ENGLISH-SHAWNEE

DICTIONARY

Dedicated my Native American step-grandmother Rebecca (neé Ivey)

Pratt, friend and mentor of my mother Ossie (Pratt) Mae Emerson.

Copyright 2008
Compiled By Mason Emerson

funbooklets.com
Overland Park, KS
 DEDICATION
This is dedicated to my mother’s Native American step-grandmother (born Rebecca Ivy, seen in
the photo above with one of her sons) who, after my grandmother died at childbirth, raised my
mother and imparted a great appreciation and love for Native American culture.

FOREWORD
The vocabulary compiled here thus far comes mostly from Butler’s word list which he complied
at the request of then U.S. President George Washington for the queen of Russia. Butler did not
fully alphabetize it but in general his work has word entries usefully grouped by related
meanings although within those groupings they tend to be only somewhat alphabetized.
Therefore I have sought to thoroughly alphabetize them.

Next to Butler’s dictionary, the second most used source was that of Gatchet, his words
presented here in bold lettering. Butler was more systematic but Gatchet seems to have had
more of an ear for sound distinctions. It is quite likely that differences over the vocabulary for
particular words is the result of the two having had different speakers and even speakers of
different dialects of Shawnee, there being four different groups before the American Revolution.

I feel much in debt to the afore-mentioned as well as some modern individuals and wikipedia.org
(see farther below) insofar as not only some of the vocabulary entries but also information
helping to make it possible to determine the most probable pronunciation of letters as used for
and in the respective spelling systems of Butler and Gatchet. Special thanks are also accorded
the library at Haskell Indian College.

Today only about 200 of about 14,000 Shawnee are known to speak Shawnee, but by means of
this compilation it is hoped that the Shawnee language and culture will not only survive but also
be better transmitted to succeeding generations. Possibly young people, whether Shawnee or
those like myself who are interested although not Shawnee, will learn at least some of the
language and pass along their enjoyment for it to others.

For those who are curious about the author’s background, I am not Shawnee, but according to
family tradition our branch of the Emersons do include some Native American ancestry, said by
my father to be Chickasaw possibly coming from our relatives the Utterbacks. Also, my
mother’s stepmother (see preceding photo) was Native American, possibly Shawnee or
Cherokee, and through my mother passed on an appreciation for Native American culture. For
many years I taught English as a Second Language, German, Spanish, regular English. I hold the
M.A. in English, have a concentration in linguistics, have had an interest in languages since
childhood.

Since all modern humans are related, our world is much more enriched with a wide variety of
cultures including the different languages. May the star of the Shawnee language shine on
brightly! Happiness to all.

Mason Emerson,
Compiler
 GRAMMAR SKETCH
Adjectives go before nouns as in English. Sentence word order is generally subject-verb-object
or verb with pronoun affixation followed by object. There are various possible ways to form
plurals, but adding the ending –kie is one which is quite common. The verb “to be” is not used
though understood as when “Blood red” has the same meaning as “Blood is red.”

PRONUNCIATION NOTES
Vowels: a=ma, e=let, i=pit, o=lot (short oh sound or –aw as in law), u=cut; ea=may be ee as in
meat followed by the short e in pet; ee=the sound of e in let but longer in duration, ie=chief;
oo=moon;

Consonants: g=go. It is notable that Butler often uses –kie for a plural ending equivalent to
English –s, but Gatchet uses –gi. This may indicate that the actual sound is between a –k- and a
hard –g- (e.g. go), for example as appears in the –k- in the English word sky which to many
everyday English speakers sounds more like hard g than k.

ch=chin, psh as used by Satchet may be his way of indicating a sharp or elongated s (hiss) or sh
(she) sound without the p being sounded, qu=kw as in quack, sh=she, th=thin

ENGLISH-SHAWNEE DICTIONARY
above spimmikie (spihm-mih-kee)
again
already huwe
and noki (used between nouns), wētchí; and also: tchínä;
huwe: and now then
angry wiockowe
animal miekenwhe, maginhwe; animals: maginhwegi
ant sagaluethi; ants: sagaluethigi
apple mshimina; apple tree: mshiminakua
arrow wipi, Native American arrow: hilena lui (lui=a misile);
arrows: wipali; Native American arrows: hilenalu, lenalloo

kis’hagi, arrowheads -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Technically, arrowheads may be used for arrows or other purposes such as scraping.

arrowhead kis’ha (kees-hah)

bad motchie, motchathie
bag peetaka
basket soosunie (soo-suh-nee)
bat (winged creature) peesacatha, pithagatha, pissagatha; bats: pithagathagi
bathroom Not used but understood to be some area such as behind a tree.
relieve oneself as in a bathroom: mee-thie; I relieve myself: nie meethie
be The verb “to be” is not used though understood as when “Blood red” has
the same meaning as “Blood is red.”
bead bead petsua; beads: petsuaki
bean mskudshi
bear mochqua, mkwa; bears: mochquoc-kie; he bear: napechqua;
I urinate: nie seekie
she bear: nos-sech-qua; bear cub: pos-sech-qua

amechqua, beaver -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

beaver amechqua (ah-mehch-kwah); beavers: amechquakie

because ksakie
bee hemu, hemukie
big missawie, misoi
bird wieskillotho
below lameki
black muchcuttewithie

miniagi: blackberries – public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

blackberry mina: blackberries: minagi; Butler offers “cuttewa meenockie” for

singular and plural, but it may be not the word the specific berry but
simply a “black-colored berry.”
blood misquie
blue skippuckie, wipekwi
book/paper (h)ewigategi; books/papers: (he)ewigatewali
bottle withacochqua
bow hilenaquie, elenaquey; bows: lenako
box tagákwiga
bread tockquana, takwa; breads: takwana
brother older b.: thetha, younger b.: theemetha

methotho, beaver -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

buffalo (teppelloo) methotho; buffaloes, cattle: methothokie

but paye'kwa
can (able) sometimes not expressed but guessed at from context, for example
“I go” understood to mean either “I go” or “I can go.”
cannot halwi; I can’t: talwi
canoe lookesie
cat (house cat) poosheetha
cave kuta walakwi, caves: kutawalako
certainly weka
child niechan; baby, young child: oppellootha, hapelotha
cloth mottitawallie, cochcotteppithoe
cloud cloudy: pothquotte
cold weapie
come I come: nila nepia, nila nipia; you come: kila kipia;
s/he comes: wila piewa, it comes: wiehi pieya;
we come: kilawe kipiape, you (all) come: kilawa kipiapwa
they come: wilawa piegi (more verb forms are at Satchet
page 384)
corn tamie
cut kiskha, kiscutta, kisentte
daughter ta-ne-tha; my daughter: nie tanetha, your daughter: keetanetha,
his/her daughter: ootanetha
day keeshqua, keesqua, kíseki, kisheki
dead neppwoa
death neppoa

pissickthie, deer -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

deer pissickthie; deer (plural): pissicktheekie, psekthigi

dog wiehsie
don’t! tic-kee
door squate (this word can also mean gate)
down under: sochkiekie
drink min-ne
duck sisseepa, siesiepa, zhizhiba

eagle, pelethi -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

eagle pelethi (peh-leh-thee, soft th as in thin)

ear ochtowaka, towaka; ears: towakawalie
earth land: assiskie; country: ake, aki; ground/dirt/soil: hassiskí
earthquake nenekéska hashíshki
eat weethennie, miichi
egg owawi; eggs: owawali
eight thwasicthwie
eleven niquottielethie

elk, wapiti -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

elk wapiti
eyes kiskeessiqua
far, far away pellawie, pelui
fast quickly: quickly kwakwí; rapid: kisshichtannie
father my father: nootha
field kitticka (kihttihkkah)
fight nutch-hittie (nuhch-hih-tee)
fire scutte
fish nametha; fish in the plural: namethakie
five niollonwie
flower papeki, papekiwena
food flour, meal: luk’hána flour, meal
foot kussie
forest, woods metequeghke, peeleskie
formerly, in the past yechkie; long ago: sechcommika
four niewawie
fox wacuchethie
friend ka-anah; my friend: nekaanah

tutu, frog -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

frog tutu (too-too, large frog or bullfrog): large frogs or bullfrogs: tutugi;
little frog/toad: tututha; little frogs/toads: tututhagi
from from it: wewithhoe; removing from place to place: hachie, hachikie
fruit missimmennokie, mawithowe
give meela; give me: meelee
glad wossaleppoa
go hale; I am going: níla nháya; go along: hatakoo;
go on foot: kittouthe go, leave, depart: wehpetheh
God wosso monnito
gold coolie, uthawa moonie
good wossa; very good/better: olami wossa, unusually good alallica wossa
goodbye Good day. Weesegisegi
goose cochkockie, cochcookie
grape (wine) grape: pthalomi
grass green grass: shkibakshkatui; dry grass: kayakitegi mskutekualo
great missie, missawie
green missiskippuckie
gun pinha, pinhalwatie
hand letchie
handsome willithie
hatchet tickhaka
he weela, yama
head weesie
health wewossakie
hear nutaki, hkawe'she; I hear: nila nenuta; I heard him: nenota;
I heard it: nenotawa; I heard something: Níla ninóta wiehí ;
I heard as news: ninota; I heard the sound: nitassimo; hearing notawa;
heard (the verb for hear can also mean understand)
heart ottohie
heaven monnitto atawachie (spirit dwelling)
hello bezon (bay-zohn); halloo: cheecheeloa
here utussie, ma, pyawaw
high molspie, molspiethie
hill watchiwie
hog cooshkoo
hole wossallacuttie
horse messewa, psewe; horses: pseweki
hot hot, heat: kishite; warm: ahquoiteti
 wiikiwa, house or wigwam -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

house wiikiwa, wiigiiwa; wiekiewa, wiekiwa; houses: wiekiewapikie;

bark house: holake wika; English has the word “wigwam”
hundred teppewa
hunt I hunt: nie holla-wie; you hunt: kee hollawie; they hunt: hollaweekie
husband wessia, wessiana
I nie, niela
ice muchquomme
if, it may be so quechque, quech-que-lo-kie
in lamikie, peetickie, sa-quel-li-mo
insects monnittolethakie
is ienie, eenie
island minethie; islands mennethikie
kill I kill: nila nintha
knife monnithie, knives: monthillie
know skweta
lake mskeguki
land assiskie
language hilatuwewe; languages: hilatuwewena
king okima; kings: okimakie
left namashí ulîdshí
life wapansie, not dead: motta neppoa
light wappone
little motchqua-thie, chuckie
light wapponne
long kenha-wie or kenwhawie
love ochquelima; I love: nitochquelima; you love: kitochquelima;
he/she loves: ootochquelima; they love: weelaweochquelimalie
man linnie, lenawe; men: linniekie, lennawekie; people: lenawé
many metchi
medicine roots/herbs-based medicine: chepichkie (cheh-pihch-kee)
milk mellennioppo
 wampum -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

money wampum (shell beads strung together used instead of paper as money)
moon keeshthwa
more haligatsui
mother my mother: nickea, nickeahe
mountain missie watchiwie
mouth tonnie
much peki; very: lami; many: metsi
mud nanukani
name ossetho, ossethotchie; my name: nila newithowe
near mata pelui (not far)
night tepechkie
nine chacutthwie
no motta
noise wannashetta
not motá (mawtah)
nose chas or chassie; nostrils: chalikie
now innuckie; right now/immediately: sconnoockie
nut puckan, pakani; nuts: puckanie (English borrowed this as “pecan”)
of wayetchi
old keehta, posh-i-to-tha
one quothe
only moowie
opossum popsquallawetha
or wolla
otter kettuttie, kitate; otters: kettuttiekie, itategi
owl miathe
pain ochquotka, ochquothka

mshipeshi, mountain lion or panther -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

panther missi pessi, mshipeshi (literally means big cat referring to the creature
also called the mountain lion)
paper piece of paper/book page: maleki hewigategi; pieces of paper/
book pages: (h)ewigategi; books/papers: (he)ewigatewali
peace wewossakie
people linnowechkie (humanss in general); lenawé (Native American people)
plant plants, grain: meth'hige manikinwi (literally: what’s growing everywhere)

porcupine, kaka public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

please Discerned by command form of a verb.

porcupine kaka
power wissacuttawie
pretty (beautiful) scihottee
prisoner kikenecaw
rabbit petakine'thi
raccoon hathepati
rain kimmeewanie
repeat hatoota; repeat it again: noochkiekehhattoota
red misquawie
rice wayaniteki; but often cawasque is used; literally the word means grain of
any kind including wheat or oats but not corn)
rifle pemqua teaguah
right meyáwi nkigé
river theepee, thepi; thipiwali
road meawie
sea chiekammikie
see moehquomme
seven neeshwathwie
she ena ichque
sheep meketha; sheep (plural) mekethakie
sick, ill ochquillookie
silver wappiemoonie
sister older sibling.: thetha icque, younger sibling.: theemetha icque
six quittwathwie
skunk shekaakwa
sky menkwatui
sleep (verb) nippewa
small small moitchquathie; chuckie, chuckiathie, chuckilothuthie
snake, worm monnittokie (this word can also mean spirit, i.e. beings of energy)
snow koone (koo-neh)
soldiers shammakanna
something wiehe (wee-heh)
son quee-tha; my son: niequeetha; your son: keequeetha;
his/her son: ooqueetha
soup oppicommite
speak to speak: peekicollo, atchemo, kalawi; speaking/talking: peckicollowie;
I speak Shawnee. Ni sawanwa towe.
spear chithhotwaka
spirit monnito, spirits: monnitowali
squirrel hanikwa

halagwa (stars) -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

star lecakie; halagwa (star, the stars and also the planets)
stone seeconna
stop (verb), halt neepawiloo
strength wissacuttawie
sugar maple tree mollassie; molasses syrup: molasi (compare the English word molasses)
sun keesh-athwa, keseki-kawothwaw
sweet keeconwie
take mommie (maw-mee)
tall (person) kennochquie molspie, molspiethie
teacher kegekimiwueta
teeth peettallie
ten mettothwie
thanks neia (nay-aw)
that lanah, halaína, nelíni; that thing: yoma
then genahi
there ta-, wayetchi
there is ochte
they yachkimo, weelawe, laneke, laniki
thing ie-na
thirsty niecochkalamo
this this (person/thing) halayáma; yoma (also means that)
thousand quottiemissiteppewa
three nethwie
time at that time: hine; at this time: hinooke
to (toward) hini
to that wahissi
tobacco t'thai-ame, thema
together tepetui

tekaganuita, tomahawk -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

tomahawk tekaganuita
tongue weelinwie, lani; your tongue: ki lani, his tongue: wila wilani, wi lani
town tewennieka, hotewe, mateppawie; town/village: ottewa, tewenna, téwe
trap (noun) naquaka
tree mishi, methtiquie, mtekwi, teaquee;
trees: methtiqockie, mtekwigi; metchi p'tegu
in trees: ot-to-wa
turkey pellewa
twenty neeshawoppitockie
two neeshwie
under lamegi, sochkiekie; under my foot: lamegi nithetegi
understand nutaki, hkawe'she; I understand: nila nenuta; I understood him: nenota;
I understood it: nenotawa; I understood something: Níla ninóta wiehí
I understood the sound: nitassimo (the verb for understand can also mean
hear)
up spemeki; over: skitchi
valley lowamikie
voice cheelo, cheeloa
want (desire) -wisa-; I want: nila wisa; I wanted: wahissi
war notob-olie
warm keeshetho

tekaganuita, tomahawk -- public domain photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

Tecumseh

warrior nottoopolwitta; warriors: nottoopolwichkie

water nippee, nepi; in the water: nippikie (nihp-pih-kee),
 nippikitussie (nihp-pih-kih-tuhs-see)
we neelawe
what neh-we
wheat, grain cawasque (the word means grain of any kind including rice but not corn)
when taniwe laqua
where taniwe
white wappie, wapa, wochkonnikie
white man tigushia
wife weewallie or weewa
wildcat pessiwa
wind messichconne
window tawalakíga
wine red wine/claret meskwakamigi
wing hulekwa; wings: hulekwaniwali
wine misquacommikie
wise lepidowa
with poo-tes-qua
wolf mowhewa; wolves: mowhewakie
woman ichque, ichquewa; women: ichquekie, ichquewakie
word to speak: peekicollo
work (do/make) hos-to
write awie-eatte
year cuchcuttoo
yellow uthawa
yes seela, ah!-Ah!
you keela, ki-
young mianie

INTERNET REFERENCES
http://www.shawnee-bluejacket.com/shawnee_Language.htm
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Cove/8286/speach.html
http://www.shawnee-bluejacket.com/stories_from_Gatschet/Volume%201%20Page%201.htm
http://www.shawnee-bluejacket.com/shawnee/Gatschet_Shawnee_MS_615.htm
http://www.native-languages.org/shawnee_animals.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawnee_language

Publications at Haskell Indian College in Lawrence, Kansas, were also consulted.

public domain photos of flags courtesy of wikipedia.or