The words and terms used today about time are relatively new because this was not in our culture until recently. When I say recently, I am estimating about 100 years or so. When using the number system when refering to time, it changes a little. For instance, we don’t use the word "bezhik" for the number one, we use the word "ngo" meaning singular. The vowel sound on the end is an “o” sound. The word "time" is "dabaganet" and changes to "dabaganek" when it is in a locative form meaning "at a certain time".
In Anishinaabe culture, we measured time by parts of the day, or days and nights, or the seasons. For example, we would ask “ Aaniish epiichaak” meaning "what is the distance" and we would answer by saying "so many days", like "niizh gwaan" meaning "two days". To measure someone's age, we measure by the winter season. This question asks "how many winters are you" --"Aaniish ensaboongizyin"? The answer may be "Ndoniizhtaana nsaboongiz", meaning "I am twenty winters old".
When we want to say "in two hours" we use the words "Niizho dabagiiswaangak", meaning "two clocks" or "two revolutions of the clock". The word for clock is very descriptive. "Dabagiiswaan daba" comes from the "dabage" meaning to measure. "Giis" comes from the word "giizis" which means the sun and "waan" makes it an object. So, when describing the clock in Anishinaabemowin we are saying "an object that measures the sun".
|
||||
Click on the green button to play the audio files. If you do not see the green buttons (scroll down) you may need to install the Flash Player from Macromedia. Click here to install the Flash Player. |
||||
What time is it? |
Wegnesh ensaadabaganeg? |
Aaniish epiichaak? |
||
It is morning |
Kizhep |
At morning |
Kizhepaagang |
|
It is afternoon |
Shkwaa naakwe |
In the afternoon |
Shkwaa naakwek |
|
It is evening |
Naakshi |
In the evening |
Naakshik |
|
It is night |
Niibaadibikat |
At night |
Niibaadibikak |
|
It is noon |
Naakwe |
At noon |
Naakwek |
|
It is 1:00 |
Ngo dabaganet |
At 1:00 |
Ngo dabaganek |
|
It is 1:30 |
Ngo dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 2:00 |
Niizho dabaganet |
At 2:00 |
Niizho dabaganek |
|
It is 2:30 |
Niizho dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 3:00 |
Nso dabaganet |
At 3:00 |
Nso dabaganek |
|
It is 3:30 |
Nso dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 4:00 |
Niiwo dabaganet |
At 4:00 |
Niiwo dabaganek |
|
It is 4:30 |
Niiwo dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 5:00 |
Naano dabaganet |
At 5:00 |
Naano dabaganek |
|
It is 5:30 |
Naano dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 6:00 |
Ngodwaaso dabaganet |
At 6:00 |
Ngodwaaso dabaganek |
|
It is 6:30 |
Ngodwaaso dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 7:00 |
Niizhwaaso dabaganet |
At 7:00 |
Niizhwaaso dabaganek |
|
It is 7:30 |
Niizhwaaso dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 8:00 |
Nshwaaso dabaganet |
At 8:00 |
Nshwaaso dabaganek |
|
It is 8:30 |
Nshwaaso dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 9:00 |
Zhaangso dabaganet |
At 9:00 |
Zhaangso dabaganek |
|
It is 9:30 |
Zhaangso dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 10:00 |
Mdaaso dabaganet |
At 10:00 |
Mdaaso dabaganek |
|
It is 10:30 |
Mdaaso dabaganet shaa aabta |
|||
It is 11:00 |
Mdaaso dabaganet shaa bezhik |
At 11:00 |
Mdaaso shaa bezhik dabaganek |
|
It is 11:30 |
Mdaaso shaa bezhik shaa aabta dabaganet |
|||
It is midnight |
Aabtaa dibikat |
At midnight |
Aabtaa dibikak |
|
 |
||
 |
 |
|