nimishoome
The Ojibwe word for uncle is nimishoome.
The term is used to refer to the brother or brother-in-law of one's parent.
Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the prefix ni-, which means 'my' and mishoome, which means 'uncle'.
Which one should you use?
While mishoome is the general word for uncle, nimishoome specifically translates to 'my uncle'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To speak about an uncle in general, you use mishoome, but to specify that he is your own uncle, you use the form nimishoome.
Did you know?
- The term for 'uncle' can be used as a respectful title for an older man even if there is no direct biological or marriage-based link.
- The concept of 'uncle' in Ojibwe culture often carries much more weight than the English term, as uncles are traditionally viewed as primary mentors or even secondary fathers.
- Because the Ojibwe language is agglutinative, nimishoome can be further modified with suffixes to change the meaning to 'my dear uncle' or 'my uncles'.
Examples in context
- Nimishoome nindaan'idi.I am visiting my uncle.
Example conversation
A grandmother and grandson are talking about family.
- OmaNimishoome onji-izhi-bi-izhaaw.My brother is coming here.
- ZhaawanNimishoome aaniin?When is my uncle coming?
- OmaNimishoome waawaa.My brother is here now.
- ZhaawanNimishoome boozhoo!Hello, my uncle!
