-mënshi
Unami
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Algonquian *-eminšy (“plant”).
Root
-mënshi anim or inan (plural inanimate -mënshia, plural animate -mënshiàk)
- plant; tree (usually used to denote the plant producing a seed, fruit or berry etc. rather than the produced seed itself)
Usage notes
- While terms for plants in Unami are generally animate, the plural is in the inanimate. As such, it is not consistent which animacy class derived nouns fall into.
- The inanimate suffix is likely a remnant from the Proto-Algonquian *-eminšya, which was animate (see *aʔsena·minšya) but more closely resembles Unami's inanimate plural.
Derived terms
- ahshikëmënshi (“fern”)
- ahsënamënshi (“maple tree”)
- ahtuhwimënshi (“unknown kind of medicinal herb”)
- amànkanakwimënshi (“variety of oak”)
- anshikëmënshi (“yarrow tree”)
- kaxkamunimënshi (“hackberry tree”)
- kikishimënshi (“pin oak tree”)
- mwimënshi (“black cherry tree”)
- mùxulhemënshi (“tuliptree”)
- opimënshi (“chestnut tree”)
- pàkchèmunshi (“Kentucky coffeetree”)
- salaxtekwimënshi (“burr oak”)
- shimënshi (“hickory tree”)
- sipuwasimënshi (“plum tree”)
- thakòhtëwimënshi (“catalpa tree”)
- tìtpanimënshi (“hickory tree”)
- tùkwimënshi (“black walnut tree”)
- wisahkimënshi (“grapevine”)
- òkhatimënshi (“mulberry tree”)
- ònàxkwimënshi (“unknown kind of oak”)
Unami terms suffixed with -mënshi