OJIBWE WRITING SYSTEMS

Ojibwewibii’igan

Fiero/Double-vowel Orthography and Phonetics

The double vowel orthography, also known as the Fiero orthography, is attributed to
Charles Fiero. In the 1950’s, Fiero worked with fluent first language speakers and
developed a Roman character-based writing system. In 1996, a gathering was held to
find a common writing system, whereby the Fiero writing system was chosen as a
standardized method of writing. At the same time, it was recognized that phonetics and
syllabics were also recognized forms of communication.

Today, most Ojibwe language resources use the Fiero/Double-vowel orthography.

However, it is recognized that phonetics is used a form of standardized writing in the
This resource will use both the Eastern and Southwestern Ojibwe dialect, and both the
Fiero/double-vowel writing system and a folk-phonetic writing system.

Eastern Ojibwe dialects vary, based on their region. For example, the Manitoulin Island
dialect is not same as the Southern Georgian Bay dialect. In many regions, the Eastern
Ojibwe dialect has a vowel syncopating nature, ellision and contraction. Vowel-syncope
refers to the reduction of vowel sounds in speech, where the vowels themselves are still
present, but not annunciated. Used in tandem with contraction, ellison (a form of
linguistic reduction) refers to one or more sounds left out in speech. For example,
Makadekewin (fasting) becomes kadekewin in the eastern Ojibwe dialect. In this
example, we can see that the MA is not annunciated in speech. Contraction refers to
the combination of two or more words in speech to make a single word. For example:
Aashnik is the combination of Aaniin + idash + minik, to mean “How many?”

The long vowels /iː, oː, aː/ are paired with the short vowels /i, o, a/, and are written with
double symbols ⟨ii, oo, aa⟩ that correspond to the single symbols used for the short
vowels ⟨i, o, a⟩. The long vowel /eː/ does not have a corresponding short vowel and is
written with a single ⟨e⟩. The short vowels are ⟨i, o, a⟩. A glottal-stop is indicated as ( ‘ ),
as in wa’aw. Nasal vowels are iinh, enh, aanh, oonh. There are no sounds l, r, v, f in
Ojibwe language; and letters f, l, q, r, u, v, and x. There are 4 main parts of speech in
Ojibwe – nouns, pronouns, verbs (VTA, VAI, VII, VTI and includes pre-verbs and
adverbs, and particles).

The Ojibwe Sound Chart

• OJIBWE SOUND CHART SONG https://youtu.be/_NE4eukS_wI
• Anishinaabemowin Alphabet. Wikwewmikong; Ojibwe; Hub
Centre https://youtu.be/GW0pGtmHJHU W
Writing System Components
Component Sounds Examples

Short vowels i = ih Ikwe - ih-kway

o = oh Oshki - oh-shkih
a= uh Nagamo - Nuh-guh-
moh

Long vowels ii = ee Wiin - Seen

oo = ooh Goon - Float
aa = aw Dabaan - Pawn
e =ay Bine - Bay

Nasal -iin Akiwenziinh

vowels -aan Bnaajaanh
-oon Giigoonh
-ens Giiwenh (different
from giiwe)

Glottal stop Marked by either h or an apostrophe and A’aw

demonstrates a break in speech. Zaagi’aa

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 OJIBWE SOUND CHART

A (uh) Aa (aw) E (ay) I (ih) Ii (ee) O (oh) Oo (ooh)

b ba baa be bi bii bo boo

ch cha chaa che chi chii cho choo

d da daa de di dii do doo

g ga gaa ge gi gii go goo

j ja jaa je ji jii jo joo

k ka kaa ke ki kii ko koo

m ma maa me mi mii mo moo

n na naa ne ni nii no noo

p pa paa pe pi pii po poo

s sa saa se si sii so soo

sh sha shaa she si sii so soo

t ta taa te ti tii to too

w wa waa we wi wii wo woo

y ya yaa ye yi yii yo yoo

z za zaa ze zi zii zo zoo

zh zha zhaa zhe zhi zhii zho zhoo

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 Edward Benton-Benai-iban -Bawdwaywidun Benaise-iban Ozhibii’igewin

The phonetic style of writing helps second-language learners to pronounce words more
effectively, as opposed to the Fiero/Double vowel orthography. However, using a
phonetic style of writing creates a barrier when accessing resources written using the
Fiero/Double-vowel orthography.

aw/au/aa ee oo Ay/e (é) u i o

b Baw/bau/baa bee boo Bay/be Bu/ba bi bo
ch Chaw/chau/chaa chee choo Chay/che Chu/cha chi cho
d Daw/dau/chaa dee doo Day/de Du/da di do
g Gaw/gau/gaa gee goo Gay/ge Gu/ga gi go
j Jaw/jau/jaa jee joo Jay/je Ju/ja ji jo
k/c Kaw/caw/kaa/caa Kee/cee Koo/coo Kay/cay Ku/cu Ki/ci Ko/co
Ke/ce Ka/ca
m Maw/mau/maa mee moo May/me Mu/ma mi mo
n Naw/nau/naa nee noo Nay/ne Nu/na ni no
p Paw/pau/paa pee poo Pay/pe Pu/pa pi po
s Saw/sau/saa see soo Say/se Su/sa si so
sh Shaw/shau/shaa shee shoo Shay/she Shu/sha si so
t Taw/tau/taa tee too Tay/te Tu/ta ti to
w Waw/wau/waa wee woo Way/we Wu/wa wi wo
y Yaw/yau/yaa yee yoo Yay/ye Yu/ya yi yo
z Zaw/zau/zaa zee zoo Zay/ze Zu/za zi zo
zh Zhaw/zhau/zhaa zhee zhoo Zhay/zhe Zhu/zha zhi zho

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 Personal Protocol Greetings
The Ojibwe Personal Protocol Greeting is a spiritual act. Anishinaabe People will usually
have two names. One is their “Manidoo Nooswin,” or Spirit Name and the other is their
English name. To say one’s name, we must reserve the order.
In English, you would say “My name is…..” but in Ojibwe, you say the name, followed by
the word indizhinikaaz. Non-Indigenous People will not have a clan.
The clan represents an animal spirit that walks with the person through life. This spirit is
usually conferred through the father’s line.
Finally, we always acknowledge the land or territory we come from. In this way, we are
acknowledging our Mother, as our first teacher, and Mother Earth.
Phrase Translation Word List

_______Indizhinikaaz My name is ___________ Izhinikaazo- (VAI) She/he is

called a certain way

PV – Ind is added to the

beginning of the word to
indicate the first person.

______Nindoodem My clan is _____________ Doodem – (NA) Clan

PV – Nin indicates that the

clan is mine.

______Indoonjibaa I come from ____________ Onjibaa – (VAI) She/he is

from a certain place.

PV -Indo is added at the

beginning of the word to
indicate me.

Try the Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/ca/751051492/personal-introductions-flash-

cards/?i=1amntu&x=1jqt

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 Months of the Year -Anja-nibaagiizisoog

Ojibwe English Month

Manido-giizis Spirit moon January

Mkwa-giizis Bear Moon February

Onaabini-giizis/ Moon of crusted snow March

Ziinsbaakdoke-Giizis Sugaring moon
Iskigamizige--‐giizis/ Sugar-bushing moon April
Pokwaagami-giizis Moon of broken snowshoes
Namebine-giizis Sucker moon
Waawaasgone-giizis Flowering moon May
Gitige-giizis Planting moon
Odemiini-giizis Strawberry Moon June
Baashkaabigonii-giizis Blooming Moon
Waabigonii Giizis Flowering Moon
Blueberry Moon
Miin giizis
Halfway through summer July
Abitaa-niibini-giizis
moon
Dataagmin-giizis Blackberry moon
August
Manoominike-giizis Ricing moon
Leaving turning colour
Waatebagaa-giizis
moon September
Mandaamin-giizis
Corn moon
Binaakwe-giizis Falling leaves moon October
Gashkadino-Giizis
Freezing over moon November
Bashkaadino-Giizis
Manidoo-Giizisoons
Little spirit moon December
Mnidoo-giizsoohns

TRY THE QUIZLET: https://quizlet.com/ca/871094614/months-of-the-year-flash-

cards/?i=1amntu&x=1qqt

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