The SSBMI Language Department created this set of flashcards to support you as you learn names for animals in the Northern Sierra Miwok language. Here, you can listen to the language on the Animals in Northern Sierra Miwok cards and learn more.
The Northern Sierra Miwok language that we share comes from many speakers like Eph Cummings and others who worked with C. Hart Merriam in the early 1900s, and Queenie Miller, Elena McCauley, & Nicolas Villa Sr. who worked with linguist Catherine Callaghan on the Northern Sierra Miwok dictionary (1987). The word for fox which we share here is specific to the northern dialects of Northern Sierra Miwok spoken by Queenie Miller and others. Otherwise, to the best of our knowledge speakers of all dialects of Northern Sierra Miwok share these words and phrases.
However, there are often differences between Northern Sierra Miwok and other Miwok languages. For example, compare the words for 'coyote' in Northern Sierra Miwok (olé’cu), Plains Miwok (olétti), and Central Sierra Miwok (aṣéeli).
Learn in chunks: Instead of trying to learn all forty cards at once, try learning five cards per week. When you have learned all the animals' names, repeat this process to learn the bonus phrases.
Challenge yourself: If you like a challenge, try timing yourself when you review with the flashcards and then try to beat your best time.
Learn in several ways: In addition to quizzing yourself with the flashcards, you can also learn by listening to the language, sounding the language out, writing the language down, and most importantly, using the language in everyday life.
Use spaced repetition: Learn one day and review the language the next day. Letting a day go by between learning and reviewing lets the language take root and grow.
Look for patterns in the bonus phrases: For example, what word-endings go on the names of the animals? (language notes)
Animal names + bonus phrases
001 - Bobcat
Tóllomma
'Bobcat'
Heṭéeyɨs tóllommay aa?
'Do you see the bobcat?'
Mínto tóllomma’?
'Where's the bobcat?'
002 - Mountain Lion
Híiliica
'Mountain Lion'
Heṭéeye’ híiliicay!
'Look at the mountain lion!'
Híiliica’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The mountain lion is eating.'
003 - Coyote
Olé’cu
'Coyote'
Heṭéeye’ olé’cuy!
'Look at the coyote!'
Mínto olé’cu’?
'Where's the coyote?'
004 - Wolf
Húŋŋu
'Wolf'
Ṭolóoyus húŋŋuy aa?
'Do you hear the wolf?'
Húŋŋu’ héssɨccɨɨ.
'The wolf is resting.'
005 - Black Bear
Úyyemɨ
'Black Bear'
Heṭéeyɨs úyyemɨy aa?
'Do you see the black bear?'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ úyyemɨ’.
'The black bear is eating.'
006 - Fox
Wáccihha
'Fox'
Ṭolóoyus wáccihhay aa?
'Do you hear the fox?'
Mínto wáccihha’?
'Where's the fox?'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) The word wáccihha comes from speakers of the northern dialects of Northern Sierra Miwok, such as Queenie Miller of Fiddletown and Mary Hunter and Johnson Hunter of Pleasant Valley. Speakers of southern dialects of Northern Sierra Miwok, like Eph Cummings of West Point and Elena McCauley of Camanche, call foxes yúwwelɨ instead.
007 - Raccoon
Pátkayɨ
'Raccoon'
Pátkayɨy heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the raccoon?'
Héssɨccɨɨ pátkayɨ’.
'The raccoon is resting.'
008 - Beaver
Hénnitɨ
'Beaver'
Heṭéeyɨs hénnitɨy aa?
'Do you see the beaver?'
Hénnitɨ’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The beaver is eating.'
009 - Gray Squirrel
Méewe
'Gray Squirrel'
Méewey heṭéeye’!
'Look at the gray squirrel!'
Méewe’ héssɨccɨɨ.
'The squirrel is resting.'
010 - Cottontail
Hikáakɨ
'Cottontail'
Heṭéeyɨs hikáakɨy aa?
'Do you see the cottonail?'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ hikáakɨ’.
'The cottontail is eating.'
011 - Deer
Ɨwɨ́ɨya
'Deer'
Ɨwɨ́ɨyay heṭéeye’!
'Look at the deer!'
Mínto ɨwɨ́ɨya’?
'Where's the deer?'
012 - Goat
Cíiwa
'Goat'
Ṭolóoyus cíiway aa?
'Do you hear the goat?'
Héssɨccɨɨ cíiwa’.
'The goat is resting.'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) Goats were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. Northern Sierra Miwok speakers borrowed the name cíiwa from the Spanish word chiva (female goat), adapting it to sound like a Miwok word.
013 - Horse
Kawáayu
'Horse'
Kawáayuy heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the horse?'
Kawáayu’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The horse is eating.'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) Horses were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. Northern Sierra Miwok speakers borrowed the name kawáayu from Spanish caballo (horse); many Native California languages borrowed this from Spanish too.
014 - Donkey
Cékkesse
'Donkey'
Heṭéeye’ cékkessey!
'Look at the donkey!'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ cékkesse’.
'The donkey is eating.'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) Donkeys were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. To name them, Northern Sierra Miwok speakers borrowed the word cékkesse from the English word jackass, i.e. a name for a male donkey.
015 - Dog
Cúku
'Dog'
Cukúy ṭolóoyus aa?
'Do you hear the dog?'
Mínto cukú’?
'Where's the dog?'
016 - Acorn Woodpecker
Paláttata
'Acorn Woodpecker'
Heṭéeye’ paláttatay!
'Look at the acorn woodpecker!'
Mínto paláttata’?
'Where's the acorn woodpecker?'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) The name paláttata is one of many bird names in Northern Sierra Miwok that are onomatopoetic, meaning that it resembles a call that the bird makes. You can learn more about onomatopoeia in bird names here.
017 - Northern Flicker
Ṭíwwayɨ
'Northern Flicker'
Ṭíwwayɨy ṭolóoyus aa?
'Do you hear the northern flicker?'
Ṭíwwayɨ’ héssɨccɨɨ.
'The northern flicker is resting.'
018 - Pileated Woodpecker
Pákpakɨ
'Pileated Woodpecker'
Heṭéeye’ pákpakɨy!
'Look at the pileated woodpecker!'
Pákpakɨ’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The pileated woodpecker is eating.'
019 - Hummingbird
Líiciici
'Hummingbird'
Líiciiciy heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the hummingbird?'
Mínto líiciici’?
'Where's the hummingbird?'
020 - Dark-eyed Junco
Pusúukalɨ
'Dark-eyed Junco'
Heṭéeyɨs pusúukalɨy aa?
'Do you see the dark-eyed junco?'
Mínto pusúukalɨ’?
'Where's the dark-eyed junco?'
021 - Western Bluebird
Cíwkolu
'Western Bluebird'
Cíwkoluy heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the western bluebird?'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ cíwkolu’.
'The western bluebird is eating.'
022 - American Robin
Wíṭṭapɨ
'American Robin'
Ṭolóoyus wíṭṭapɨy aa?
'Do you hear the american robin?'
Wíṭṭapɨ’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The american robin is eating.'
023 - Common Raven
Káakulu
'Common Raven'
Káakuluy heṭéeye’!
'Look at the raven!'
Héssɨccɨɨ káakulu’.
'The raven is resting.'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) Some bird names are onomatopoetic, meaning they resemble a call the bird makes. However, these names often also take word-endings that obscure this relationship. Does any part of káakulu sounds like a raven's call to you?
024 - Golden Eagle
Wíppayaakɨ
'Golden Eagle'
Heṭéeye’ wíppayaakɨy!
'Look at the golden eagle!'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ wíppayaakɨ’.
'The golden eagle is eating.'
025 - Peregrine Falcon
Wékwekɨ
'Peregrine Falcon'
Wékwekɨy ṭolóoyus aa?
'Do you hear the peregrine falcon?'
Wékwekɨ’ héssɨccɨɨ.
'The peregrine falcon is resting.'
026 - Turkey Vulture
Hú’’usu
'Turkey Vulture'
Hú’’usuy heṭéeye’!
'Look at the turkey vulture!'
Hú’’usu’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The turkey vulture is eating.'
027 - California Condor
Mólloku
'California Condor'
Heṭéeyɨs móllokuy aa?
'Do you see the california condor?'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ mólloku’.
'The california condor is eating.'
028 - Great Horned Owl
Túkkuuli
'Great Horned Owl'
Ṭolóoyus túkkuuliy aa?
'Do you hear the great horned owl?'
Mínto túkkuuli’?
'Where's the great horned owl?'
029 - Western Screech Owl
Ṭukúmmu
'Western Screech Owl'
Heṭéeye’ ṭukúmmuy!
'Look at the western screech owl!'
Ṭukúmmu’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The western screech owl is eating.'
030 - Barn Owl
Wíicikiisɨ
'Barn Owl'
Wíicikiisɨy ṭolóoyus aa?
'Do you hear the barn owl?'
Héssɨccɨɨ wíicikiisɨ’.
'The barn owl is resting.'
031 - Canada Goose
Lówwotu
'Canada Goose'
Lówwotuy heṭéeye’!
'Look at the canada goose!'
Mínto lówwotu’?
'Where's the canada goose?'
032 - Tarantula
Kúttuulu
'Tarantula'
Heṭéeyɨs kúttuuluy aa?
'Do you see the tarantula?'
Kúttuulu’ héssɨccɨɨ.
'The tarantula is resting.'
033 - Black Widow
Pókkumu
'Black Widow'
Heṭéeye’ pókkumuy!
'Look at the black widow!'
Mínto pókkumu’?
'Where's the black widow?'
034 - Yellowjacket
Mélŋayɨ
'Yellowjacket'
Mélŋayɨy heṭéeye’!
'Look at the yellowjacket!'
Héssɨccɨɨ mélŋayɨ’.
'The yellowjacket is resting.'
035 - Honeybee
Háne
'Honeybee'
Heṭéeye’ hanéy!
'Look at the honeybee!'
Mínto hané’?
'Where's the honeybee?'
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨs aa? (Do you know?) Honeybees were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. To name them, speakers of Northern Sierra Miwok borrowed the word háne from the Englsih word honey, adapting it to sound like a Miwok word.
036 - Bumblebee
Mɨ́ɨlaṭi
'Bumblebee'
Mɨ́ɨlaṭiy heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the bumblebee?'
Mɨ́ɨlaṭi’ héssɨccɨɨ.
'The bumblebee is resting.'
037 - Butterfly
Hóllokkiṭiwwa
'Butterfly'
Hóllokkiṭiwway heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the butterfly?'
Ɨwɨ́ɨ hóllokkiṭiwwa’.
'The butterfly is eating.'
038 - Stink Ant
Ṭisíinayɨ
'Stink Ant'
Ṭisíinayɨy heṭéeye’!
'Look at the ant!'
Mínto ṭisíinayɨ’?
'Where's the ant?'
Heads-up: You can use the word ṭisíinayɨ as a generic term for ant too, but there are specific names for some other kinds of ants.
039 - Earthworm
Holóomeṭɨ
'Earthworm'
Holóomeṭɨy heṭéeyɨs aa?
'Do you see the earthworm?'
Mínto holóomeṭɨ’?
'Where's the earthworm?'
040 - Snail
Lɨ́ɨkɨ
'Snail'
Lɨ́ɨkɨy heṭéeye’!
'Look at the snail!'
Lɨ́ɨkɨ’ ɨwɨ́ɨ.
'The snail is eating.'
Language Note 1
Each animal flashcard has two bonus sentences. In the first bonus sentence on every card, the animal is the object of the sentence. That means that the action of the sentence (looking, hearing, etc.) is happening to the animal.
Example: Look at the yellowjacket!
Here the yellowjacket is being looked at, so it is the object of the sentence.
Example: Do you hear the wolf?
Here the wolf is being heard (potentially), so it is the object of the sentence.
The 'object suffix' in Northern Sierra Miwok
The object of a sentence gets a special suffix in Northern Sierra Miwok: -y. If you look carefully at the first bonus sentence on all the cards, you will notice that the animal name always ends in this suffix:
Example:Ɨwɨ́ɨyay heṭéeye’! 'Look at the deer!' (ɨwɨ́ɨya = 'deer')
Example: Heṭéeye’ olé’cuy! 'Look at the coyote!' (olé’cu = 'coyote')
Example:Ṭíwwayɨy ṭolóoyus aa? 'Do you hear the northern flicker?' (ṭíwwayɨ = 'northern flicker')
Example: Ṭolóoyus paláttatay aa? 'Do you hear the acorn woodpecker?' (paláttata = 'acorn woodpecker')
A side-effect
In English, we rely on the order of the words in a sentence to tell which word is the object. For example, the sentence "The dog licked the boy" means something very different than "The boy licked the dog", and we know this because the order of the words is different.
However, in Northern Sierra Miwok the 'object suffix' we just talked about tells you which word is the object of the sentence. Because of this, you can put the words in any order without confusion. You'll notice a lot of variation in the order of words on the bonus cards.
Language Note 2
Each animal flashcard has two bonus sentences. In the second bonus sentence on every card, the animal is the subject of the sentence. That means that the action of the sentence (resting, eating, etc.) is being done by the animal.
Example: The wolf is resting.
Here the wolf is the one doing the resting, so it is the subject of the sentence.
Example: The black bear is eating.
The black bear is the one doing the eating, so it is the subject of the sentence.
The 'subject suffix' in Northern Sierra Miwok
Just like the object, the subject of a sentence gets a special suffix in Northern Sierra Miwok: -’. If you look carefully at the second bonus sentence on all the cards, you will notice that the animal name always ends in this suffix:
Example:Kawáayu’ ɨwɨ́ɨ. 'The horse is eating.' (kawáayu = 'horse')
Example: Ɨwɨ́ɨ hikáakɨ’. 'The cottontail is eating.' (hikáakɨ = 'cottontail')
Example:Méewe’ héssɨccɨɨ. 'The squirrel is resting.' (méewe = 'gray squirrel')
Example: Héssɨccɨɨ káakulu’. 'The raven is resting.' (káakulu = 'raven')
A side-effect
Because the 'subject suffix' tells you which word is the subject of the sentence, you can put the words in any order without confusion. Because of this, you'll notice a lot of variation in the order of words on the bonus cards.
Hɨ́y’ɨksɨ’saynɨs aa ecá’? (Do you want to know more?)
