Flashcards: Animals in Nisenan

Table of Contents

Animal names (searchable table)

Animal names + bonus phrases

Language notes

Additional Resources

Suggestions for using these cards

Please contact us at language@ssband.org to check on the availability of these flashcards and to ask us any questions. You can also download a printable version of the Set 1 or Set 2 flashcards. We also have Animals in Northern Sierra Miwok flashcards.

Animal names

Heads-up! You can use the copy button ( ) to copy the name to your clipboard, and you can click on the English name to find bonus phrases.

001 - Bobcat (Set 1)

Tolomá

'Bobcat'

Ébe mi tolomá?

'Do you see the bobcat?'

Homodíbe tolomám?

'Where's the bobcat?'

002 - Mountain Lion (Set 1)

Hilít’

'Mountain Lion'

Hilit’í etáp!

'Look at the mountain lion!'

Payelím hilit’ím.

'The mountain lion is eating.'

003 - Coyote (Set 1)

Olé

'Coyote' (Valley and Southern Hill dialects)

Etáp olé!

'Look at the coyote!'

Homodíbe olém?

'Where's the coyote?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The word olé comes from the Valley and Southern Hill dialects of Nisenan. You may have also heard the word dáppe, which comes from speakers of the Central Hill dialect like Lizzie Enos and speakers of the Northern Hill dialect.

Dáppe

'Coyote' (Central Hill and Northern Hill dialects)

004 - Wolf (Set 1)

Lollá

'Wolf'

Lollá piníbe mi?

'Do you hear the wolf?'

Honkitím lollám.

'The wolf is resting.'

005 - Black Bear (Set 1)

Emúl

'Black Bear'

Ébe mi emulí?

'Do you see the black bear?'

Emulím payelím.

'The black bear is eating.'

Heads-up: Emúl means 'black bear' specifically. The word kapá means 'grizzly bear' but can also mean 'bear' in a generic sense.

Kapá

'Bear, Grizzly Bear'

006 - Fox (Set 1)

Haw

'Fox'

Piníbe mi hawí?

'Do you hear the fox?'

Homodíbe hawím?

'Where's the fox?'

007 - Raccoon (Set 1)

Əək

'Raccoon'

Ébe mi əəkə́?

'Do you see the raccoon?'

Honkitím əəkə́m.

'The raccoon is resting.'

008 - Beaver (Set 1)

Paanc’ák’

'Beaver'

Ébe mi paanc’ak’á?

'Do you see the beaver?'

Payelím paanc’ak’ám.

'The beaver is eating.'

009 - Gray Squirrel (Set 1)

Kɨɨhɨ́

'Gray Squirrel'

Etáp kɨɨhɨ́!

'Look at the gray squirrel!'

Kɨɨhɨ́m honkitím.

'The squirrel is resting.'

010 - Cottontail (Set 1)

Paláal

'Cottontail'

Ébe mi palaalí?

'Do you see the cottonail?'

Payelím palaalím.

'The cottontail is eating.'

011 - Deer (Set 1)

K’ut’

'Deer'

Etáp k’ut’í!

'Look at the deer!'

Homodíbe k’ut’ím?

'Where's the deer?'

012 - Goat (Set 1)

Oom k’ut’

'Goat'

Oom k’utí 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 (Set 1)

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 other Native California languages borrowed this from Spanish too.

014 - Donkey (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Sukkú

'Dog'

Piníbe mi sukkú?

'Do you hear the dog?'

Homodíbe sukkúm?

'Where's the dog?'

016 - Acorn Woodpecker (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Woololók

'Northern Flicker'

Piníbe mi woololokó?

'Do you hear the northern flicker?'

Honkitím woololokóm.

'The northern flicker is resting.'

018 - Pileated Woodpecker (Set 1)

Makmák

'Pileated Woodpecker'

Etáp makmaká!

'Look at the pileated woodpecker!'

Payelím makmakám.

'The pileated woodpecker is eating.'

019 - Hummingbird (Set 1)

Lisnó

'Hummingbird' (Valley dialect)

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.

Liic’iic’í

'Hummingbird' (Southern Hill dialect)

020 - Dark-eyed Junco (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Suutáat

'Western Bluebird'

Ébe mi suutaatí?

'Do you see the western bluebird?'

Payelím suutaatím.

'The western bluebird is eating.'

022 - American Robin (Set 1)

Wistakák

'American Robin'

Piníbe mi wistaktaká?

'Do you hear the robin?'

Wistaktakám payelím.

'The robin is eating.'

023 - Common Raven (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Pey

'Golden Eagle'

Peyí etáp!

'Look at the golden eagle!'

Payelím peyím.

'The golden eagle is eating.'

025 - Peregrine Falcon (Set 1)

Weekwék

'Peregrine Falcon'

Weekweké piníbe mi?

'Do you hear the peregrine falcon?'

Honkitím weekwekém.

'The peregrine falcon is resting.'

026 - Turkey Vulture (Set 1)

Hɨɨs

'Turkey Vulture'

Etáp hɨɨsí!

'Look at the turkey vulture!'

Hɨɨsím payelím.

'The turkey vulture is eating.'

027 - California Condor (Set 1)

Móllok

'California Condor'

Móllokó ébe mi?

'Do you see the california condor?'

Móllokóm payelím.

'The california condor is eating.'

028 - Great Horned Owl (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Kónda

'Western Screech Owl'

Kónda etáp!

'Look at the western screech owl!'

Kóndam payelím.

'The western screech owl is eating.'

030 - Barn Owl (Set 1)

Wɨɨt

'Barn Owl'

Piníbe mi wɨɨtí?

'Do you hear the barn owl?'

Wɨɨtím honkitím.

'The barn owl is resting.'

031 - Canada Goose (Set 1)

Loo

'Canada Goose'

Loo etáp!

'Look at the canada goose!'

Homodíbe loom?

'Where's the canada goose?'

032 - Tarantula (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Pokkón

'Black Widow'

Pokkoní etáp!

'Look at the black widow!'

Homodíbe pokkoním?

'Where's the black widow?'

034 - Yellowjacket (Set 1)

Eepén

'Yellowjacket'

Eepení etáp!

'Look at the yellowjacket!'

Eepením honkitím.

'The yellowjacket is resting.'

035 - Honeybee (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Múlka

'Bumblebee' (Valley dialect)

Múlka ébe mi?

'Do you see the bumblebee?'

Honkitím múlkam.

'The bumblebee is resting.'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Valley Nisenan speakers call bumblebees múlka; Southern Hill Nisenan speakers call them dɨm.

Dɨm

'Bumblebee' (Southern Hill dialect)

037 - Butterfly (Set 1)

Koowáwa

'Butterfly'

Koowáwa ébe mi?

'Do you see the butterfly?'

Koowáwam payelím.

'The butterfly is eating.'

038 - Stink Ant (Set 1)

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 (Set 1)

Káye

'Earthworm'

Ébe mi káye?

'Do you see the earthworm?'

Homodíbe káyem?

'Where's the earthworm?'

040 - Snail (Set 1)

Kóle

'Snail'

Kóle etáp!

'Look at the snail!'

Kólem payelím.

'The snail is eating.'

041 - Otter (Set 2)

Kakí

'Otter'

Em ni kakí mómtidí.

'I see an otter in the river.'

Homodíbe kakím?

'Where is the otter?'

042 - Elk (Set 2)

Win

'Elk'

Em ni winí yamandí.

'I see an elk on the hill.'

Homodíbe winím?

'Where is the elk?'

043 - Antelope (Set 2)

Naaw

'Antelope'

Em ni naawí yamandí.

'I see an antelope on the hill.'

Homodíbe naawím?

'Where is the antelope?'

044 - Jackrabbit (Set 2)

Booyée

'Jackrabbit'

Em ni booyée dɨɨhɨdí.

'I see a jackrabbit in the brush.'

Homodíbe booyéem?

'Where is the jackrabbit?'

045 - Badger (Set 2)

Piim

'Badger'

Em ni piimí tukedí.

'I see a badger in a burrow.'

Homodíbe piimím?

'Where is the badger?'

046 - Gopher (Set 2)

Heméy

'Gopher'

Em ni hemeyí tukedí.

'I see a gopher in a burrow.'

Homodíbe hemeyím?

'Where is the gopher?'

047 - Ground Squirrel (Set 2)

Hilə́w

'Ground Squirrel'

Em ni hiləwí tukedí.

'I see a ground squirrel in a burrow.'

Homodíbe hiləwím?

'Where is the ground squirrel?'

048 - Bat (Set 2)

Oolelé

'Bat'

Em ni oolelé oom k’umdí.

'I see a bat in a cave.'

Homodíbe oolelém?

'Where is the bat?'

049 - Cat (Set 2)

Tonc’í

'Cat'

Em ni tonc’í hɨdí.

'I see a cat in the house.'

Homodíbe tonc’ím?

'Where is the cat?'

050 - Pig (Set 2)

Kooc’í

'Pig'

Em ni kooc’í pottodí.

'I see a pig in the grass.'

Homodíbe kooc’ím?

'Where is the pig?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Pigs were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. Nisenan speakers borrowed the name kooc’í from the Spanish word cuchi (pig); many other Native California languages borrowed this word from Spanish too.

051 - Sheep (Set 2)

Woteeká

'Sheep'

Em ni woteeká sokadí.

'I see a sheep in the meadow.'

Homodíbe woteekám?

'Where is the sheep?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Sheep were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. Nisenan speakers borrowed the name woteeká from Spanish borrega (female sheep); many other Native California languages borrowed this from Spanish too.

052 - Cow (Set 2)

Paak’á

'Cow'

Em ni paak’á sokadí.

'I see a cow in the meadow.'

Homodíbe paak’ám?

'Where is the cow?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Cows were introduced to California only in the last few centuries. Nisenan speakers borrowed the name paak’á from the Spanish word vaca (cow); many other Native California languages borrowed this word from Spanish too.

053 - California Quail (Set 2)

Hanpáy

'California Quail'

Em ni hanpayí loklodí.

'I see a california quail in the valley.'

Homodíbe hanpayím?

'Where is the california quail?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Honpie Road on the Shingle Springs Rancheria is named after hanpáy, though it is spelled using the English writing system rather than the Tribe's Nisenan writing system.

054 - Mountain Quail (Set 2)

Holóp

'Mountain Quail'

Em ni holopí yamandí.

'I see a mountain quail on the hill.'

Homodíbe holopím?

'Where is the mountain quail?'

055 - Sparrow (Set 2)

Siit

'Sparrow'

Em ni siití dɨɨhɨdí.

'I see a sparrow in the brush.'

Homodíbe siitím?

'Where is the sparrow?'

056 - Goldfinch (Set 2)

C’eték

'Goldfinch'

Em ni c’eteké dɨɨhɨdí.

'I see a goldfinch in the brush.'

Homodíbe c’etekém?

'Where is the goldfinch?'

057 - Mourning Dove (Set 2)

Pulbá

'Mourning Dove'

Em ni pulbá k’awdí.

'I see a mourning dove on the ground.'

Homodíbe pulbám?

'Where is the mourning dove?'

058 - Meadowlark (Set 2)

Waymíis

'Meadowlark'

Em ni waymiisí sokadí.

'I see a meadowlark in the meadow.'

Homodíbe waymiisím?

'Where is the meadowlark?'

059 - Magpie (Set 2)

Aat’át’

'Magpie'

Em ni aat’at’í loklodí.

'I see a magpie in the valley.'

Homodíbe aat’at’ím?

'Where is the magpie?'

060 - Scrub-jay (Set 2)

C’ayít

'Scrub-jay'

Em ni c’ayití c’aadí.

'I see a scrub-jay in the tree.'

Homodíbe c’ayitím?

'Where is the scrub-jay?'

061 - Steller's Jay (Set 2)

C’aapc’áp

'Steller's Jay'

Em ni c’aapc’apí c’aadí.

'I see a Steller's jay in the tree.'

Homodíbe c’aapc’apím?

'Where is the Steller's jay?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Another name in Southern Hill Nisenan for Steller's jay is c’aapatattát, which is interchangeable with c’aapc’áp.

C’aapatattát

'Steller's Jay'

062 - Red-tailed Hawk (Set 2)

Suuyú

'Red-tailed Hawk'

Em ni suuyú c’aadí.

'I see a red-tailed hawk in a tree.'

Homodíbe suuyúm?

'Where is the red-tailed hawk?'

063 - Burrowing Owl (Set 2)

Tokk’óok’

'Burrowing Owl'

Em ni tokk’ook’ó tukedí.

'I see a burrowing owl in a burrow.'

Homodíbe tokk’ook’óm?

'Where is the burrowing owl?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The name tokk’óok’ 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.

064 - Dragonfly (Set 2)

Kuuyúl

'Dragonfly'

Em ni kuuyulí kayedí.

'I see a dragonfly at the pond.'

Homodíbe kuuyulím?

'Where is the dragonfly?'

065 - Fly (Set 2)

Emelulú

'Fly'

Em ni emelulú hɨdí.

'I see a fly in the house.'

Homodíbe emelulúm?

'Where is the fly?'

066 - Mosquito (Set 2)

Dɨɨkɨllɨ́

'Mosquito' (Southern Hill dialect)

Em ni dɨɨkɨllɨ́ momím hoydí.

'I see mosquitos near the water.'

Homodíbe dɨɨkɨllɨ́m?

'Where are the mosquitos?'

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) Another name in Southern Hill Nisenan for mosquito is dɨɨkɨlɨlɨ́, which is interchangeable with dɨɨkɨllɨ́. Additionally, in the Valley Nisenan dialect mosquitos are called paapé.

Dɨɨkɨlɨlɨ́

'Mosquito' (Southern Hill dialect)

Paapé

'Mosquito' (Valley dialect)

067 - Horned Lizard (Set 2)

Okopeypéy

'Horned Lizard'

Em ni okopeypeyí k’awdí.

'I see a horned lizard on the ground.'

Homodíbe okopeypeyím?

'Where is the horned lizard?'

068 - Gartersnake (Set 2)

Huweenaná

'Gartersnake'

Em ni huweenaná kayedí.

'I see a gartersnake at the pond.'

Homodíbe huweenanám?

'Where is the gartersnake?'

069 - Kingsnake (Set 2)

Táyaman

'Kingsnake'

Em ni táyamaní pottodí.

'I see a kingsnake in the grass.'

Homodíbe táyamaním?

'Where is the kingsnake?'

070 - Rattlesnake (Set 2)

Koymóo

'Rattlesnake'

Em ni koymóo k’awdí.

'I see a rattlesnake on the ground.'

Homodíbe koymóom?

'Where is the rattlesnake?'

071 - Turtle (Set 2)

Awán

'Turtle'

Em ni awaní kayedí.

'I see a turtle in the pond.'

Homodíbe awaním?

'Where is the turtle?'

072 - Tadpole (Set 2)

Buutuk’úlk’ul

'Tadpole'

Em ni buutuk’ulk’ulí kayedí.

'I see tadpoles in the pond.'

Homodíbe buutuk’ulk’ulím?

'Where are the tadpoles?'

073 - Lamprey Eel (Set 2)

Kowóo

'Lamprey Eel'

Em ni kowóo yəlləmləmdí.

'I see lamprey eels in the waterfall.'

Homodíbe kowóom?

'Where are the lamprey eels?'

074 - Salmon (Set 2)

May

'Salmon'

Em ni mayí mómtidí.

'I see salmon in the river.'

Homodíbe mayím?

'Where are the salmon?'

075 - Sturgeon (Set 2)

Hólmay

'Sturgeon'

Em ni hólmayí mómtidí.

'I see sturgeon in the river.'

Homodíbe hólmayím?

'Where are the sturgeon?'

Language Notes

About the language on these cards

The SSBMI Community has ties to the Valley and Southern Hill dialects of the Nisenan language through the 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 speakers of these dialects, including Pamela Cleanso Adams and Tom Cleanso (Valley Nisenan) and William Joseph, Ida Hill Starkey, and Charlie Hunchup (Southern Hill Nisenan). Because donkeys and goats are recently introduced animals and we do not have names for them from Valley or Southern Hill Nisenan speakers, we included names from Lizzie Enos (Central Hill Nisenan).

Dialect variation

Sometimes Valley Nisenan and Southern Hill Nisenan have different words for the same animal.

Example:   Words for Hummingbird

Valley Nisenan: Lisnó

Southern Hill Nisenan: Liic’iic’í

Example:   Words for Bumblebee

Valley Nisenan: Múlka

Southern Hill Nisenan: Dɨm

Example:   Words for Mosquito

Valley Nisenan: Paapé

Southern Hill Nisenan: Dɨɨkɨllɨ́ / Dɨɨkɨlɨlɨ́

You'll notice that Southern Hill Nisenan also has (at least) two names for mosquito that are interchangeable.

Object marking in Nisenan

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:   I see an elk on the hill.

Here the elk is being seen, so it is the object of the sentence.

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 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.

Examples:   Lollá piníbe mi?   'Do you hear the wolf?'     (lollá = 'wolf')

Piníbe mi sukkú?   'Do you hear the dog?'     (sukkú = 'dog')

Em ni koymóo k’awdí.   'I see a rattlesnake on the ground.'     (koymóo = 'rattlesnake')

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’".

Examples:   Weekweké piníbe mi?   'Do you hear the peregrine falcon?'     (weekwék = 'peregrine falcon')

Piníbe mi woololokó?   'Do you hear the northern flicker?'     (woololók = 'northern flicker')

Em ni c’eteké dɨɨhɨdí.   'I see a goldfinch in the brush.'     (c’eték = 'goldfinch')

3. If the word ends in any other consonant, the suffix is -i.

Examples:   Eepení piníbe mi?   'Do you hear the yellowjacket?'     (eepén = 'yellowjacket')

Piníbe mi hawí?   'Do you hear the fox?'     (haw = 'fox')

Em ni winí yamandí.   'I see an elk on the hill.'     (win = 'elk')

A side-effect: In English, we rely on the order of the words in a sentence to tell us 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' that we just talked about tells you which word is the object of the sentence. Because of this, you can put the words in almost any order without confusion. You'll notice a lot of variation in the order of words on the bonus cards.

Subject marking in Nisenan

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.

Example:   Where is the otter?

The otter is the one being somewhere, so it is the subject of the sentence.

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.

Examples:   Kólem payelím.   'The snail is eating.'     (kóle = 'snail')

Honkitím lollám.   'The wolf is resting.'     (lollá = 'wolf')

Homodíbe kakím?   'Where is the otter?'     (kakí = 'otter')

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".

Examples:   Woololokóm honkitím.   'The northern flicker is resting.'     (woololók = 'northern flicker')

Honkitím əəkə́m.   'The raccoon is resting.'     (əək = 'raccoon')

Homodíbe c’etekém?   'Where is the goldfinch?'     (c’eték = 'goldfinch')

3. If the word ends in any other consonant, the suffix is -im.

Examples:   Emulím payelím.   'The black bear is eating.'     (emúl = 'black bear')

Payelím palaalím.   'The cottontail is eating.'     (paláal = 'cottontail')

Homodíbe awaním?   'Where is the turtle?'     (awán = 'turtle')

A side-effect: Because the 'subject suffix' tells you which word is the subject of the sentence, you can put the words in almost any order without confusion. Because of this, you'll notice a lot of variation in the order of words on the bonus cards.

Location marking in Nisenan

You can put the word-ending -dí on the name of a location to mean 'in, at, or on' that location. Here are a few examples from the Set 2 cards:

Examples:   mómtidí   'in or at the river'     (mómti = 'river')

kayedí   'in or at the pond'     (kayé = 'pond')

yamandí   'on the hill'     (yamán = 'hill')

The second bonus sentence on every Set 2 flashcard is the question "Where is the ____?" You can answer this by taking the location+dí from the first bonus sentence and adding -m to the end. For example:

Bonus 1:   Em ni awaní kayedí.   'I see a turtle in the pond.'

Bonus 2:   Homodíbe awaním?   'Where is the turtle?'

Answer:   Kayedím.   'It's in the pond.'

Here's what this would look like for each of the locations mentioned in these flashcards:

Esak’ahá daak’ábe mi c’aykɨ́ɨ? (Do you want to know more?)

For more help reading these words and phrases, please consult our Guide to the SSBMI Nisenan Alphabet.

If you have any questions about the language or about receiving a copy of the cards, please contact us at language@ssband.org.

Webpage last updated: 2026-06-09