[Algonquiana] Nehiyaw Nehiyawew Nêhinawêwin- A question about etymology/PA from Noah M.

[Marie-Odile Junker]

I am posting this at Noah’s request. Can someone help answer his questions?
Marie-Odile Junker

-----Original Message-----
From: People's Library <library at micec.com<mailto:library at micec.com>>
Sent: January 20, 2022 6:19 PM
To: spokencree at eastcree.org<mailto:spokencree at eastcree.org>
Subject: Cree

[External Email]

Tánisi,

My name is Noah Malazdrewicz and I'm trying to learn Swampy Cree, and I'd just like to say kinanáskomitin for all the work you've contributed to assisting us learners! I've taken courses at the University of Manitoba with Ken Paupanekis, and am lucky to work at the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Education Centre where we have a library with some of your books. I just had a question and was wondering what you'd have to say on the matter, it involves the words like Nehiyaw Nehiyawew Nêhinawêwin, I was wondering how you would break it down linguistically, because they seem to be related to ayamih and ayamiw, but I'm not sure. When I was reading Subarctic Algonquian Languages by Rhodes and Todd in the Handbook of North American Indians, they list 'speaks thus' - 'itwew' for Cree and 'nwe' in Eastern Ojibwe descending from PA ethwewa, but Smiths article on the Western Woods Cree in that same Volume seems to use say that nehiyawew 'he speaks our language' has the Ojibwa cognate ni?inawe, using that same inawe, which I've found in an Ojibwe Dictionary as 'inwe' - 'speaks such a language/sounds that way'. How can both itwew and apparently ayamiw be both descended from the same PA word that becomes 'inwe' in Ojibwe? And I'm really wondering about that neh/néh part! Anyways, kíhtwam kinanáskomitin!

Noah Malazdrewicz