Hello Oklahoma! | Kickapoo Language

Aho OkaNah Homeh!

[ə̀hɤ́ ɤ̀kə́nə̀h hɤ́mɛ̋h] (uh-ho oh-kuh-nuh ho-MEH!)

Note: I think that this phrase would be spelled "ahó okánah homéh" in the Kickapoo Alphabet, but I am not sure.

Kickapoo at Native-Languages.org

ciihí pi mehtoθeeneniakii nah tasiiθeniaki pasítoohaki. eetoke pi maaniθaatoeecii niki mehtoθeenéniaki.

Surprisingly, some old Indian men were eating there. And at the same time the Indians spoke English.

Source: Voorhis, Paul. An Introduction to the Kickapoo Language. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1974.

Useful Words and Phrases

aho – hello

taan eesipemaateθíani – How are you?

kepiihcihi inenie – Thank you sir (“kepiihcihi” means “thank you”)

weeneeháa na. – Who is that?, What is that? (animate)

weeneehíi ni. – What is that? (inanimate)

weeneehi oci – Why?

kasi keθipwa – What did you say?

taanahi – Where are you?

yoohi netai – I am here.

kasi ketésiθo. – What is your name?

___ isiθoa – Her name is ___.

téoneki, ketóiikipwa? – Do you live in Dale?

ketapaanene – I love you.

iiteéminó. – Come with me!

ciipatapino. – Sit down.

piitíkeenó. – Enter!

kasi isikiisekatwi – What is the weather?

aniétei – It is hot weather.

tahkiai – It is cold.

mehpoi – It's snowing.

weepenaanwi – It's raining.

nesáeθípena – We're hungry.

nemehtoθeenenii – I am an Indian.

Place names

saaniiheki – in Shawnee (OK)

téoneki – in Dale (OK)

piinkeeheki – in Binger (OK)

wiinteki – in Winters (TX)

yooteki – in Utah

Numbers

nekoti, nekot-
niiswi, niisw-
neθwi, neθw-
niewi, nie-
niananwi, niananw-
nekotwaasika, nekotwaasika taθw-
noohika, noohika taθw-
neswaasika, neswaasika taθw-
saaka, saaka taθw-
metaaθwi, metaaθw-

nyéipepoonwea – He is 4 years old.

keeθwipepoonwea – How old is he?

nekotoomehkwe – $1

metaaθoomehkwe – $10

nekotwaasika taθoomehkwe – $6

Source: Voorhis, Paul. An Introduction to the Kickapoo Language. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1974.

Kickapoo Alphabet

This is the system used by Paul Voorhis in An Introduction to the Kickapoo Language.

Consonants

p	t	c	k	θ	s
[p]	[t]	[ʧ]	[k]	[θ]	[s]
h	m	n	w	y
[h]	[m]	[n]	[w]	[j]

Vowels

a	e	i	o
[a, ə]	[ɛ, ɪ]	[i]	[ɤ, u]

Rare sounds

d	f	l	r
[ɾ]	[f]	[l]	[ɹ]

Notes

p, t, c, k, θ, and s are intermittantly but infrequently voiced, becoming [b, d, ʤ, g, ð, z].
a is [a] when it stands beside a vowel, whether another a or a different vowel. Elsewhere it is [ə].
e is typically [ɛ], though speakers intermittantly pronounce it more like [ɪ] between consonants.
Speakers intermittantly, though infrequently, pronounce o as [u].

Tones

Each sentence has at least one accented vowel, which is either the third, fourth, fifth, or sixth vowel from the end of the sentence. Example: ánemwa, [ə́nɛ̏mwə̏] (a dog)
One or more secondary accents may occur in a sentence somewhere before the primary accent. Example: paaséki népiecapi [pàːsɛ́kì nɛ́pȉɛ̏ʧə̏pȉ] (I came on a bus)
The final vowel of a sentence may also be accented with an emphatic accent. Example: osíkiá [ɤ̀síkìá] (Is he new/young?)
The next vowel after a secondary accent has a low pitch. If that vowel is followed by an unaccented vowel in the same syllable, both vowels have a low pitch. Example: nesáeθípena [nɛ̀sáɛ̀θípɛ̀nə̀] (We're hungry)
An unaccented vowel before θ, s, or h has a low pitch. If that vowel is preceded by an unaccented vowel in the same syllable, both vowels have a low pitch.
All other unaccented vowels have a high pitch. The period (.) after an unaccented vowel indicates that the vowels between the primary accent and the end of the sentence are lower in pitch than the other low vowels. Example: paaséki népiecapi [pàːsɛ́kì nɛ́pȉɛ̏ʧə̏pȉ] (I came on a bus)
The period after the emphatic accent indicates that the vowel with that accent is higher in pitch or louder than the other high vowels, and that the pitch of the vowel is level or falling. Example: kaatá nakámohkaní.