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Mentioned previously • We mentioned previously that time is a foreign thing in traditional Potawatomi life. Something got done in the time it took to do it. If it didn’t get done you went without. For example if a person told you a ceremony started at around 3:00pm it would be more realistic than saying we will start at 3:00pm.
How to ask what time it is • Ni jetso yawek? (Literally how much of it is there) (This is favored in Kansas) • _______ Yawen. It is ________ (also favored in Kansas) • Ni jetso dbegenak? ( How much is there measured) (Favored in Wisconsin) • _________ Dbe genak- It measures out to (favored in Wisconsin) • _________ Dbe gne is also used when you are not talking about an exact time.
Again the pi tends to indicate time. • It cant be used alone though. • Ni pi je- where • Ni je pi- when • Bama pi- later on. (literally a later time)
Numbers review 1-10 • Ngot- one • Nish- two • Nswe- three • Neyew- four • Nyanen- five • Ngot watso- six • Noek- seven • Shwatso- eight • Shak- nine • Mdatso- ten
11-20 • Mdatso shech ngot- 11 • Mdatso shech nish- 12 • Mdatso shech nswe’- 13 • Mdatso shech neyew- 14 • Mdatso shech nyanen- 15 • Mdatso shech ngot watso 16 • Mdatso shech noek- 17 • Mdatso shech shwatso- 18 • Mdatso shech shak- 19 • Nishwabtek- 20
30,40,50,60,70,80,90,100 • Nswabtek- 30 • Neyew wabtek- 40 • Nyanomtene- 50 (numbers change a little at 50) • Ngot watsomtene- 60 • Noeksomtene- 70 • Shwatsomtene- 80 • Shaksomtene- 90 • Ngot wak- 100
Some words you will need to make it easier • Gaga- soon • Bwamshe- before • Gish- after • Apte- half (used for 30) • Waben- morning for a.m. • Pkonyak-evening for p.m. • Mine- and. In order to make a number clear use mine between the hour and smaller number. • Noek mine nishwabtek shech nyanen yawen. It is 7:25.
Remember you can use either yawen or dbegenak, dbegne. • Also be creative it might be much easier to say soon it will be six than 5:53 or to say 5 before 6:00 than 5:55. • Nish apte yawen- It is 2:30 • Shwatso mine neyewabtek dbegenak. It is 8:40. • Nishwabek bwamshe shak yawen. It is 20 before 9 so 8:40.
Mdatso shech nish mine nishwabtek dbegenak. It is 12:20. • Mdatso shech nyanen gish nish yawen. It is 15 after two so 2:15. • Mdatso apte yawen ode waben. 10:30 am. • Ten and half it is this morning. • Shak mine nyanomtene shech shak yawen. It is 9:59. or just • Gaga Mdatso wi yawen. Soon it will be 10:00.