O's with nasal hooks

Q: I found the Apache word "Ts'iłsǫǫsé" which I would like to know how to pronounce. Using your online guide, I can figure out the "ts" and the "ł" but I still am a little confused by the "ǫǫ." Am I correct in interpreting that as two accented "o's"?

A:  The marks beneath those vowels are nasal hooks. It means they are pronounced nasally, like the "on" at the end of the French word "bon." The fact that it's a double vowel means that the vowel is held longer than the others.

The accent mark above other vowels, like the é in Ts'iłsǫǫsé, denote high tone.

Hope that is what you were looking for. Have a good day!

Further reading:
Apache language
Apache pronunciation
Apache tribe   

Black Hawk

Q: An old Sauk woman told us that Black Hawk's name was mistranslated into English and should really be  He-Who-Walks-In-The-Shadow-Of-The-Hawk or Shadow Hawk. My  question is: how do I properly pronounce his correct name in his language. Names are important and should be spoken correctly. Any help you can give us to properly pronouncing Chief Black-Hawk's name in his own language will be much appreciated and gratefully received.

A:  Black Hawk's name in Sauk was Mahkateewimešikeehkeehkwa. That is pronounced similar to mah-kah-tay-wih-meh-shih-kay-kay-kwuh. 

I'm not really sure what the lady was trying to say about walking in shadows. There's nothing in this name about walking or shadows, but perhaps something was implied by his name that was only known to people of the older generation. Traditional Algonquian names sometimes had clan implications beyond their literal translations. We can tell you that literally, what this name means is "great black sparrowhawk." Mahkateewi means black, meši means big or great, and keehkeehkwa is the word for a sparrowhawk.

Hope that helps, have a good day!

Further reading:
Sauk language
Sac and Fox people
Hawk mythology   

Hopi congratulations

Q: Can you please tell me how to say "Congratulations!" in the Hopi tongue?

A:  Interestingly, our Hopi speakers agree that there is no real translation for "congratulations" in Hopi. It just isn't the sort of thing that is traditionally said. Hopi culture tends to be very modest and community based, so perhaps making an announcement like "congratulations" just would not be done ordinarily. One of our Hopi volunteers suggested "Itam ung kyaptsiyungwa" which means "we have respect for you" or "we really think well of you."

Hope that is close enough for your purposes!

Further reading:
Hopi language
Hopi people   

Names that could be offensive?

Q: Hello. I hate to bother you, but before reading your website, I never realized that some
Native American names could be offensive, so I was wondering if you could clarify what sort of names one shouldn't take for a child. I don't want to accidentally be that guy. Thank you.

A:  Thanks for writing. The most important thing is to avoid the names of historical figures unless you're a direct descendant of theirs. The names of people who have died are considered very sacred cultural property by many tribes, so giving a baby a name like that could indeed be offensive. The names of tribes, like Dakota and Cheyenne, are not necessarily considered offensive as baby names, but they definitely seem to be on the odd side to many Native Americans, because they're the names of nations. It would be like naming babies "Netherlands" and "Mexico." Native American names of animals, plants, stars, and so on are not ordinarily considered offensive and are commonly used as everyday first names, but you still should probably do a little bit of research first-- some animals have negative connotations in some tribes but not in others, for example. You would not want to give a child a name meaning "owl" in the language of a tribe where owls are ill omens of death.

Hope that is the information you were looking for. Have a good night!

Further reading:
Native American names
Native American nations
Native American mythology

Nihzoni

Q: Hello! I found your website. My fiance is in love with the word Nihzoni.  Is this a name suitable for a baby boy?

A:  Thanks for writing. Yes-- you have the spelling slightly off, it is really spelled Nizhoni. But this name definitely means beauty and harmony in the Navajo language.

I can't say I've ever heard of it used as a boy's name before. I know one woman named Nizhoni, and have heard of several others. But the word itself is gender-neutral in Navajo, so there would be no reason why you COULDN'T use it as a boy's name, just that it isn't typically done.

Hope that answers your questions, have a good day!

Further reading:
Navajo language
Native American baby names
Navajo people   

Quinault pronunciation

Q: I was looking for a Quinault pronunciation guide on your website but there doesn't seem to be one. Can you please tell me how an upside down e and a c with an apostrophe over it are supposed to be pronounced in Quinault?

A:  Unfortunately there are still several languages we have not been able to prepare pronunciation guides for. We do not have any native speakers of Quinault in our organization; however, normally, in Salishan languages, "ə" is pronounced like the short "uh" sound in "about," and "c" with an apostrophe above or right next to it is pronounced like the "ts" in "cats" only with a catch in your throat right after it.

Quinault appears to use this same system. Here is a website from the Quinault tribal school demonstrating the pronunciation of several Quinault words.

Hope that is what you were looking for. Have a good day!

Further reading:
Quinault
Salishan languages

Comanche Grandmother

Q: Can you please tell me how you say "grandmother" in Comanche?

A:  Maternal grandmother (your mother's mother) is Kaku in Comanche (pronounced kah-koo). Paternal grandmother (your father's mother) is Huutsi (pronounced hoot-see.)

Hope that is what you were looking for. Have a good day!

Further reading:
Comanche language
The Comanches
Native American grandmother names