Correspondences of Ojibwe and Cree Sounds
 and Proto-Algonquian,
as described by Leonard Bloomfield in
Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology  # 6 (New York - 1946)
with modifications proposed by Ives Goddard in
The west-to-east cline in Algonquian dialectology 
(Actes du 25e Congrès des Algonquinistes, 1994)

 

VOWELS, SEMIVOWELS
P-A Cr Oj Proto-Algonquian Gloss Cree Ojibwe
a a a *aθemwa dog atim anim, animosh
e i i *aθemwa dog atim anim, animosh
i i i *pema·tesiwa he lives pimâtisiw bimaadizi
o, 
we		 o o *wetehkomari his louse otihkoma odikoman
a· â aa *pema·tesiwa he lives pimâtisiw bimaadizi
e· ê e *se·kesiwa he is afraid sêkisiw zegizi
i· î ii *ni·myiwa he dances nîmiw niimi
o· ô oo *no·hko my grandmother! nôhko nooko
CyaC CyaC CiiC *aqsenyari stones asiniya, asiniyak asiniin, asiniig
Cya· Câ Caa *kya·ta·wa he hides it kâtâw o-gaadoon
       for -y- CF Ojibwe odaabaan vs Potawatomi dabyan
šye· sê zhe *ašye·namwa he pushes it back asênam od-azhenaan
Cye· Cê Cii *pye·ta·wa he brings it pêtaw o-biidoon
                       for -y- CF Potawatomi wde-byédon
twi to di *pi·ntwike·wa he enters a lodge pîhtokêw biindige
rwi yo ni
Cwi Co Cwi *akwinte·wi it is is water akohtêw agwinde

 

SIMPLE CONSONANTS
P-A Cr Oj Proto-Algonquian Gloss Cree Ojibwe
p p b *papa·meška·wa he goes about papâmiskâw babaamishkaa
t t d *mete·wiwa he takes part in the Mide mitêwiw midewi
k k g *wekima·wa chief okimâw ogimaa
č c j *wi·čye·we·wa he accompanies him wîcêwêw o-wiijiiwaan
s s z *kosekwanwi it is heavy kosikwan gozigwan
š s zh *ešihšinwa he falls so isisin izhishin
θ t n *eθa·piwa he looks thus itâpiw inaabi
r y n *erenyiwa man iyiniw inini
n n n *nenepe I die ninipin ninib
m m m *name·wa sturgeon namêw name
h h ' *ešihe·wa he makes him so isîhêw od-izhi'aan

 

CONSONANT CLUSTERS
P-A Cr Oj Proto-Algonquian Gloss Cree Ojibwe
mp hp mb *wempenamwa he lifts him up ohpinam od-ombinaan
hp hp p *ko·hpačihe·wa he ruins him kôhpacihêw o-goopaji'aan
sp,
čp		 sp p *ato·spowa he eats from upon something atôspow adoopo
šp sp shp *ešpemenki up above ispimihk ishpiming
nt ht nd *akwinte·wi it is in water akohtêw agwinde
ht ht t *ešihta·wa he makes it so isîhtâw od-izhitoon
qt st t *aqta·wa he places it astâw od-atoon
št st sht *weštikwa·ni his head ostikwân oshtigwaan
nk hk ng *tankeškawe·wa he kicks him tahkiskawêw o-dangishkawaan
hk hk k *no·hkomehsa my grandmother nôhkôm nookomis
sk,
θk		 sk k *askyi earth askiy aki
rk hk sk *merkosiwa he is red mihkosiw,
mihtkosiw (Swampy)		 miskozi
čk, 
šk		 sk shk *tankeškawe·wa he kicks him tahkiskawêw o-dangishkawaan
nč hc nj *wenči·wa he comes from there ohcîw onjii
hč hc ch *ešihčike·wa he makes things so isîhcikêw izhichike
qč sc ch *keqči big kisci gichi
ns s nz *wensa·pame·wa he sees him from there osâpemêw od-onzaabamaan
hs,
qs		 s s *nemihsa
*nekwiqsa		 my elder sister,
my son		 nimis,
nikosis		 nimisenh,
ningwis, ningos
nš s nzh *neški·nšekwi my eye niskîsik nishkiinzhig
hš,
qš		 s sh *wemehšoomehsari,
*kawenskwaqšiwa		 his grandfather,
he is sleepy		 omosôma,
kawihkwasiw		 omishoomisan,
gawingwashi
nθ ht n *-ahanθe·wa trail/track [wan]ahahtêw o-[bim]a'anaan
hθ ht s *ešihθenwi it falls so isihtin izhisin
qθ st s *koqθe·wa he fears him kostêw o-gosaan
nr hy,
h, y		 n *wi·nre·wa he names him wîhêw o-wiinaan
hr hy,
h, y		 s *le·hre·wa he breathes yêhyêw nese
qr hy,
h, y		 s aqre·wa he places him ahêw od-asaan

remark 1:
Bloomfield: "Clusters of two consonants occur medially. They consist of ordinary consonants preceded by obscure elements which we render by arbitrary symbols."

remark 2:
The correspondence between e.g. Cree sk and Ojibwe shk is as such not a reason to reconstruct two different P.A. clusters (čk and šk). This reason for these reconstructions originates with other Algonquian languages that have different reflexes for these two clusters (e.g. Fox, Menominee).

remark 3:
A number of derivational processes point in some cases to a less obscure origin that the one mentioned in remark 1; e.g. 
sp < t-p        *wi·t-pe·- > *wi·spe·me·wa ; Oj. o-wiipemaan, he sleeps with him 
sp < θ-p        *eθ-pahto·- > *espahta·wa  ; Oj. ipatoo, he runs thither   
θk < t-k,       *ki·šekat-ki > *ki·šekaθki ; Oj. giizhigak, when it is day
nk < n-k        *kemiwan-ki > *kemiwanki   ; Oj. gimiwang, when it rains