WRITING CHIPPEWA

Electronic publisher's note: The Eklund System of writing Chippewa was develped before the internet convention of "All-Caps=Shouting." For the purposes of The Chippewa Language Book we will follow the Eklund System. When in chat rooms or BBs's the publisher recommends "traditional" capitalization, if only to avoid a tongue lashing by the less enlightened in this matter. For letters and correspondence, the reasons Coy originally decided to stay in all caps apply, for clarity of translation and correctness of pronunciation.

To assure maximum legibility, I always use CAPITAL LETTERS when spelling Chippewa words. I suggest you do the same.

To help you pronounce words correctly, I usually break up lengthy words into syllables by placing a dot between syllables.

Examples: ISH.PENDA.GOOSI (dot seperates syables)

Personal Pronouns:

If this Personal Proun
I or My:
Precedes a Vowel, use
NIND-
Precedes a Consonant, use only
NIN-

If this Personal Pronoun
You or Your:
Precedes a Vowel, use
KID-
Precedes a Consonant, use only
KI-

If this Personal Pronoun
He or She; His or Her:
Precedes a Vowel, use
OD-
Precedes a Consonant, use only
O-

Examples:
NIND-ABI.NOOJI=my child
NIN-KOO.KOOSH=my pig
KID-OOSHKA.SIM=your puppy
KI-GASHI=Your mother
O-PAGI.DINAN=he givesit away
OD-OJI.BIBAN=he writes it

Plurals:
Plurals of nouns are indicated by affixes shown in parentheses: (AN), (AG), (OON), (OOG), (G), (YAG). Simply use the one shown.

Participles are changed from singular to plural by dropping the "D" and adding "JIG".

Example:
EYAD = person (singular)
EYAJIG = persons (plural)

Prepositions:
Prepositions are only inferred, not expressed with seperate words. The affexes -ING or -OONG signify "at, to, in, on, from", etc.
Example:
MINISSING = on the island
WIGIWAMOONG = in the house

Note: Underlining affexes serves to alert the reader (translator).

Electronic publisher's note: The Eklund

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