᑳᓐ			ᒪᒋᒉᐧᑳᓐ
machi	+	chekwaan	=		machichekwaan
bad		thing			bad thing
ᒪᒋ		ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ			ᒪᒋᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
machi	+	nituhkuyin	=		machinituhkuyin
bad		medicine			bad drugs
ᒪᒋ		ᒪᓂᑑ			ᒪᒋᒪᓂᑑ
machi	+	manituu	=		machimanituu
bad		god			devil
ᒪᒋ		ᒋᔥᑌᒫᐤ			ᒪᒋᒋᔥᑌᒫᐤ
machi	+	chishtemaaw	=		machichishtemaaw
bad		tobacco			marijuana

ᒥᔪ miyu good

ᒥᔪ		ᒦᒋᒻ			ᒥᔪᒦᒋᒻ
miyu	+	miichim	=		miyumiichim
good		food			good food
ᒥᔪ		ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ			ᒥᔪᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
miyu	+	pimaatisiiwin	=		miyupimaatisiiwin
good		life			good life
ᒥᔪ		ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐧᐃᓐ			ᒥᔪᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐧᐃᓐ
miyu	+	chiskutamaachewin	=		miyuchiskutamaachewin
good		teaching			good teaching

ᒋᔐ chishe great

ᒋᔐ		ᒪᓂᑑ			ᒋᔐᒪᓂᑑ
chishe	+	manituu	=		chishemanituu
great		god			God
ᒋᔐ		ᐅᒋᒫᐤ			ᒋᔐᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chishe	+	uchimaau	=		chisheuchimaau
great		boss			governor, government
ᒋᔐ		ᐊᒥᔅᒄ			ᒋᔐᒥᔅᒄ
chishe	+	amiskw	=		chishemiskw
great		beaver			adult beaver
ᒋᔐ		ᐄᔨᔫ			ᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫ
chishe	+	iiyiyuu	=		chisheiiyiyuu
great		person			elder
ᒋᔐ		ᐧᐋᐳᔥ			ᒋᔐᔮᐳᔥ
chishe	+	waapush	=		chisheyaapush
great		rabbit			adult rabbit

ᒋᐦᒋ chihchi big

ᒋᐦᒋ		ᐅᒋᒫᐤ			ᒋᐦᒋᐅᒋᒫᐤ
chihchi	+	uchimaau	=		chihchiuchimaau
big		boss			king
ᒋᐦᒋ		ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ			ᒋᐦᒋᒪᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ
chihchi	+	masinahiikan	=		chihchimasinahiikan
big		book			bible

ᐅᔅᒋ uschi new

ᐅᔅᒋ		ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ			ᐅᔅᒋᐱᒫᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ
uschi	+	pimaatisiiwin	=		uschipimaatisiiwin
new		life			new life
ᐅᔅᒋ		ᓈᐯᐤ			ᐅᔅᒋᓈᐯᐧᐋᓐ
uschi	+	naapeu	=		uschinaapewaan
new		man			groom

ᐧᐄᒋ wiichi (together with…) his/her fellow…

ᐧᐄᒋ		ᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫ			ᐧᐄᒋᒋᔐᐄᔨᔫᐦ
wiichi	+	chisheiiyiyuu	=		wiichichisheiiyiyuuh
fellow		elder			his fellow male elder
					or
					her elderly husband
ᐧᐄᒋ		ᒋᔐᐃᔥᐧᑫᔥ			ᐧᐄᒋᒋᔐᐃᔥᐧᑫᔥ
wiichi	+	chisheishkwesh	=		wiichichisheishkwesh
fellow		elder			her fellow female elder
					or
					his elderly wife
ᐧᐄᒋ		ᐅᔅᒋᓃᒎ			ᐧᐄᒋᐅᔅᒋᓃᒎ
wiichi	+	uschiniichuu	=		wiichiuschiniichuu
fellow		youth			his/her fellow youth
ᐧᐄᒋ		ᐃᔅᐧᑫᐤ			ᐐᒋᔅᑴᐤ
wiichi	+	iskweu	=		wiichiskweu
fellow		woman			his wife