Examples

Algonquian

One of the most widespread families in the Americas is Algonquian (which is further part of the Algic family, with two languages in California).

Algonquian cognates

Here are some examples of cognate words in different branches of the family, along with standard reconstructions.

	Unami	Ojibwa	Plains Cree	Arapaho	Proto-Algonquian
‘ashes’	punkw	pinkwi	pihko	čeʔí-θe:	*penkwi
‘be red’	maxk-	miskwa:-	mih(t)kwa:-	beʔe:-	*meçkwa:-
‘bear’	maxkw	makkwa	maskwa	wóx	*maθkwa
‘blood’	mukw	miskwi	mihko	béʔ	*meçkwi
‘drink’	mən-	min-	min-	ben-	*men-
‘eat’	mi:ts-	mi:či-	mitsi-	bi:θí-	*mi:či-
‘feather’	mikwən	mi:kwan	mi:kwan	bî:í	*mi:kona
‘give’	mi:l-	mi:n-	miy-	bi:n-	*mi:l
‘grease’	pəmi	pimite:	pimiy	čebíte:	*pemite:wi
‘river’	sipu	si:pi	si:piy	ni:čí:	*si:po:wi
‘water’	mpi	nipi	nipiy	néč	*nepyi

The Unami verb 'drink' is found in the placename Manayunk, which means "drinking place" (on the Schuylkill River). Note that some of the words in Unami and Ojibwa are from different sources and may not reflect precisely the same dialect or transcription practice.

Although Arapaho is clearly more aberrant, some systematic correspondences can be seen with the other languages, including m:b and p:č (which we will examine in more detail next week).

Numic

The Numic branch of Uto-Aztecan occupies the Great Basin of the American West.

Numic cognates

We'll look at two rather closely related languages in the Western branch.

	Paviotso (Northern Paiute)	Monachi (Western Mono)
1.	mupi	mupi	‘nose’
2.	tama	tawa	‘tooth’
3.	piwɨ	piwɨ	‘heart’
4.	soŋo	sono	‘lungs’
5.	sawaʔpono	sawaʔpono	(woman’s name)
6.	nɨwɨ	nɨwɨ	‘liver’
7.	tamano	tawano	‘springtime’
8.	pahwa	pahwa	‘aunt’
9.	kuma	kuwa	‘husband’
10.	wowaʔa	wowaʔa	‘Indians living to the west’
11.	mɨhɨ	mɨhɨ	‘porcupine’
12.	noto	noto	‘throat’
13.	tapa	tape	‘sun’
14.	ʔatapɨ	ʔatapɨ	‘jaw’
15.	papiʔi	papiʔi	‘older brother’
16.	patɨ	petɨ	‘daughter’
17.	nana	nana	‘man’
18.	ʔati	ʔeti	‘bow’

Athabaskan

The Athabaskan family (part of Na-Dené) ranges from Alaska, to the Pacific Coast of Oregon and California, and the American Southwest.

Athabaskan cognates

These examples cover just languages in California and the Southwest.

	Hupa	Mattole	Navajo
1.	taʔ	taʔ	taaʔ	‘lips’
2.	teʔ	teʔ	teeʔ	‘horn’
3.	ɬit	ɬih	ɬit	‘smoke’
4.	tsʰit	tsʰih	tsʰit	‘pound’
5.	ʔat	ʔah	ʔat	‘flap blanket’
6.	xit	kʰih	kʰit	‘ask questions’
7.	xos	kʰos	kʰos	‘cough’
8.	mis	pis	pis	‘riverbank’
9.	mit̕	piʔɬ	pit	‘belly’
10.	ɬat̕	ɬaʔɬ	ƛat	‘make slapping sound’
11.	xat̕	kʰaʔɬ	kʰat	‘sew’

Pomoan

The Pomoan family occupies a fairly small region of Northern California.

Pomoan cognates

We'll look at 5 of the 7 languages.

	Kashaya	Southern	Northern	Eastern	Northeastern
1.	biʔda	biʔda	bida	bi:da	biʔda	‘creek’
2.	šiʔba	šiʔba	šiba	ši:ba	šiʔba	‘body’
3.	dihsa	(dihsa)	disa	di:sa	dihša	‘buckeye nut’
4.	bihše	behše	biše	bi:še	behše	‘deer’
5.	mahša	mahša	maša	ma:ša		‘hemp’

6.	čuhula	čuh:ula	čuhula	kuhula	tuhul	‘north’
7.	muhča	muhča		mu:ka	muhta	‘grain’, ‘pinole’
8.	dihči	dihči		di:ki		‘pick up’

9.	bahqay	bahkay	bakay	ba:qay	bahkay	‘manzanita berry’
10.	dihqa	dihka	dika	di:qa		‘give’
11.	qahle	kahle	kale			‘white’
12.	qahqo	kahko	kako	qa:qo		‘valley’, ‘field’
13.	q’oʔdi	k’oʔdi	k’idi	q’o:di	k’udi	‘good’

14.	qʰaʔbe	kʰaʔbe	kʰabe	xa:be	kʰaʔbe	‘rock’
15.	buhqʰal		bokʰal	bu:xal		‘pack basket’

Tupi-Guarani

This family (in medium pink) ranges over much of Brazil and adjacent countries.

We'll look at some cognates in a handout, from these languages:

Guaraní – Paraguay and adjacent areas
Tupinambá (Old Tupí) – formerly southern coastal Brazil
Sirionó – northeastern Bolivia
Guarayo or Gwarayú – central Bolivia (somewhat to the northeast)

When you are done with the exercise, see these answers.