The SSBMI Language Department created Nisenan and Northern Sierra Miwok mystery picture activities which you can download and print at home to practice the number words 1-10. To play, you just color the numbered squares according to the color key and see what hidden picture you reveal!
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) You can also listen to the number words 1-10 and learn more on this page.
The Mystery Pictures activity sheets include Nisenan and Northern Sierra Miwok numbers 1 through 10:
One (1)
Nisenan
Wíttee
Miwok
Lútti
Two (2)
Nisenan
Peen
Miwok
Oṭíiko
Three (3)
Nisenan
Sapwíy
Miwok
Tolóokosu
Four (4)
Nisenan
C’ɨɨy
Miwok
Oyíisa
Five (5)
Nisenan
Máawɨk
Miwok
Mássokka
Six (6)
Nisenan
Tɨ́mboo
Miwok
Témmokka
Seven (7)
Nisenan
Topwíy
Miwok
Kenékkakɨ
Eight (8)
Nisenan
Peenc’ɨ́ɨy
Miwok
Káwwinṭa
Nine (9)
Nisenan
Pelyibóo
Miwok
Wó’e
Ten (10)
Nisenan
Máac’am
Miwok
Na’áaca
More Nisenan number words
Have you heard other words for the numbers 1 through 10 in Nisenan? While we only give one word for each number in these activity sheets, there is some variation in the number words that Nisenan speakers know and use. For example, whereas most Nisenan speakers say wíttee for "1", Tom Cleanso, a Nisenan man from Pusúune and the brother of SSBMI Matriarch Pamela Cleanso Adams, says wɨkté instead:
One (1)
Nisenan
Wíttee
Wɨkté
These words are related to one another, and the wɨk- of wɨkté is the root of a related word that all speakers use - wɨ́kpay (once).
Similarly, different Nisenan speakers have shared different words for "7" and "9" - Some speakers shared topwíy as their word for "7", while other speakers, including William Joseph and Charlie Hunchup, shared the unrelated word peenímboo:
Seven (7)
Nisenan
Topwíy
Peenímboo
And while some Nisenan speakers have shared pelyibóo or related forms as their word for "9", other speakers have given pelyi’ó and c’ɨɨyímboo:
Nine (9)
Nisenan
Pelyibóo
Pelyi’ó
C’ɨɨyímboo
It's important to recognize that none of these number words are more "right" than others. Rather, these are just different ways of saying the same thing, and speakers probably understand each of these number words even if they don't use it themselves. Moreover, we know that some speakers know multiple sets of number words because they actually shared different number words with different researchers.
If this seems unusual to you, think about how you name large numbers in English - For example, would you read the number "1200" out loud as "one thousand, two hundred", "one thousand and two hundred", or "twelve hundred"? Or, could you even read it out in any of these ways?
What should you say? As a learner, you may find it intimidating to learn all these words at once. We recommend that you pick one set of number words and use them as often as you can, knowing that other speakers & learners may also know different words. We chose to share the numbers 1-10 that are in these activity sheets because the Tribe's relations use these Nisenan words and they would be understood by most speakers.
Esak’ahá daak’ábe mi c’aykɨ́? (Do you want to know more?)
If you would like a copy of the mystery pictures activity sheets and cannot print them at home, please visit the SSBMI Language Department in the SSBMI Tribal Administration building or contact us at language@ssband.org.