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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Powhatan

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 Powhatan word that is not currently on our page, you can take part in our Indian translations fundraiser, buy a Powhatan dictionary, or visit our main Powhatan language site for more free resources.

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Powhatan Word Set

The Powhatan language has not been spoken natively for centuries, so these vocabulary words come from 17th- and 18th-century sources and their pronunciation is uncertain.

English (Français) Powhatan
One (Un) Nekut
Two (Deux) Ninge
Three (Trois) Nus
Four (Quatre) Yough
Five (Cinq) Paranske
Man (Homme) Nimatew
Woman (Femme) Crenepo
Dog (Chien) Attemous
Sun (Soleil) Keshowse
Moon (Lune) Umpsquoth
Water (Eau) Suckquahan
White (Blanc) Opaivwh
Yellow (Jaune) Oussawack
Red (Rouge) Musqua
Black (Noir) Mahcatawaiuwh
Eat (Manger) Mecher
See (Voir) Vunamun
Hear (Entendre) Nowwuntamen

Click here to see these vocabulary words in related Algonquian languages: Algonquian Indian Words



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