Documentation:RelLex/Mi'kmaw FirstVoices

Mi'kmaw FirstVoices

Relational Lexicography Knowledgebase
About RelLex
An index of under-resourced North American language references, including print and digital dictionaries.
Browse by
Dictionaries Languages
About the Knowledgebase
Find our filterable Knowledgebase of dictionaries and lexicography technology at https://knowledgebase.arts.ubc.ca/.

Language Name

Mi'kmaq.

Alternate Language Names

Mi'kmawi'simk, Micmac, Migmaw, Mikmaw, Míkmaq, Míkmaw, Mìgmao, Lnuismk, L'nui'suti.

Region

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada; Massachusetts and Maine, United States.

Who

Potlotek First Nation.

Others Involved

This dictionary was built using FirstVoices, from the First Peoples' Cultural Council. Others involved, such as speakers and language recorders, are cited in individual entries.

Publishing Information

There is no information on when this dictionary was launched or updated. This dictionary is published on the FirstVoices platform.

How People are Cited

Speakers are cited by name (sometimes just their first name) in the entry acknowledgements and in the information section of audio files.

How Information is Cited

The source of the entry is cited in the entry acknowledgements.

Where is Information Coming from

This dictionary is a multimedia website, and includes images and audio. It is built using the FirstVoices platform.

Tools and Framework used

This is an online, multimedia dictionary that uses images and audio files.

Access

This dictionary is open access.

Included Languages and Directionality

Mi'kmaq to English. The search function works in either direction.

Dialects Included

This is a dictionary of Mi'kmaq as spoken on Chapel Island (Potlotek).

Type of Dictionary

This is a bilingual, multidirectional, online multimedia dictionary.

How are Entries Organised

Entries in this dictionary can be browsed alphabetically by Mi'kmaq under Words, or by selecting a specific letter under Alphabet. Entries can also be viewed according to topic under Categories, where each category contains an alphabetical list of entries. When browsing, entries are displayed in rows that list the Mi'kmaq headword, a button to play the audio, the English gloss, and the type of entry (eg: Word, Phrase). Clicking on an entry causes a pop-up to appear that displays the full entry. Each pop-up lists the Mi'kmaq headword, the English gloss, the audio file and the name of the speaker who contributed it, the category the word is organised under, any images associated with the entry, and an Acknowledgement where speakers and Elders are listed.

This dictionary also includes phrases and sentence examples, which can be browsed under Phrases in the same ways as the word entries. Each phrase entry displays the Mi'kmaq phrase, a button to play the audio, and the English translation. When clicked on, a pop-up window appears that displays the Mi'kmaq phrase, the English translation, the audio file and the name of the speaker who contributed it, the category the phrase is organised under, any images associated with the entry, and an Acknowledgement where speakers and Elders are listed.

This website also includes stories, songs, language learning games, and a Mi'kmaq keyboard extension with installation instructions.

Other Features

Feature	Included	More Information
Guide to use and understand	❌
Audio	✅	Included in entries
Images	✅	Included in entries
Example phrases	✅	Included as separate entries
Speakers marked	✅	Cited in entries
Dialects marked	❌	Only one dialect included

External Links

View the Mi'kmaw FirstVoices dictionary on the FirstVoices website: https://www.firstvoices.com/mikmaw/