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A Guide to the Writing System Used in Our Books

This is a guide to how to read the writing system in the Ggékyamnanêk Wdathmownëwan (Our Elders’ Stories) Project. The writing system is based on the one traditionally used by Jim Thunder. The writing system was expanded to include a series of diacritics over the e's to differentiate their pronunciation, as well as a contrast between th and tth 

Consonants

a

b

tth

d

e

ê

ë

ė

é

g

gw

h

i

th

k

kw

m

n

o

p

s

sh

t

w

y

z

zh

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

as in

father, hot, bond

bitter, break, cob

child, beach

day, dry, red

hit, bit, witch

hook, shook, book

duck, bun, sum

bet, ten, hen

hat, sap, cat

goat, grass, dog

guava, guacamole

hockey, how, ham

beets, feet, neat

uh-oh

judge, Jets

king, clam, sack

queen, quick

memories, sum, smooth

nice, untold, noon

boat, bone, home

Potawatomi, splash, pop

soap, story, cats

shirt, fish, sushi

tornado, tomato, hot

wine, Winnipeg

yellow, yummy

zoo, fuzz, dogs

measure 

IPA

[a]

[b]

[ʧ]

[d]

[ɪ]

[ʊ]

[ə]

[ɛ]

[æ]

[g]

[gw]

[h]

[i]

[ʔ]

[ʤ] 

[k]

[kw]

[m]

[n]

[o]

[p]

[s]

[ʃ]

[t]

[w]

[y]

[z]

[ʒ]

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