Micɨ́ksɨs?
to one person
Miwok has no single word for "hello". In Northern Sierra Miwok people greet each other by asking Micɨ́ksɨs?, "How are you?"
Meaning: greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Miwok | Note |
|---|---|
| Micɨ́ksɨs? | to one person |
| Micɨ́ksɨtok? | to two or more people |
This is the everyday greeting taught by the language department of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. Speakers of Central Sierra Miwok use it too.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Miwok is a family of seven languages: Northern, Central and Southern Sierra Miwok, Plains Miwok, Bay Miwok, Coast Miwok and Lake Miwok. Greetings differ between them, and few are recorded in published sources.
How does it change in a sentence?
To greet two or more people, say Micɨ́ksɨtok?
How do you pronounce it?
The letter ɨ stands for a vowel made in the middle of the mouth, close to the second vowel of "roses". The accent marks the stressed syllable.
Did you know?
- In Calaveras County, Northern Sierra Miwok was spoken around the Mokelumne River and West Point, and Central Sierra Miwok farther south toward the Stanislaus River.
Examples in context
- Micɨ́ksɨs?How are you? (to one person)
- Micɨ́ksɨtok?How are you? (to two or more people)
