Anishinaabe language dialects
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The Anishinaabe language or the Ojibwe group of languages or Anishinaabemowin (ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᒧᐎᓐ in Eastern Ojibwe syllabics) has quite a few divergent dialects. The primary ones are Nipissing and Algonquin, Plains Ojibwe (Saulteaux/Bungee), Eastern Ojibwe (Mississaugas), Northern Ojibwe (Northwestern Ojibwa/Ontario Saulteaux), Odaawaa (Ottawa), Severn Ojibwe (Oji-Cree/Northern Ojibwa), and Southwestern Ojibwe (Chippewa). Though now considered a separate language, due to relatively recent diversion from the Anishinaabe language, the Potawatomi language still exhibit strong characteristics to the Anishinaabe language.
As their fur trading with the French increased the Ojibwas’ power, the Anishinaabe language became the trade language of the Great Lakes region, and was for hundreds of years an extremely significant presence in the northern United States. As its result a pidgin form of the Anishinaabemowin, known as "Broken Ojibwa" or "Broken Oghibbeway", developed, relying on Anishinaabemowin for its vocabulary. The Bungee language, a mixed language, also developed during this era. However, it is often debated upon if it is a mixture of Anishinaabe language with other languages or a mixture of a Cree language with other languages.
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[edit] Anicinàbemowin (Omàmiwininimowin)
- Ethnologue entries and SIL codes: ALQ (Algonquin)
The Algonquin Language, also known as the Omaamiwininimowin Dialect of the Anishinaabe Language, was the first language of the Ojibwe language group in contact with the Europeans. It is the eastern-most form of Anishinaabemowin. Due to associated trade with the continent's interior, all languages similar in structure to the Algonquin Language were then described as being an Algonquian language. Omaamiwininimowin, due to cultural differences, are divided into two groups: Nipissing speaking the Anishinaabemowin (Omaamiwininimowin) language and the Algonquin speaking the Anicinàbemowin (Omàmiwininimowin) language. The Algonquin language proper, also known as Northern Omaamiwininimowin, is spoken along the Ottawa River valley of present day Quebec-Ontario border, centered around Lake Abitibi. The Nipissing language proper, also known as Southern Omaamiwininimowin, is located about Lake Nipissing in Ontario. Both divisions have little difficulties communicating with each other. However, Algonquin is considered by some to be a particularly divergent dialect of Anishinaabemowin, and by others to be a distinct language which is very similar to Anishinaabemowin, due to Northern Omaamiwininimowin often acting a transition language between the Ojibwe language group and Abnaki. Similarly, if the Algonquin language were treated as a fully separate language, Southern Omaamiwininimowin would then act as a transition between the Algonquin language proper and the rest of the Ojibwe group of languages. The Ojibwe often do describe the Nipissing and Algonquins collectively as Odishkwaagamii ("those at the end of the lake") and their language as Odishkwaagamiimowin. Nipissing describe their language in English, not as being Ojibwa, but instead as Algonquin. However, among the Algonquins, they refer to the Nipissing as Odishkwaagamii, while calling themselves Omaamiwinini ("people down-stream") and their language as Omaamiwininimowin. Speakers of this dialect generally use the Algonquin Roman but some speakers will use the eastern Ojibwe syllabics, with either the a-finals or i-finals, with the exception of the northern-most communities showing some use of mixed-finals.
[edit] Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwemowin)
- Ethnologue entries and SIL codes: CIW (Southwestern Ojibwe ("Chippewa")), OJC (Central Ojibwe), OJB (North(west)ern Ojibwe)
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The Ojibwemowin dialect of the Anishinaabe language is commonly referred as the Ojibwa language, Chippewa language, or Anishinaabe language proper. Of all the dialects of the Anishinaabeg, this dialect is the most numerous in number of speakers. Depending on the sources, this dialect is generally broken down to three smaller sub-dialects, driven mainly by the differing political climate affecting Ojibwemowin, resulting in differences in some word usage. Ethnologue entries and SIL International generally will group all of the Ojibwemowin spoken in the United States as "Chippewa," Canada's Treaty No. 3 and western Robinson-Superior Treaty areas as the "Northwestern Ojibwa," and eastern Robinson-Superior and Robinson-Huron Treaty areas between Lake Nipigon and Lake Nipissing as "Central Ojibwa." However, The Linguasphere Register calls Ethnologue's "Central Ojibwa" as "Eastern Anissinapek" and extends the boundaries into Michigan. The Linguasphere Register also combines the other two Ethnologue dialects with the Anihšināpēmowin dialect and call this combination "Southwestern Anissinapek", but provides a third dialect spoken around Lake of the Woods as "Southern Anissinapek."
Speakers of this dialect do not have a set orthography to present the language in writing, thus varying from community to community, and even from one speaker to another. For the purposes of international communication, though, often the Double vowel spelling is used. Among educators, the Double vowel system is gaining popularity due to its ease of use. Syllabics are generally used in Canada and in areas adjacent to Canada in the United States. Roman spelling is found throughout the range of this dialect, but the Ojibwemowin speakers in Canada when using a Roman spelling, generally prefer either the Folk Spelling or the Hybrid spelling, though Double vowel system is gaining popularity. In the United States, Double vowel and the Folk systems are generally used.
[edit] Anihšināpēmowin (Nakawēmowin)
- Ethnologue entries and SIL codes: OJW (Plains Ojibwe/Saulteaux ("Western Ojibwe"))
Known as Plains Ojibwe, Saulteaux or Bungee, these Western Ojibwe call themselves Nakawē and their form of Anihšināpēmowin as Nakawēmowin. This dialect is sometimes broken down by sub-regions as "Manitoba Saulteaux" (spoken in Manitoba and part of Saskatchewan) and "Western Saulteaux" (spoken in Saskatchewan and westward). Unlike Ojibwemowin where speakers often resist importing non-Anishinaabe words, Nakawēmowin often incorporates words from other languages. The Nakawēmowin dialect have higher instances of Cree, French and English word borrowings. While the Manitoba Saulteaux is more like their woodlands counterpart of Ontario Saulteaux, Western Saulteaux further incorporate words from other languages found in the northern Great Plains of Saskatchewan, Alberta and western British Columbia. Another distinct feature of Nakawēmowin, when compared to the Ojibwemowin, is the variability in some communities between sh and zh with s and z, but more commonly where sh and zh have merged with s and z.
[edit] Nishnaabemwin (Jibwemwin/Daawaamwin)
- Ethnologue entries and SIL codes: OJG (Eastern Ojibwe), OTW (Odaawaa)
A defining characteristic of many of the more northern and eastern dialects is that they exhibit a great deal of vowel syncope, the deletion of vowels in certain positions within a word. In these dialects, generally all unstressed short vowels are lost (see the article on Ojibwe phonology for a discussion of Ojibwe stress). For example, the name for the language itself in the Odaawaa language, also known as Daawaamwin, is Nishnaabemwin, where the unstressed vowels from Anishinaabemowin have been lost. The main difference between Jibwemwin (Eastern Ojibwe or Mississaugas) and Daawaamwin is the choice of words and expressions. Otherwise, both divisions of Nishnaabemwin have little or no difficulties understanding each other. This dialect is generally written with a modified Fiero-Nichols Double vowel system called Rhodes Double vowel system. Daawaamwin speakers sometime use the Great Lakes Aboriginal Syllabics when putting their language in writing. Ontario Ministry of Education calls this dialect Central Ojibwa.
[edit] Neshnabémwen (Bodéwadmimwen)
- Ethnologue entries and SIL codes: POT (Potawatomi).
One of the traditional names for the Potawatomi language is Neshnabémwen, which like the Nishnaabemwin dialect, the name indicates this language or dialect exhibits a great deal of vowel syncope. Unlike the Nishnaabemwin, Neshnabémwen also reduces the quality of the unstressed short vowels not lost in syncope to a schwa. In addition, Neshnabémwen retains in some words a postconsonantal "y", which is no longer found in any of the other Ojibwe group languages. Because of the development of these differences and some vocabulary wording differences of significance since the contact period, such as large-scale borrowing from the Sac and Fox, though Potawatomi was at one time a full member of the Ojibwe language group, it is now considered a separate language. However, among the Anishinaabeg, many still consider the Potawatomi language as a dialect of Anishinaabemowin.
[edit] Anishininiimowin
- Ethnologue entries and SIL codes: OJS (Severn Ojibwe)
Called in English Oji-Cree, Cree-Saulteaux, Cree-Ojibwa, Severn Ojibwe or Northern Ojibwa, the Anishininiimowin language is spoken in northern northwestern Ontario and east-central Manitoba. It is a transition language that can be considered either a dialect of Anishinaabemowin or a dialect of Nēhināwēmowin (Cree Language), or an independent language in its own right. Anishininiimowin speakers generally prefer to write the language using Syllabics. Among vocabulary words not common between Anishinaabemowin and Nēhināwēmowin, Anishininiimowin draws equally from both. However, considering that Anishininiimowin language, contemporary Ojibwemowin dialect of Anishinaabe language and Swampy Cree dialect of the Cree language are all the n-dialect of each of their respective languages, often it is impossible to make a distinction of Anishininiimowin from either Anishinaabemowin or Nēhināwēmowin. In addition, Anishininiimowin vowel qualities are more in line with Anishinaabemowin, even with words drawn from Nēhināwēmowin. It has several dialects or sub-dialects, known by the region of its use: Winisk River, Severn River, Sandy Lake and Island Lake.
[edit] Broken Ojibwa
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Broken Ojibwa or Broken Oghibbeway is an extinct pidgin form of the Anishinaabemowin developed during the Fur trade era. During the height of its use, Broken Ojibwa was found primarily in Wisconsin and western Minnesota but also along the Mississippi River waterway.
[edit] Bungee language
The Bungee dialect or language, used by the Nakawē Métis population, further incorporates Cree, Oji-cree and Saulteaux with French, English, Scottish Gaelic and other languages of the northern Great Plains. Many communities write using western Cree-Ojibwe syllabics, but others use the Saulteaux-Cree Roman. Due to this mixture, often Bungee is debated as if it is a mixutre of Cree with other languages or a mixture of Anishinaabemowin with other languages.
[edit] External links
- Ojibwe Language Society
- Rand Valentine's introduction to Ojibwe
- Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary — Freeware off-line dictionary, updated with additional entries every 6-10 weeks.
- Language Museum report for Ojibwe
- Aboriginal Languages of Canada — With data on speaker populations
- Language Geek Page on Ojibwe — Syllabary fonts and keyboard emulators are also available from this site.
- Our Languages: Nakawē (Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre)
- Ethnologue report for Ojibwe
- The Linguasphere Register. 1999 / 2000 edition. Algic sector.
