The entire glossary is available as a download here. (PDF)

A-I K-M N-W

aahsanteeki – it is sunny
aalaapilo - you (singular) look in a particular direction!
aalahkwahki – it is cloudy
aanteekwa kiilhswa - “Crow Moon”; the time of year when crows nest
aašipehkwa waawaalici - Seven Pillars
aciika - a fisher – a mammal related to a martin. This constellation includes the grouping of stars known as Ursa Major.
aciika alaankwa - the North Star (lit. fisher star); the constellation aciika rotates around aciika alaankwa
aciwi - hill
ahkwaniswa - a young girl
ahsena – large rock (large and unusual rocks tend to be –a final. A typical small stone is ahseni)
ahsenintehsi - a small rock or pebble
ahsenipi - lead
ahtawaani - a tree
alaankwa - a star
alaankwa peemihsaata - shooting star, meteor
alaankwaki - stars
alaankwaki peepamihsaaciki - meteor shower
alemwa - dog
anikwa - squirrel
apeehkwa - a nighthawk
ašiihkiwi – earth, land
ašiihkiwi moohkiiki - land emerging from the water
awansaapiciši - towards the direction of the rising sun; east
awikiilo - write!
awikiilo ceekiši ašiihkionkonci neehi kiišikonkonci - draw all sorts of things from the earth and sky!
ayaapeensa kiilhswa - “Young Buck Moon”; the time of year when young white-tailed deer drop their antlers
ayaapia kiilhswa - “Buck Moon”; the time of year when older, mature white-tailed bucks drop their antlers
cecaahkwa kiilhswa - “Sandhill Crane Moon”; the time of year when sandhill cranes nest in the Great Lakes region
ceeliteeki – it is hot weather
ciipayihkanawe - the Milky Way (lit. spirit trail)
eehsahsena - any rock with a shell in it
eelaamhsenki – it is windy
eewanki – it is foggy
eewansaapita - sunrise
iihkipakaamhkiiki - blue clay
iiši-aancihsaata kiilhswa - how the sun moves
kaayohsena – sandstone (lit. rough stone)
keetwi ilaacimwita kiilhswa - what does the clock say?
keešaakosita kiilhswa - the moon grows
kiihkaapiikihšinka mihcalaankwa - the planet Saturn (lit. big star with bands across it)
kiilhswa - sun, moon, clock, month
kiišikwi - sky
kiiyolia kiilhswa - “Burning Moon”; this is the second of two “burning moons”; the time of year when fire was used in hunting to direct animals during the chase
kikya – your mom
kišiinkwia kiilhswa - “Green Corn Moon”; the time of year when the corn is in its milk stage and is good to eat
kociihsasiipi - St. Joseph River, (lit. bean river)
koohsa – your dad
lenipinšia - the two-horned serpent that comes from the sky and lives in the rivers and lakes of Myaamionki; it is said that when a meteor is seen in the night sky, the serpent is moving and is accompanied by fires
maacaataawi - let’s head off
maayaahkweeciši - to the south
maayaahkweeta - noon or midday (lit. directly overhead)
mahkateewi - coal
mahkoonsa kiilhswa - “Young Bear Moon”; the time of year when 2-3 year old female bears give birth for the first time
mahkwa kiilhswa - “Black Bear Moon”; the time of year when older, mature black bears give birth
manetwa piihsaata – snow is falling
meehcaakamihsi - stream
meenankweepiaki - The Pleiades
mihcalaankwa - the planet Venus; also known as the morning or evening star
mihšiiwia kiilhswa - “Elk Moon”; this was the mating season for the now extinct eastern woodland elk
mihtahkatwi - grass or hay
mihtahkinkiši - downwards
miincipahki - a field of corn
miisaahaki - everywhere
myaalisiwa - waning crescent
myaamia - the Miami Tribe or the myaamia community (in the context of English sentences)
myaamiaki - the Miami people, “downstream people”
myaamia kiilhsooki - Miami calendar
myaamia mihši-nipwaantiikaani - Miami University
myaamionki - the place of the Miami people
myaamionkonci - from the place of the Miami people
naahkiipioni - chair
naawaahseeki - the time before the sun rises, when the birds begin to sing
nameewa siipiiwi - St. Mary’s River (lit. sturgeon river)
napale kiilhswa - first quarter moon (lit. half moon)
napale neepiki - last quarter moon (lit. half dead)
neehi – and, or
neehkanki - the time just after the sun sets, when there is still a little light
neehpikalaankwa - the planet Mars (lit. red star)
neehpikalaankwa ahsena - Mars Rock (lit. red star rock)
neehpikalaankwa keeyosia – Mars rover (lit. red star wanderer)
neehpikicia - cranberry
neehsapita - when the sun passes midday and is moving toward the horizon
neepanki – it is cold weather
niila - me
nipihsi – pond, lake
noošonke siipiiwi – Neosho River, Oklahoma
paaphsaahka niipinwiki - “Mid-Summer”; during this moon, the longest day of the year (summer solstice) occurs
pahsaahkaahkanka - summer solstice
pankihšinkiši - toward the direction of the setting sun; west
peehkonteeki – it is dark
peemineeta kiilhswa – waning phases of the moon (lit. the moon goes along dying)
peenkihšinka - sunset
peepankihšileeta ahsena - shale
peepicinehkia – mole (lit. flat hands)
peetilaanki – it rains
peminkiši - upwards
pihcita - any little bird the size of a sparrow, cardinal size or less
pimi – oil
pimpaalitaawi - let’s go for a walk!
pipoonahkionkiši - towards the place of winter; north
pipoonwi – winter, year
pwaawikamisiipi - Little Wabash River (lit. calm water)
saakiwa kiilhswa - new moon (lit. moon sprouts)
saakiiweeki taawaawa siipiiwi - the confluence of the Maumee
šaašaakayolia kiilhswa - “Burning Moon”; this is the first of two “burning moons”; the time of year when low fires were common and helped to restore the prairies in the spring
šoohkwaakana - car
taaninhswi eehpyaaci kiilhswa - how far has the sun come?
taaniši kiišikatwi - what is the weather?
tapaahsia – Canada goose
taawaawa siipiiwi - Maumee River, “Ottawa River”
tikawi aalhkwahki – it is partly cloudy
tipehki kiilhswa - the moon
waahseeki – it is daylight
waapaahšiki siipiiwi - Wabash River (lit. bright shiny river)
waapahsena - limestone or dolomite (lit. white stone)
waapankiaakamionki – Marais des Cygnes river, Kansas (lit. swan water)
waapanswa - rabbit
waawaahsamwa - firefly
waawiita kiilhswa - “Lost Moon”; the thirteenth moon of the Myaamia lunar calendar; it is added to the calendar when the longest day of the year falls within the last 10 days of paaphsaahka niipinwiki (or “Mid-Summer Moon”)
waawiyiisita - full moon
wihkweeliihsia - bat (animal)
wiihkoowia kiilhswa - “Whippoorwill Moon”; whippoorwills breed during this moon and their call tells us it is time to plant corn
wiikiaami – house, lodge, building of any kind
wiilinwahseni - quartzite or granite (lit. fat rock)
wiipica – an arrowhead
wiipicaki - arrowheads
wiipicahkionki - Forks of the Wabash (lit. the flint place)
wiipici - chert or flint

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