Home >
Glossary
Glossary
Coined and shaped by nomads, the Innu language proves its value in the Boreal Forest, cradle of its creation, evolution and refinement. Anyone who has dwelled in Nitassinan for a while realizes the efficient accuracy and vital usefulness of this language. He also gets to understand the unique role it plays in the Innu day to day, exhilaration, social communication pattern, and expression of spirituality, as well as in the transmission of beliefs, expertise and mindset (innu-aitun).
By clicking on an item, not only do you get access to a rich illustration, but you get to hear its pronunciation.
- akutakanu eshkanat
- we hang the antlers on a tree
- akutshimakanu mishtikuai
- they soak the hide
- amipushu
- quiet water surface
- anasseu
- she makes a floor of fir branches
- anatshenanu
- they cover the base of the tent with snow
- anauakataitsheu
- she covers her bread in sand
1 - anikatash
- purple pitcher plant
- anushkanat
- raspberries
- apakuatakanu patshuianitshuap
- they cover the tent structure with canvas
- apuanashku
- spit
- ashamashkuat
- snowshoe frames
- ashamat
- snowshoes
- ashitshishtau tshimannu
- she strikes a match
- ashkuatshikuepu
- he waits for the seal
- ashpikuashu
- she embroiders
- ashpikuashun
- embroidery
- atan
- smooth rock
- atikuat tashkamaimuat
- The caribou cross a body of water
- atikuss
- a caribou, less than a year old
- atimu
- dog
- atsheu
- he crushes the bones with a mortar and pestle
- atshikuianessina
- sealskin boots
- atuaitsheu
- he shows something
- auneu tshishtapakuna
- she carries spruce branches
- ekute tshe ut pitutshet
- mouth of the trap
- epishiminishkueu
- february 2
- inniminana
- blueberries
- innineu
- spruce grouse 1
- innu-Nikamu unashinataikan
- Innu Nikamu logo 2
- innu-pakueshikan
- bannock
- innu-pakueshikanitsheu
- she prepares bannock
- ishkuassekatueu
- he covers (it) with coals
- ishkuess
- a girl
- ka tshimanakaniht kukushuakanashkuat
- place where the poles have been left
- ka uitshinanut
- camp
- kaikutekanishuta
- motorboats
- kakatshat
- multi-leveled portage
- kakusseshiu-patshuianitshuap
- prospector’s tent
- kanikamusht
- singer
- kanimishiht
- dancers
- kapatakan-meshkanau
- portage path
- kapatauat
- they’re portaging
- kapeu-kuashkutu atiku
- the caribou comes out of the water
- kashkashkueu upakushikanim
- she scrapes her bread
- kashkuanapan
- misty morning
- kassekau
- fall
- katekanepush
- beret
- katshepushtauakanu mishtikuai
- we sew the hide to plug up the holes
- kuapitsheu
- he draws water
- kuashkutipeu atiku
- the caribou jumps into the water
- kukuminash
- old woman
- kushapatshikan
- shaking tent
- kusseumieush
- all-purpose bag
- kusseupu
- to fish
- kutshiu
- he dives
- kutuan
- fire
- kutuenanu
- they make a fire
- makanipakan
- a shovel
- makupitamu ukutashkueiapinu
- he ties off the oesophagus
- mamakumeu ushkuaia
- she chews bark to use for embroidery
- mamakuneu pakueshikana
- she kneads the bread
- mamakupetshineu utipaput
- mix and knead the hide in the brain mixture to saturate it with the oil
- mamakushkamu umatukap
- he uses his body weight to trample the snow, to make a place for the tent
- mamatishakanua uina
- they cut the marrow into slices
- mamenikuashuna
- crafts
- mameshikutatsheu
- sculpting wood to make toys
- mameshinikutakan
- sculpture of two males in heat
- mamitsheshkaneu
- the caribou has big antlers
- mamuitun
- gathering
- manaipimeu
- skim the fat from the top of the bone broth
- manashamu utashtishimeukua
- he removes the filets from the caribou’s back
- mannateikanashku
- tree where the caribou rubbed its antlers
- manukashunanu
- they set up the camp
- mashku-ashamat
- temporary snowshoe
- massekuashkueiau
- swamp bordered by trees
- massekushkamiku
- peat moss
- mataikan
- scraper
- matapeshtau
- he finishes portaging
- matauakanu
- they scrape hides
- maushunanu
- berry picking
- mautakanua ashinia
- to gather stones
- minishtiku
- island
- minuassukaimu upimim
- we mix the fat with the marrow slices
- minuauakaimu
- make an indentation for the bread
- minuenitamuat
- they are joyful
- minuetshineu mishtikuaia
- she folds the caribou hide
- mishkumi
- ice
- mishkutui
- drum hoop
- mitshishunanu
- they eat
- mitshitatshenanu
- they scrape the hide
- mitshitatshikan
- scraper
- muakuat
- loons
- mukutatsheu
- he handles the crooked knife
- mushkami
- bone broth
- mushuat
- the tundra
- mushuau-atikuat
- barren-groud caribou
- nakashkuauakanu mishtikuai
- they keep the hide in the wind
- nakatshun
- at the foot of the rapids
- nanatuaputatsheu
- he pierces the trunk to bend them
- naneu
- shore
- napetiku
- stag
- natai-kukushu
- going upriver using a pole
- natau-shatsheueu
- lobster fishing 1
- natshi-minu-akutau ushkanima
- out of respect for the caribou, he’ll place the bones in an elevated spot
- nekakatamu ukatshishapishteshim
- he puts sand in his frying pan
- niminanu
- they dance the makusham
- nimuat auassat
- the children dance
- nimuat tshishennuat
- the elders dance
- nipin
- summer
- nipishaputshenanu
- we make tea
- nishtamitakut
- the bow
- nishtamitikutsheu
- he rows in front
- nishtu kukuminashissat
- three little old ladies
- nissi-pishimu
- may
- nushetiku
- doe
- nutapuenanu
- skim the bone broth
- nutinakamishtin
- the breeze has made small ripples on the lake
- pakaipishtauakanu
- they put out the caribou's eyes
- pakashimunanu
- they swim
- pakauat
- they disembark from the canoe
- pakupeutshikan
- quay
- pakutshimakanu
- we let the hide dry
- panishauenanu
- they cut the meat in large, thin slices
- papami-uitshauiuat
- they run here and there
- papanatshish
- northern hawk owl
- pashaitsheuat
- they square off a tree to make something
- pashakanu massekushkamiku
- they dry sphagnum moss
- pashamesheu
- he dries the fish
- pashauenanu uiash
- they hang the meat to dry it
- pashkaipu
- even out the ground for the tent
- pashkuaitshenanu
- they scrape a hide to remove the hair
- pashkunineueu
- pluck a partridge
- pashkunishipeu
- pluck a duck
- pashkutshikan
- they make a scraper to remove hair from the hide
- pashkutshikan tshikauanu
- he makes a scraper
- pashkutshitaku
- dry, rotten tree stump
- pashtatashkuaikanu mak massekushkamiku ashtakanu tshetshi mamuashkatik
- we place wooden blocks and moss on top of it so it will all freeze together
- passikan
- rifle
- patakueu
- he burns off the porcupine's quills and hair
- patishipeu
- burn off duck down
- patshashkutashkueiueneu
- he cuts the oesophagus 1
- paushtiku
- rapids
- pekupeu
- he comes out of the water
- pikuakan
- hole in the ice to fish
- pimashu
- he moves with the wind
- pimikatakanu utipapui
- they add a little oil to the liquid brain mix
- pimipitshuat
- they move around, pulling a toboggan
- pimishkau atiku
- the caribou is swimming
- pimutakueu
- he shoots his arrow
- pimuteshapan atiku
- a caribou has been here
- pipun
- winter
- pishikunamuat ushkutiminu
- they take apart a beaver dam
- pishimuss
- december
- pitaikanu umiku uinashtakat
- they add blood to the stomach
- pitshissinikanu pashkutshitaku
- crumble the stump so it dries faster
- piuashikuaitshenanu
- they remove the branches from a conifer with an axe to insulate a floor
- piutamu
- he descends the rapids in a canoe
- puitakaishkaitsheu
- he splits wood chips with an axe
- pushtashameu
- he puts on his snowshoes
- shakapuesseu
- goose roasted on a stick
- shakapueumishkueu
- beaver roasted on a stick
- shakassineu pishimu
- the moon is full
- shaputuan
- cone-shaped, two-doored tent
- shash tshishi-uishkushauenanu
- the smoking is finished
- shashassikuashaueu
- he fries
- shatshimeu-akunishkueun
- mosquito hat
- shetan-pishimu
- july
- shetshipatuan
- braids coiled around the ears
- shetshipatuan-akunishkueun
- innu hat
- shikapashkutakanu
- they hang up the hide remove excess water
- shikuan
- spring
- shinipatashkueitshenanu
- they use a tool to wring it
- shiship-pishimu
- april
- shitapitakanu teueikan
- they dress the drum 1
- shitshipitasheu
- he stretches the beaver hide
- shiutau uiashinu
- he salts the sliced meat
- takuaitsheu
- she directs the canoe
- takuatshi-pishimu
- november
- takuatshin
- fall
- takutashtakanua nakatuashuna
- we place packets of food on the cache
- tamatakuashkuat
- template for the canoe
- tapakuaineueu
- he catches a partridge in the snare
- tashkaimiteu
- split wood
- tashkaishameu
- he splits the birch to make snowshoes
- tashkamishkuteu
- he walks across a frozen lake
- tashtuikanitshuap
- teepee
- teshipitakan
- a cache
- teshipitakannu e tutak
- he places fir branches on top of the cache
- tetauan
- central pole
- teueikaniapi
- caribou hide for the drum
- tipainassameu mishtikua
- measure the wood with his hands
- tipainissatamu apakuanu
- she measure the canvas with her hand
- tshiashi-nikuashkan
- ancient cemetary
- tshiashku-uaua
- seagull eggs
- tshinakueu
- he removes the porcupine’s intestines
- tshineshkan
- ice chisel
- tshipuapitakanu mishtikuai
- they tie up the hide to keep it closed
- tshishaussaueu
- he heats the sand
- tshishe-pishimu
- january
- tshishtai-shipeu
- he roasts duck meat
- tshishtaimu uiashinu
- he grills meat on a stick
- tshishtashkatshikana
- tent poles
- tshishtikatshenanu
- they use stakes to stretch the skin so it will dry
- tshishtishkatshikan
- stake to keep the hide stretched and off the ground
- tshissakanua uina
- we cook the bone marrow slices
- tshissinuashtakanu pikuakan
- fishing-hole marker
- tshitaimatsheu
- he sets the tone
- tshitaimuakanuat
- the drum is played to make them dance
- tshitapuat
- they look at something
- uanikamuat
- getting into the canoe
- uapikun-pishimu
- june
- uapineuat
- white-tailed ptarmigan
- uapitsheushkamiku
- caribou moss
- uapush-unaikan
- hare trap
- uashkapeshuakanu mishtikuai
- we trim the edges of the hide
- uashkashapenanu
- cut rawhide sinew strips
- uashtekanapissamu ashinia
- heat the stones till they’re red
- uashtessiu
- the trees are changing colour
- uashtessiu-pishimu
- october
- uauakashkuaimuat
- they row along a winding waterway
- uepashtashun
- flag
- uikutaimu uina
- he extracts the bone marrow
- uina
- marrow
- uinamesheu
- she cleans the fish
- uinashku-pishimu
- march
- uinipeku
- the sea
- uinitikueuat
- they cut up a caribou
- uishatshipaku
- medicinal plant (sheep laurel)
- uishitshiminana
- lingonberries
- uishkatshan
- gray jay 1
- uishkuashameshenanu
- they smoke the fish
- uiushuat
- they carry baggage on their backs
- umatatuiaku
- porcupine intestines
- umitshimikusseuakanu
- birch branches as bait
- unaman-shipu
- the romaine river
- unikutakanu mishtikuai
- we hang the hide to smoke it
- upashtamakan
- airplane
- upau-pishimu
- august
- upissunai
- caribou pancreas
- upuameuku
- caribou haunch
- ushakanana
- boiled bones
- ushikaneu
- he boils the powdered bones
- ushkan
- bone
- ushkan-atiku
- caribou bones not used in the fat-making process
- ushkatakau
- brush
- ushkau
- the caribou has new antlers
- ushkau-pishimu
- september
- ushkuai akunaikatshenanu nakatuashun
- the food packets are covered in birch bark
- ushkuepakau
- birch forest
- ushpishkuanit ut uinatikuanu atikuss ua tutuakanit teueikaniapi
- they gut a young caribou through the back to make the skin for the drum
- utai-kushkan
- wooden hook
- utakuai-papamishkauat
- they go out in the canoe in the evening
- utamishkai
- membrane
- utapanashkut utapeu umitima
- here she comes with her firewood on the sled
- utapia unakuanikashu
- he uses roots to make a snare
- utapiukatiapi
- root
- utapiukatiapia makupitakatsheu nenu utipatshipishikan
- he uses roots to tie the dried meat of an entire caribou into a bark container
- utapuinakan
- bark container
- utatshiatikua
- caribou innards
- utinikan-atiku
- caribou’s shoulder blade
- utipapui
- caribou brain mixed with a bit of water
- utitikumeu
- caribou’s tracks
- utshimau-atauitshuap
- the Hudson Bay’s general store in Mani-utenam
Nametau innu: Memory and knowledge of Nitassinan, a website dedicated to the Innu nation in which elders pass on their skills and knowledge to younger generations.
