| Word Components: Initials and Finals, /-biisaa/ |
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One of the ways to describe rain is by attaching a variety of descriptive elements to the ending /-biisaa/ (in some northern dialects, /-biisaan/, such as /dak/ 'cold,' and /biij/, 'coming towards (speaker).' These descriptive elements are called initials, especially if they themselves are made up of component parts or represent independent words, or roots, if they are indivisible and never occur as a word alone. The endings they attach to such as /-biisaa/ are called finals. Finals usually determine the part of speech of a word, and it is common for there to be word pairs, one pertaining to animates and the other to inanimates, differing in their finals. The following table illustrates the way that initials (roots) combine with finals such as /-biisaa/ to make Anishinaabemowin words. Some roots show minor alternations in their forms, such a varying in their last consonant, often between /d/ and /j/, as in /biid/ versus /biij/, 'towards speaker; to here.' Usually the /j/ shows up before /i/ and /ii/, and /d/ elsewhere (but especially /a/ and /aa/).
The illustrative vocabulary used in the table comes from several different dialects, but is for the most part quite general.
| dakibiisaa |
there is cold rain |
dak biisaa cold rain dakishin vai cool off dakisin vii cool off dakizi vai be cool dakaa vii be cool dakaanimad vii be cold wind dakininjii vai have a cold hand |
| biijibiisaa |
the rain is coming this way |
biij biisaa toward.here rain biidaashi vai be blown here biidaasin vii be blown here biidaashkaa vii waves come to shore biijibatoo vai run here biijidaabii vai drag here biijikawe vai come leaving tracks |
| bimibiisaa |
the rain moves along |
bim biisaa along rain bimaanakwad vii clouds go along bimose vai walk along bimikawe vai go along making tracks bimise vai/ii fly along bimipon vii snow goes along bimibizo vai speed along |
| animibiisaa |
the rain moves away |
anim biisaa away rain animibatoo vai run away animaashi vai blow away animibizo vai speed away animidaabii vai drag away animaapi vai go away laughing animaanakwad vii clouds go away |
| madwebiisaa |
rain is heard |
madwe biisaa sound rain madwekwadin vii be heard cracking (ice) madwetaa vai be heard in an activity madwegamide vii make noise boiling |
| bagamibiisaa |
rain is on the way |
bagam biisaa arrive rain bagamibatoo vai arrive running bagamise vai arrive flying bagamoode vai arrive crawling bagamose vai arrive walking bagamaapi vai arrive laughing |
| awanibiisaa |
there is sprinkling rain, mist |
awan biisaa misty rain awan vii be foggy |
| maajibiisaa |
it begins to rain |
maaj biisaa start rain maajiibatoo vai start to run, run off maadaanimad vii wind picks up maadoode vai crawls off maadaajimo vai start to tell maadanokii vai start to work |
| ishkwaabiisaa |
it stops raining |
ishkwaa biisaa after rain ishkwaataa vai stop an activity ishkwejaagan na last-born child ishkwaayaanimad vii wind dies down ishkwaagamizige vai stop boiling sap |