Chapter 2 Quiz — Akiing: Numbers, Colors & Animate-Inanimate¶
Part A — Multiple Choice (10 questions, 2 points each)¶
1. What is the Ojibwe word for the number 5?
A) Niiwin
B) Niizh
C) Naanan
D) Niswi
Answer: C — Naanan
2. Which suffix marks an ANIMATE plural in Ojibwe?
A) -an
B) -wag or -ag
C) -in
D) -iin
Answer: B — -wag or -ag
Animate plurals use -wag or -ag. Inanimate plurals use -an.
3. Wild rice (manoomin) is grammatically _____ in Ojibwe.
A) Animate
B) Inanimate
C) Neither — plants have no animacy
D) It depends on context
Answer: A — Animate
Manoomin is animate because it is considered a relative and a gift with spirit in Anishinaabe worldview.
4. Which demonstrative means 'this' for an INANIMATE noun?
A) wa'aw
B) o'ow
C) a'aw
D) i'iw
Answer: B — o'ow
- wa'aw = this (animate) | o'ow = this (inanimate)
- a'aw = that (animate) | i'iw = that (inanimate)
5. Colors in Ojibwe function grammatically as:
A) Adjectives that follow the noun
B) Adjectives that precede the noun
C) Verbs that describe the state of a noun
D) Adverbs modifying other verbs
Answer: C — Verbs
Colors in Ojibwe are intransitive verbs. You say "the bear is-red" not "the red bear."
6. How do you say 'ten' in Ojibwe?
A) Ingodwaaswi
B) Naanan
C) Midaaswi
D) Niizhtana
Answer: C — Midaaswi
Niizhtana = twenty.
7. What does the word manoomin tell us about how the Ojibwe relate to wild rice?
A) It is a food crop with no special status
B) It is sacred but still considered inanimate
C) It is considered a living relative deserving protection
D) It is only important economically
Answer: C — a living relative deserving protection
The animate status of manoomin reflects its standing as a relative, not merely a resource.
8. Which of the following nouns is typically INANIMATE in Ojibwe?
A) makwa (bear)
B) ishkwaandem (door)
C) migizi (eagle)
D) manoomin (wild rice)
Answer: B — ishkwaandem (door)
9. What is the Ojibwe word for 100?
A) Midaaswaak
B) Naanimidana
C) Ningodwaak
D) Niizhtana
Answer: C — Ningodwaak
Midaaswaak = 1,000.
10. How does knowing animacy help with plural formation?
A) Animate nouns always use -an
B) Animate nouns use -wag/-ag; inanimate nouns use -an
C) Animacy has no effect on plurals
D) Only inanimate nouns form plurals
Answer: B
Part B — Fill in the Blank (3 questions, 5 points each)¶
11. The Ojibwe word for "seven" is: ___
Answer to Question 11
Niizhwaaswi (lit. "two from six")
12. In Ojibwe grammar, the key difference between animate and inanimate nouns affects three things: plural suffixes, _______, and verb agreement.
Answer to Question 12
Demonstratives (wa'aw/o'ow/a'aw/i'iw)
Also acceptable: color verb forms, which verbs can be used with the noun.
13. The animate color form for "it is white" is ___, while the inanimate form is ___.
Answer to Question 13
Animate: waabishkaa
Inanimate: waabishkan
Part C — Short Answer (3 questions, 10 points each)¶
14. Count from 1 to 10 in Ojibwe. Write each number with its Ojibwe spelling.
Answer to Question 14
1 — bezhig | 2 — niizh | 3 — niswi | 4 — niiwin | 5 — naanan
6 — ingodwaaswi | 7 — niizhwaaswi | 8 — ishwaaswi | 9 — zhaangaswi | 10 — midaaswi
15. In your own words, explain the animate/inanimate distinction in Ojibwe. Give TWO examples of nouns that might surprise an English speaker (one animate, one inanimate), and explain what this distinction tells us about Anishinaabe worldview. (4–6 sentences)
Answer to Question 15
Strong answers will: (1) explain that animate/inanimate is a grammatical category; (2) note it does not map perfectly onto English "living/non-living"; (3) give a surprising animate noun (manoomin, asin if ceremonial, opwaagan/pipe, etc.) and a surprising inanimate noun (many body parts, rocks in general, etc.); (4) connect to worldview — animacy marks things with spirit, agency, or relational significance in Anishinaabe understanding.
16. Explain the AIS 112 significance of wild rice (manoomin) to Ojibwe people today. How does the Ojibwe language reflect the status of wild rice, and what are the legal/treaty dimensions of protecting it? (4–6 sentences)
Answer to Question 16
Strong answers will include: manoomin is animate (a living relative); treaty rights from 1837/1842/1854 protect Ojibwe harvesting rights; these rights were reaffirmed in Lac Courte Oreilles v. Voigt (1983); pipeline and pollution threats frame opposition as family protection, not just environmentalism; language encodes the relational status of wild rice.
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