The SSBMI Language Department created this set of flashcards to support you as you learn names for animals in the Nisenan language. Here, you can listen to the language on the Animals in Nisenan cards and learn more.
The SSBMI Community has ancestral ties to the Valley and Southern Hill dialects of the Nisenan language through the Tribe's Matriarchs, Pamela Cleanso Adams and Annie Hill Murray Paris. Pamela spoke the Valley dialect and she, her brother Tom Cleanso, and her daughter Lillie Williams are responsible for passing on most of the knowledge we have of Valley Nisenan today. We have less direct information about Annie’s language; based on where she was from and documented language from her relations and associates, she likely spoke Southern Hill Nisenan.
The language on these cards comes mainly from the SSBMI Community's heritage dialects, Valley Nisenan and Southern Hill Nisenan. Because donkeys and goats are recently introduced animals and we do not have names for them from Valley Nisenan or Southern Hill Nisenan speakers, we also included Central Hill Nisenan names for donkey and goat.
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
Tolomá
'Bobcat'
Ébe mi tolomá?
'Do you see the bobcat?'
Homodíbe tolomám?
'Where's the bobcat?'
002 - Mountain Lion
Hilít’
'Mountain Lion'
Hilit’í etáp!
'Look at the mountain lion!'
Payelím hilit’ím.
'The mountain lion is eating.'
003 - Coyote
Olé
'Coyote'
Etáp olé!
'Look at the coyote!'
Homodíbe olém?
'Where's the coyote?'
004 - Wolf
Lollá
'Wolf'
Lollá piníbe mi?
'Do you hear the wolf?'
Honkitím lollám.
'The wolf is resting.'
005 - Black Bear
Emúl
'Black Bear'
Ébe mi emulí?
'Do you see the black bear?'
Emulím payelím.
'The black bear is eating.'
Heads-up: You may have also heard the name kapá used to talk about bears before. The name kapá refers to all types of bears in a generic sense, but it is also the specific name for grizzly bears, whereas emúl is specific to black bears.
006 - Fox
Haw
'Fox'
Piníbe mi hawí?
'Do you hear the fox?'
Homodíbe hawím?
'Where's the fox?'
007 - Raccoon
Əək
'Raccoon'
Ébe mi əəkə́?
'Do you see the raccoon?'
Honkitím əəkə́m.
'The raccoon is resting.'
008 - Beaver
Paanc’ák’
'Beaver'
Ébe mi paanc’ak’á?
'Do you see the beaver?'
Payelím paanc’ak’ám.
'The beaver is eating.'
009 - Gray Squirrel
Kɨɨhɨ́
'Gray Squirrel'
Etáp kɨɨhɨ́!
'Look at the gray squirrel!'
Kɨɨhɨ́m honkitím.
'The squirrel is resting.'
010 - Cottontail
Paláal
'Cottontail'
Ébe mi palaalí?
'Do you see the cottonail?'
Payelím palaalím.
'The cottontail is eating.'
011 - Deer
K’ut’
'Deer'
Etáp k’ut’í!
'Look at the deer!'
Homodíbe k’ut’ím?
'Where's the deer?'
012 - Goat
Oom k’ut’
'Goat'
Oom k’ut’í piníbe mi?
'Do you hear the goat?'
Honkitím oom k’ut’ím.
'The goat is resting.'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Goats were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. The name oom k’ut’ comes from Central Hill Nisenan speaker Lizzie Enos and means "rock deer", coming from the words oo (rock, stone) and k’ut’ (deer).
013 - Horse
Kawaayú
'Horse'
Ébe mi kawaayú?
'Do you see the horse?'
Kawaayúm payelím.
'The horse is eating.'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Horses were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. Nisenan speakers borrowed the name kawaayú from the Spanish word caballo (horse); many Native California languages borrowed this word from Spanish too.
014 - Donkey
Wudúu
'Donkey'
Etáp wudúu!
'Look at the donkey!'
Payelím wudúum.
'The donkey is eating.'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Donkeys were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. We adapted the name wudúu from Central Hill Nisenan speaker Lizzie Enos, who in turn borrowed her name for donkeys from the Spanish word burro (donkey).
015 - Dog
Sukkú
'Dog'
Piníbe mi sukkú?
'Do you hear the dog?'
Homodíbe sukkúm?
'Where's the dog?'
016 - Acorn Woodpecker
Panák
'Acorn Woodpecker'
Etáp panaká!
'Look at the acorn woodpecker!'
Homodíbe panakám?
'Where's the acorn woodpecker?'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The name panák is one of many Nisenan bird names that are onomatopoetic, meaning that its name resembles a call that the bird makes. You can learn more about onomatopoeia in Nisenan bird names here.
017 - Northern Flicker
Woololók
'Northern Flicker'
Piníbe mi woololokó?
'Do you hear the northern flicker?'
Honkitím woololokóm.
'The northern flicker is resting.'
018 - Pileated Woodpecker
Makmák
'Pileated Woodpecker'
Etáp makmaká!
'Look at the pileated woodpecker!'
Payelím makmakám.
'The pileated woodpecker is eating.'
019 - Hummingbird
Lisnó
'Hummingbird'
Lisnó ébe mi?
'Do you see the hummingbird?'
Homodíbe lisnóm?
'Where's the hummingbird?'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Valley Nisenan speakers call hummingbirds lisnó; Southern Hill Nisenan speakers call them liic’iic’í.
020 - Dark-eyed Junco
Tɨtɨ́n
'Dark-eyed Junco'
Tɨtɨní ébe mi?
'Do you see the dark-eyed junco?'
Homodíbe tɨtɨním?
'Where's the dark-eyed junco?'
021 - Western Bluebird
Suutáat
'Western Bluebird'
Ébe mi suutaatí?
'Do you see the western bluebird?'
Payelím suutaatím.
'The western bluebird is eating.'
022 - American Robin
Wistakták
'American Robin'
Piníbe mi wistaktaká?
'Do you hear the american robin?'
Wistaktakám payelím.
'The american robin is eating.'
023 - Common Raven
Kook
'Common Raven'
Kookó etáp!
'Look at the raven!'
Kookóm honkitím.
'The raven is resting.'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The name kook is one of many Nisenan bird names that are onomatopoetic, meaning that its name resembles a call that the bird makes. You can learn more about onomatopoeia in Nisenan bird names here.
024 - Golden Eagle
Pey
'Golden Eagle'
Peyí etáp!
'Look at the golden eagle!'
Payelím peyím.
'The golden eagle is eating.'
025 - Peregrine Falcon
Weekwék
'Peregrine Falcon'
Weekweké piníbe mi?
'Do you hear the peregrine falcon?'
Honkitím weekwekém.
'The peregrine falcon is resting.'
026 - Turkey Vulture
Hɨɨs
'Turkey Vulture'
Etáp hɨɨsí!
'Look at the turkey vulture!'
Hɨɨsím payelím.
'The turkey vulture is eating.'
027 - California Condor
Móllok
'California Condor'
Móllokó ébe mi?
'Do you see the california condor?'
Móllokóm payelím.
'The california condor is eating.'
028 - Great Horned Owl
Hɨmhɨ́m
'Great Horned Owl'
Piníbe mi hɨmhɨmí?
'Do you hear the great horned owl?'
Homodíbe hɨmhɨmím?
'Where's the great horned owl?'
029 - Western Screech Owl
Kónda
'Western Screech Owl'
Kónda etáp!
'Look at the western screech owl!'
Kóndam payelím.
'The western screech owl is eating.'
030 - Barn Owl
Wɨɨt
'Barn Owl'
Piníbe mi wɨɨtí?
'Do you hear the barn owl?'
Wɨɨtím honkitím.
'The barn owl is resting.'
031 - Canada Goose
Loo
'Canada Goose'
Loo etáp!
'Look at the canada goose!'
Homodíbe loom?
'Where's the canada goose?'
032 - Tarantula
K’awím kapá
'Tarantula'
Ébe mi k’awím kapá?
'Do you see the tarantula?'
Honkitím k’awím kapám.
'The tarantula is resting.'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Southern Hill Nisenan speaker Ida Hill Starkey called tarantulas k’awím kapá, which comes from the words k’aw (ground) and kapá (bear, grizzly bear) and means "ground bear" or "ground grizzly bear". Why do you think that is?
033 - Black Widow
Pokkón
'Black Widow'
Pokkoní etáp!
'Look at the black widow!'
Homodíbe pokkoním?
'Where's the black widow?'
034 - Yellowjacket
Eepén
'Yellowjacket'
Eepení etáp!
'Look at the yellowjacket!'
Eepením honkitím.
'The yellowjacket is resting.'
035 - Honeybee
Woolém eepén
'Honeybee'
Etáp woolém eepení!
'Look at the honeybee!'
Homodíbe woolém eepením?
'Where's the honeybee?'
Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Honeybees are an introduced species. The name woolém eepén comes from Southern Hill Nisenan speaker William Joseph (Bill Joe) and literally means "European yellowjacket", which reflects both their origins as an introduced species as well as how speakers perceived them to be similar to the native species eepén (yellowjacket).
036 - Bumblebee
Múlka
'Bumblebee'
Múlka ébe mi?
'Do you see the bumblebee?'
Honkitím múlkam.
'The bumblebee is resting.'
037 - Butterfly
Koowáwa
'Butterfly'
Koowáwa ébe mi?
'Do you see the butterfly?'
Koowáwam payelím.
'The butterfly is eating.'
038 - Stink Ant
Pɨc’ɨ́ɨ
'Stink Ant'
Pɨc’ɨ́ɨ etáp!
'Look at the ant!'
Homodíbe pɨc’ɨ́ɨm?
'Where's the ant?'
Heads-up: You can use the word pɨc’ɨ́ɨ as a generic term for ant too, though there are specific names for some other kinds of ants.
039 - Earthworm
Káye
'Earthworm'
Ébe mi káye?
'Do you see the earthworm?'
Homodíbe káyem?
'Where's the earthworm?'
040 - Snail
Kóle
'Snail'
Kóle etáp!
'Look at the snail!'
Kólem payelím.
'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 Nisenan
The object of a sentence gets a special suffix in Nisenan. If you look carefully at the first bonus sentence on all the cards, you’ll notice that this suffix looks different depending on the word:
1. If the word ends in a vowel ("a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "ɨ", "ə"), the suffix is invisible.
Example:Lollá piníbe mi? 'Do you hear the wolf?' (lollá = 'wolf')
Example: Piníbe mi sukkú? 'Do you hear the dog?' (sukkú = 'dog')
2. If the word ends in a "k" or a "k’", the suffix is a copy of the vowel that comes before the "k" or "k’".
Example:Weekweké piníbe mi? 'Do you hear the peregrine falcon?' (weekwék = 'peregrine falcon')
Example: Piníbe mi woololokó? 'Do you hear the northern flicker?' (woololók = 'northern flicker')
3. If the word ends in any other consonant, the suffix is -i.
Example:Eepení piníbe mi? 'Do you hear the yellowjacket?' (eepén = 'yellowjacket')
Example: Piníbe mi hawí? 'Do you hear the fox?' (haw = 'fox')
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 Nisenan 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 Nisenan
Just like the object, the subject of a sentence gets a special suffix in Nisenan. If you look carefully at the second bonus sentence on all the cards, you’ll notice that this suffix looks different depending on the word:
1. If the word ends in a vowel ("a", "e", "i", "o", "u", "ɨ", "ə"), the suffix is -m.
Example:Kólem payelím. 'The snail is eating.' (kóle = 'snail')
Example: Honkitím lollám. 'The wolf is resting.' (lollá = 'wolf')
2. If the word ends in a "k" or a "k’", the suffix has a copy of the vowel that comes before the "k" or "k’" followed by "m".
Example:Woololokóm honkitím. 'The northern flicker is resting.' (woololók = 'northern flicker')
Example: Honkitím əəkə́m. 'The raccoon is resting.' (əək = 'raccoon')
3. If the word ends in any other consonant, the suffix is -im.
Example:Emulím payelím. 'The black bear is eating.' (emúl = 'black bear')
Example: Payelím palaalím. 'The cottontail is eating.' (paláal = 'cottontail')
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.
Esak’ahá daak’ábe mi c’aykɨ́ɨ? (Do you want to know more?)
