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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Esselen

We have included twenty basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

If you would like to know a Esselen word that is not currently on our page, you can take part in our Indian words fundraiser or visit our main Esselen language site for more free resources.

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Esselen Word Set

English (Français)	Esselen
One (Un)	Pek
Two (Deux)	Ulax
Three (Trois)	Kxulef
Four (Quatre)	Kxamakxus
Five (Cinq)	Pekmakxala
Man (Homme)	Efexe or Exenoch
Woman (Femme)	Tanoch
Dog (Chien)	Canaco
Sun (Soleil)	Aci
Moon (Lune)	Tomanisaci
Water (Eau)	Asanax
White (Blanc)	Heleski
Yellow (Jaune)	Aciski
Red (Rouge)	Maxanaski
Black (Noir)	Tumaski

Click here to see Esselen vocabulary words compared to words in related Hokan languages: Hokan Indian Words

Additional Resources

   California Native Americans
   Native American language dictionary
   Indian name meaning
   Hokans

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