The words of Anishinaabemowin are richly structured. Many concepts that are expressed in English with separate words occur in Anishinaabemowin as prefixes or suffixes attached to the word they are associated with. There are three basic categories of word components that are relevant to spelling, prefixes, preverbs and prenouns, and indivisible elements.

Preverbs and Prenouns. Both verbs and nouns can have various classes of...

Prefixes. There is a very small group of prefixes that are used to indicate the person (first, second, third) of the subjects and objects of verbs, and the possessor/relater of nouns. These personal prefixes have the basic forms /ni-/, /gi-/ and /o-/, for first, second, and third person, respectively. When they are attached to bases that begin with vowels, however, they usually take a link-consonant, /d/, as in gidanokii, 'you (sg.) are working,' (with base /anokii/, vai, 'work'). The link-consonant has a simple function, to separate the vowel of the prefix and that of the base. While many elements can be attached to the front of nouns and verbs, only personal prefixes show this link-consonant behavior. Prefixes are always Prefixes are always written directly attached to their bases, e.g., nimino-ayaa, 'I am well,' gimino-ayaa

Individible Word Parts. Many words have obvious structural components, some of which...