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Vocabulary in Native American Languages: Lenape Delaware Words

Welcome to our Lenape vocabulary page! Lenape, also known as Delaware, is an Algonquian language, related to other languages like Shawnee and Ojibwe. We have included twenty basic Lenape words here, enough to provide a basic comparison with related American Indian languages. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many indigenous languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

You can find a broader selection of Lenape words in our online picture glossaries. If you would like to know a word that is not included in any of these wordlists, you can take part in our Indian translations fundraiser or visit our main Lenape language site for more free resources.

Thanks for your interest in Native American languages!

Lenape Word Set

(Click here for Lenape pronunciation guide)

English (Franēais) Lenape words
One (Un) Nkwėti
Two (Deux) Niša
Three (Trois) Naxa
Four (Quatre) Newa
Five (Cinq) Nalan
Man (Homme) Lėnu
Woman (Femme) Xkwe
Dog (Chien) Alėm or Mwekane
Sun (Soleil) Kišux
Moon (Lune) Kišux or Nipahėm
Water (Eau) Mpi
White (Blanc) Wņpe
Yellow (Jaune) Wisawe
Red (Rouge) Mąxke
Black (Noir) Sėke
Eat (Manger) Mitsin
See (Voir) Nemėn
Hear (Entendre) Pėntamėn
Sing (Chanter) Naxkohoman
Leave (Partir) Nkatemėn

Click here to see Lenape Indian words compared to words in related Algonquian languages: Algonquian Indian Words

Lenape Picture Dictionaries

Here are some themed Lenape word lists we have put together and illustrated for language learners. Feel free to print them out for classroom purposes!

*Lenape animal words
*Lenape body parts
*Lenape color words
*Lenape number words

Additional Resources

   New Jersey Indian tribes
   Indian dictionaries
   Native American names
   American Indian numbers
   Algonkians
   The Walam Olum



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