List of Ainu terms

The Ainu language of the Ainu people is distinct from those of the people around them.

The list is ordered alphabetically by romanization.

A

• a- (ア) - a verbal prefix for indicating the passive voice
  • arayke (アラィケ) - to be killed
• aca (アチャ) - father; uncle; a middle-aged man (Ainu aca may mean either "father" or "uncle" depending on the dialect)
  • acapo (アチャポ) - uncle (also acipo アチポ in some dialects)
• ahun (アフン) - [sing.] to enter
  • ahup (アフㇷ゚) - [pl.] to enter
• ak （アㇰ）- younger brother (possessed form aki or akihi)
  • ku-aki (クアキ) - my younger brother
• akam (アカㇺ) - a disk, a ring-shaped object
  • turep-akam (トゥレプアカㇺ) - a donut-shaped cake made from the dregs that remain after extracting starch from the bulbs of Cardiocrinum cordatum (the turep-akam is hung up to dry and kept for times when food is scarce)
• am (アㇺ) - claw, talon; nail (of a finger or a toe)
  • ampayaya (アㇺパヤヤ) - crab; cripple, a person whose ambulatory faculty is somehow impaired
  • amuspe (アムㇱペ) - crab
• am
  • amset (アㇺセッ) - bed (for sleeping)
  • amso (アㇺソ) - floor
• amam (アㇺアㇺ、アマㇺ) - cereals, cereal grains; rice (also amama アママ in some dialects; cf. Japanese mama ~ manma "cooked rice")
  • si'amam (シアマㇺ) - rice (also シヤマㇺ siyamam)
• ampari (アンパリ) - netting needle (cf. Japanese amibari ~ abari "netting needle")
• an (アン) - [sing.] to be (in a certain place), to exist (suppletive plural form is オカィ okay or オカ oka)
• an (アン)
  • ankes (アンケㇱ) - night's end, the time just before daybreak, the predawn hour (< Ainu an "night" + Ainu kes "end")
  • annoski (アンノㇱキ) - midnight (annoske in some Ainu dialects)
• anun (アヌン) - stranger, outsider; guest; another person, someone else('s), not oneself, not one's own
  • anun-kur (アヌンクㇽ) - a person who has come from some other locality or group
• antuki (アントゥキ) - azuki bean (cf. Japanese azuki "azuki bean" < *aduki)
• apa (アパ) - doorway
• ape (アペ) - fire
  • Ape-Huci-Kamuy (アペフチカムィ) - name of the Ainu fire god (literally, "Fire-Grandmother-Deity")
• apkas (アㇷ゚カㇱ) - to walk
• apto (アㇷ゚ト) - rain; [dial.] storm, thunderstorm (pronounced as ahto in some dialects)
• apu (アプ) - ice drift, sea ice (also ap in some dialects)
• arka (アラカ) - painful, sore, hurting (in some dialects pronounced as araka or arga)
• as (アㇱ) - [sing.] to stand; to fall (as rain, snow, etc.), to blow (as wind), to be produced, to be made, to be heard (as a sound, a voice, etc.); to stop, to come to a stop, to stand still; to become closed, to become shut
  • asi (アシ) - to close, to shut (a door, etc.)
• asam (アサㇺ) - bottom; depths; foundation (also asama アサマ in some dialects)
• asik
  • asikne (アシㇰネ) - five, to be five (in number)
    • asiknep (アシㇰネㇷ゚) - five things
• asir (アシㇼ) - to be new (cf. Nivkh c'ir "new," Tibetan gsar > sar "new, fresh," Japanese ara "new" ~ sara "brand new, never used; again, further, moreover," Korean say > [sɛ] "new," Chinese 新 xīn "new," etc.)
• askepet (アㇱケペッ) - finger (possessed form アㇱケペチ askepeci or アㇱケペチヒ askepecihi; a variant form, アㇱペケㇳ aspeket, also occurs)
• aspa (アㇱパ) - to be deaf
  • aspap (アㇱパㇷ゚) - a deaf person, one who is unable to hear (cf. Japanese aho ~ ahō, [dial.] appā "a mute, a deaf-mute, a person who is unable to speak (and/or hear); an idiot, a fool, a dummy")
• at (アッ) - string, cord; elm fiber; bail (of a pot)
  • atni (アッニ) - Manchurian elm, Ulmus laciniata
  • attus (アットゥㇱ) - traditional Ainu coat made from fibers harvested from the bark of the Manchurian elm or the Japanese linden (probably < Ainu at "elm fiber" + Ainu rus "fur, hide, skin (of an animal)") [1]
• atte (アッテ) - [v.t.] to hang (it), to hang up, to suspend
• atu (アトゥ) - to vomit
• atusa (アトゥサ) - naked, bare
• atuy (アトゥィ) - sea, ocean (also アトゥィカ atuyka or アトゥィソ atuyso in some dialects)
• aw (アゥ) - tongue (possessed form awe or awehe)
• ay (アィ) - thorn; arrow (possessed form aye or ayehe)
  • aycaro (アィチャロ) - nock of an arrow
  • ayrap (アィラㇷ゚) - feathers of an arrow, fletching
  • aysup (アィスㇷ゚) - shaft of an arrow
• aya (アヤ) - grain (of wood); lines, pattern of lines (on the palm of a hand) (cf. Japanese aya "figure, design; artifice, technique, figure (of speech); (to play) cat's cradle (with strings)")
• ay'ay (アィアィ) - babe, infant
• aykap (アィカㇷ゚) - to be inept, to be clumsy, to be unskillful, to be poor (at doing something)
• aynu (アィヌ) - person; human, mankind; the traditional name for the Ainu people; man, adult male, father, husband
  • Aynu-Mosir (アィヌモシㇼ) - the land of humans; the earth; Hokkaidō
• aype (アィペ) - abalone (cf. Japanese awabi "abalone")

C

• cape (チャペ) - cat (cf. Aomori, Akita, and Yamagata Japanese dialects chape ちゃぺ or chappe ちゃっぺ "cat")
• car (チャラ) - mouth (possessed form caro ~ caroho; probably a doublet with Ainu paro "mouth")
• caranke (チャランケ) - appeal (n)
• casi (チャシ) - fence; enclosure; fortress, castle (possibly from Ainu *ci-as-i "we close/shut; we cause to stand"; however, cf. Middle Korean 잣/자시 cas(i) 城 "walled city; castle, fortress")
• cep (チェㇷ゚) - fish (also ciep チエㇷ゚ in some dialects; supposedly derived from Ainu *ci-e-pe "that which we eat, the thing(s) that we eat")
• ci (チ) - penis, a male's private parts (possessed form ciye or ciyehe)
• ci- (チ) - we, a prefix that indicates a first person plural subject or possessor
• cikap (チカㇷ゚) - bird, [esp.] owl (cf. Chikap Kamuy)
• cikuni (チクニ) - tree; wood, wooden (cf. Nivkh ciγr ~ -ziγr "tree")
• cip (チㇷ゚) - canoe, boat, ship
• cipor (チポロ) - roe, fish eggs
• cir (チㇼ) - bird
• cironnup (チロンヌㇷ゚ ) - fox
• cis (チㇱ) - to cry, to weep, to howl
  • cis-konci (チㇱコンチ) - a kerchief worn for a certain duration by a woman who has been bereaved of her husband; a widow's mourning headdress
• cise (チセ) - house/home
• ciw (チゥ) - tide; current (of a stream or of the sea); wave(s), ripple(s)
• ciw (チゥ) - to stab, to pierce
• cuk （チュㇰ) - autumn
• cup （チュㇷ゚) - luminary, sun, moon; month

E

• e (エ) - [v.t.] to eat
• e- (エ) - you, your (second person singular prefix)
  • eani (エア二) - you (as a separate word)
• e'en (エエン) - to be sharp
• ek (エㇰ) - [sing.] to come
• ekasi (エカシ) - grandfather; old man (エカㇱ ekas in some dialects)
• emus (エムㇱ) - sword (possessed form エムシ emusi or エムシヒ emusihi)
• epuy (エプィ) - sprout, bud; flower (エプィケ epuyke in some dialects; generally, the meaning of this word is either "sprout, bud" or otherwise "flower" depending on the dialect)
• erum (エルㇺ) - mouse, rat (also エレㇺ erem, エルム ermu, erumu, or エルムン erumun depending on the dialect)
• esaman (エサマン) - river otter
• ecinke (エチンケ) - turtle, tortoise (エチンケゥ ecinkew in some dialects)
• etu (エトゥ) - nose; beak; a projecting tip of anything, the end (of a projecting part)

H

• hacir (ハチリ) - to fall
  • hacire (ハチレ) - to make fall, to knock over
• ham (ハㇺ) - leaf (possessed form hamu or hamuhu)
• hanke (ハンケ) - to be near
• hanku (ハンク) - navel (dialectal variants include hankapu ハンカプ, hankapuy ハンカプィ, hanka ハンカ, hanko ハンコ)
• hapo (ハポ) - mother
• hapur (ハプㇽ) - to be weak, to be soft, to be gentle, to be quiet (also アプㇽ apur in some dialects)
• harki (ハㇻキ) - left (左) (dialectal variants include harke ハㇻケ)
  • harki-sam (ハㇻキサㇺ) - left side
• haw (ハゥ) - voice (possessed form hawe ハウェ or hawehe ハウェへ)
  • hawean (ハウェアン) -[sing.] to say, to speak
  • haweoka (ハウェオカ) - [pl.] to say, to speak
• hayta (ハィタ) - not to be enough, to be insufficient, to come short of, to be lacking; to decrease; to be stupid, to be foolish
  • haytap (ハィタㇷ゚) - a fool
• hekaci (ヘカチ) - child (esp. a male one), boy, lad; son (also エカチ ekaci in some dialects; the plural form *hekaci-utar or *ekaci-utar may be fused to hekattar or ekattar and used as if singular)
• hem (ヘㇺ)
  • hemanta (へマンタ) - what? (dialectal variants include hemata へマタ)
  • hempakpe (ヘンパㇰペ) - how many (things)? (in some older documents, this word is also recorded as hempak)
  • hempara (ヘンパラ) - when? (in some dialects, ネンパラ nempara may be used instead of hempara; cf. Ainu pa "year; season")
• hese (ヘセ) - to breathe; to sigh
• hok (ホㇰ) - to buy (dialectal variants include hoh ホㇷ)
• hoku (ホク) - husband (possessed form hokuhu; dialectal variants include oku(hu))
• hom (ホㇺ) - a knot (in wood); a joint (of bamboo)
  • nihom (ニホㇺ) - a knot in wood, a knot in a tree (possessed form nihomi ニホミ; in some dialects, the two morphemes that compose this compound are maintained as separate words, i.e. ni hom instead of nihom)
  • tophom (トㇷ゚ホㇺ) - a joint of bamboo (in some dialects, this form is maintained as two separate words, i.e. top hom instead of tophom)
• homar (ホマㇻ) - to be vague, to be faint, to be indistinct, to be dim (also オマㇻ omar in some dialects)
• hon (ホン) - belly, abdomen, stomach (possessed form honi ホニ or honihi ホニヒ)
• horkew (ホㇿケゥ) - wolf (also horokew in some dialects)
• horse (ホㇿセ) - to rot, to decay; to be rotten, to be stinking, to be stale, to be sour (also ホㇱセ hosse)
• hot (ホッ) - twenty (used in counting)
  • hotne (ホッネ) - (to be) twenty
    • hotnen (ホッネン) - twenty persons
    • hotnep (ホッネㇷ゚) - twenty things
• hoynu (ホィヌ) - marten, sable
• hu (フ) - to be alive, to be living (said of a plant); to be raw, to be fresh, to be green
• huci (フチ) - grandmother; old woman (also フッチ hutci in some dialects)
• hum (フㇺ) - sound, noise (possessed form フミ humi or フミヒ humihi)
• humpe (フンペ) - whale
• hunara
  • ehunara (エフナラ) - to envy, to be jealous of
  • ipehunara (イペフナラ) - to be stingy with food, to be reluctant to give food (to another person, etc.)
• hur (フㇽ) - hill, mountain
• hura (フラ) - a smell
  • hura at (フラ　アッ) - to smell, to be/become smelly/fragrant
  • hura nu (フラ　ヌ) - to smell, to sense a smell
• huraye (フライェ) - to wash
• hure (フレ) - (to be) red
• husko (フㇱコ) - to be old, to be longstanding
• huttat (フッタッ) - bamboo grass (also フタッ hutat, フラㇱ huras, ウラㇱ uras, or フル huru depending on the dialect)

A collection of inaw

I

• ikka (イㇰカ) - to steal (also イㇱカ iska in some dialects)
  • ikkap (イㇰカㇷ゚) - thief
  • ikkakamuy (イㇰカカムィ) - thief
• ikuspe (イクㇱペ) - pillar, column
• imeru (イメル) - lightning
• inaw (イナゥ) - sacred shaved stick, symbolizing a bird, used for prayer [2]
• ine (イネ)
  • inen (イネン) - four persons
  • inep (イネㇷ゚) - four things
• iomante (イオマンテ) - the Ainu bear festival [3] (sometimes pronounced as イヨマンテ iyomante, イヨマンデ iyomande, etc.; from i- ("it, something, someone," a prefix for vaguely indicating the object of a verb) + oman (to go) + -te (causative suffix))
• ipe （イペ） - [v.i.] to eat, to have a meal; [n.] fish (especially the likes of salmon, trout, or sturgeon)
  • somo ku-ipe na (ソモ　クイペ　ナ) - I won't eat.
• ipetam (イペタㇺ) - legendary Ainu sword [4]
• ironne (イロンネ) - thick (as a flattish object)
• isam (イサㇺ) - not to exist, not to be, not to have; to be gone, not to be there anymore; to die (semantically equivalent to Japanese 無い, なくなる, or （～て）しまう)
• isepo (イセポ) - rabbit, hare (イソポ isopo in some dialects)
• itak (イタㇰ) - language
• iwan (イワン) - six; many
  • iwanpe (イワンペ) - six things, six animals, six persons
  • iwaniw (イワニゥ) - six persons
• iwaw (イワゥ) - sulfur (cf. Japanese iō "sulfur" < iwau ?< Chinese 硫磺 liúhuáng "sulfur, brimstone")

K

• ka (カ) - cord, thread, yarn; trap (possessed form kaha)
• ka (カ) - above, over, up
  • kanna (カンナ) - [adj.] upper
  • kata (カタ) - atop, on top of, over, above (< ka + locative case marker -ta)
• kam (カㇺ) - meat, flesh (possessed form kami or kamihi)
• kampi (カンピ) - paper; a letter, a missive (cf. Japanese kami "paper" and tegami "a letter, a missive" < te "hand; handwriting" + kami "paper")
  • kampi-sos (カンピソㇱ) - book (< Japanese kami "paper" + obsolete Sino-Japanese 冊子 *sakusi > *sausi > sōshi "book")
• kamtaci (カㇺタチ) - malt (cf. Japanese *kamutati > kōji "malt")
  • kamtacisakpe (カㇺタチサㇰペ) - a witless person
• kamuy (カムィ) - god, deity, spirit; bear; used as an element in some descriptive, euphemistic, or honorific names of animals and in some words that describe persons who characteristically perform a certain action or behave in a certain manner (cf. Japanese *kamui > (Old Japanese) kamï > kami 'god')
  • Kamuy-Kara-Puto-Ya-Mosir (カムィカラプトヤモシㇼ) - supposedly means "mouth of water"; refers to Karafuto, or the mouth of the Amur River
  • Kamuy-Mosir (カムィモシㇼ) - "Land of the Gods"; heaven
  • kamuy-nomi (カムィノミ) - to pray to the gods
• kani (カニ) - metal, [esp.] iron (カネ kane in Saru and Chitose dialects; cf. Japanese kane "metal; money")
  • konkani (コンカニ) - gold (コンカネ konkane in Saru and Chitose dialects; cf. obsolescent Japanese kogane "gold" < Old Japanese *kogane ~ *kugane)
  • sirokani (シロカニ) - silver (シロカネ sirokane in Saru and Chitose dialects; cf. obsolescent Japanese shirogane "silver" < Old Japanese *sirokane)
• kanto (カント) - sky, heaven
• kap (カㇷ゚) - skin, fur, rind, peel, bark, outer covering of anything (possessed form kapu or kapuhu)
  • kapkar (カㇷ゚カㇻ) - to skin, to peel, to remove the rind, to strip the bark
• kapap (カパㇷ゚) - bat (the flying mammal) (cf. Proto-Japanese *kapapori > Modern Japanese kōmori "bat")
• kapar (カパㇻ) - to be thin (as a flattish object)
• kapiw (カピゥ) - seagull
• kar (カㇻ) - to make, to prepare, to produce, to do; to peel (a rind); to put (a lid) on (a pot)
• karku (カㇻク) - nephew
• karus (カルㇱ) - mushroom
• katkemat (カッケマッ) - [honorific] wife; lady, woman of means or high status
• kawkaw (カゥカゥ) - hail, sleet
• kay (カィ) - to break (a long object, such as a bone), to snap
• kem (ケㇺ) - blood
  • kemnu (ケㇺヌ) - to bleed
  • kemorit (ケモリッ) - a blood vessel; a vein or an artery (also kemrit ケㇺリッ)
  • kemus (ケムㇱ) - bloody, covered in blood, having blood all over
• kem (ケㇺ) - shortage of food, famine, hunger, starvation
  • kemekot　(ケメコッ) - to starve to death, to die of hunger
  • kemnoye　(ケㇺノイェ) - to starve to death, to die of hunger
  • kemus (ケムㇱ) - famished, starving; there is/was a famine
• kem (ケㇺ) - a needle
  • kemeyki　(ケメィキ) - to do needlework, to sew
• kema (ケマ) - leg
• ker (ケㇾ) - footwear, shoe, boot (explicitly possessed form ケリ keri)
• kera (ケラ) - taste, flavor
• kes (ケㇱ) - end (explicitly possessed form ケセ kese or ケセへ kesehe)
• kes- (ケㇱ) - every (day, year, etc.)
• ki (キ) - to do
• ki (キ) - louse (esp. head louse)
  • urki (ウㇽキ) - louse
  • tayki (タィキ) - flea
• kikir (キキㇼ) - bug, insect, worm
• kim (キㇺ) - mountain
• kimi (キミ) - maize (cf. Japanese Tōhoku and Oki dialects kimi "maize" < standard Japanese kibi "Proso millet")
• kina (キナ) - grass, herb, (edible or otherwise useful) plant; a kind of mat woven from dried bulrush leaves with decorative patterns executed in cotton cloth
  • sikina (シキナ) - bulrush (< Ainu intensive or reflexive prefix si- "(one)self; true, real; good, fine" + kina)
• kira (キラ) - to run away, to flee, to escape
• kiraw (キラゥ) - horn, antler (explicitly possessed form kirawe キラウェ or kirawehe キラウェへ)
• kiray (キラィ) - comb
• kiror (キロㇿ) - strength, power, ability
• kirpu (キㇼプ) - fatty meat, the fatty part (of a fish's flesh, etc.); fat, lard (cf. Korean gireum "oil, fat, grease, lard, blubber, suet, tallow")
  • kirpu'us (キㇼプウㇱ) - fatty, having plenty of fat on it
• kisar (キサㇻ) - ear
• kitay (キタィ) - top of anything; summit, peak (of a mountain); roof (of a house)
• kito (キト) - an alternative or dialectal name for pukusa (Allium victorialis subsp. platyphyllum)
• kokkasapa (コㇰカサパ) - knee, kneecap
• konci (コンチ) - hat; headscarf
• konru (コンル) - ice; [dial.] hail; [dial.] sleet
• kor (コㇿ) - to hold; to keep; to have
• koraci (コラチ) - like ~, as ~, in the manner of ~
• kore (コレ) - to give (probably from the causative form of Ainu kor "to hold; to have," i.e. *kor-de > kor-e "to cause to hold; to cause to have" > kore "to give")
• Korpokkur (コㇿポㇰクㇽ) - name of a traditional Ainu folktale [5]
• kotan (コタン) - village, settlement; dwelling place
  • Kamuy-Kotan (カムィコタン) - Kamuikotan, a scenic area located in the valley of the Ishikari River (literally, "dwelling place of (a/the) god")
• ku (ク) - bow
• ku (ク) - to drink; to smoke (tobacco, etc.)
• ku- (ク) - I, my (a prefix that is attached to a verbal stem in order to indicate a first person singular subject, or to a nominal stem in order to indicate a first person singular possessor)
  • kuani (クアニ) - I (first person singular pronoun; also pronounced as カニ kani)
• kucan (クチャン) - a female bear
• kumi (クミ) - mold
  • kumius (クミウㇱ) - moldy, rotten and covered in mold
• kunki (クンキ) - nail (cf. Japanese 釘 kugi)
• kunne (クンネ) - black; dark (probably < Ainu kur "shadow" + ne "to be, to become")
  • kunnecup (クンネチュプ) - the Moon (literally, "Dark/Shadowy/Black Luminary")
  • Kunashir (クナシㇼ) - Black (Is)land. Present day Kunashir Island.
• kupa (クパ) - to bite, to nibble
  • kupapa (クパパ) - to bite, to bite and hold on with the teeth (cf. Japanese *kupape- > kuwae- "to hold in the mouth or between the teeth," *kup- > kuw- "to eat; [dial.] to bite")
• kur (クㇽ) - shadow
• kur (クㇽ) - person (cf. Korpokkur, Kuril, and Nivkh kʰuγi "(exonym for the) Ainu")
  • ku-kor kur (クコㇿ　クㇽ) - my husband
• kut (クッ) - belt, girdle, waistband (explicitly possessed form クチ kuci or クチヒ kucihi)
• kuta (クタ) - to spill, to upset; to throw away
• Kutune Shirka (クト゚ネシㇼカ) - name of a sacred Ainu epic
• kuy (クィ) - to chew (also reduplicated to produce クィクィ kuykuy)

M

• ma (マ) - to roast, to broil
• ma (マ) - to swim
• mak (マㇰ) - how (cf. Middle Korean 매 may > Modern Korean 왜 [wɛ] "why; how")
• makiri (マキリ) - knife
• mame (マメ) - bean or pea, pulses, legumes (cf. Japanese mame 'bean, pea, legumes')
• mata （マタ） - winter (also known as the "men's season" for the fact that it is a good time of year for men to hunt for furs)
  • matanoski （マタノシキ） - midwinter
  • matapa (マタパ) - wintertime, the winter season
• mat (マッ) - wife; woman; [as prefix] female (explicitly possessed form マチ maci or マチヒ macihi)
  • matne (マッネ) - female
  • matak (マタㇰ) - younger sister (from an elder sister's point of view)
    • a-mataki (アマタキ) (Classical), ku-mataki (クマタキ) (Colloquial), ku-kor matak (クコㇿ マタㇰ) - my younger sister (said by an elder sister)
  • matkaci (マッカチ) - girl (also マチカチ macikaci in some dialects; < Ainu mat "female" + Ainu hekaci ~ ekaci "child, [esp.] son")
  • matkarku (マッカㇻク) - niece
  • matmit (マッミッ) - granddaughter
• mawsok (マゥソㇰ) - to yawn
• me (メ)
  • me'an (メアン) - to be cold (as the weather)
  • me'ekot (メエコッ) - to freeze to death; to starve due to frigid weather
• mek (メㇰ) - to bark (ミㇰ mik in some dialects)
• mem (メム) - spring, pool, a place where clear water wells up
• menoko (メノコ) - woman; [esp.] young woman; [in some contexts] daughter (cf. Japanese menoko 'woman; girl')
• mi (ミ) - to put on (clothes), to wear on the body
  • amip (アミㇷ゚) - clothes, clothing (literally, "that which is worn on the body")
• mici (ミチ) - father (in some Ainu dialects, mici is formal and means something like "dead father" or "ancestor"; such dialects typically use aca in the regular meaning of "father")
• mim - meat (of fish), flesh (of fish)
• mina (ミナ) - to laugh
• mit - grandchild (retained only in Sakhalin and Kuril Ainu; Hokkaido Ainu dialects universally use the derived form, mitpo, or one of the latter's variants)
  • mitpo - grandchild (also mippo or nitpo)
• mo (モ)
  • mokor (モコㇿ) - to sleep
  • mono (モノ) - quietly
• mom (モㇺ) - to float; to flow (as a river, etc.)
• mori (モリ) - small hill, hillock, slope (cf. Japanese mori "forest; [dial.] Shinto shrine, sacred grove, holy place; [dial.] hill")
• mosir (モシㇼ) - island; land; country, territory; world
• moy (モィ) - eddy, whirlpool; inlet, bay
• moyo (モヨ) - few, little
• moyuk (モユㇰ) - tanuki
• mukar (ムカㇻ) - ax (cf. Ainu makiri "knife," Japanese masakari "broadax")
• mukkuri (ムックリ) - traditional Ainu Jew's harp (also ムックㇽ mukkur, ムフクン muhkun, or ムック mukku depending on the dialect)
• mun (ムン) - grass, weed, (useless) plant; trash, rubbish (cf. Japanese *munta or *muna > muda "useless, ineffectual; waste, wasteful, wastefulness" and Japanese munashi- "to be (in) vain, to be futile")
• munin (ムニン) - to rot, to decay; to be rotten
• muy (ムィ) - winnow (cf. Japanese mi "winnow" < Old Japanese mï < *mui)

N

• nan (ナン) - face (possessed form nanu ナヌ or nanuhu ナヌフ)
  • nanuwen (ナヌウェン) - ugly (literally, "its face is bad")
    • nanuwen-cep (ナヌウェンチェㇷ゚) - sea raven, shaggy sculpin, Hemitripterus villosus
• nanna (ナンナ) - mother (nanna was used in Sakhalin dialects; the variant nonno ノンノ was used by the Kuril Islands Ainu)
• nay (ナィ) - dale, valley (esp. one which has a stream or a marsh); (mountain) stream, brook, river (appears in some Hokkaido place names, e.g. Makomanai and Wakkanai; cf. Middle Korean nay ~ nayh- > Modern Korean [nɛ] "brook, creek, small river")
• ne (ネ) - to be; to become
• ne (ネ)
  • nekone (ネコネ) - What's the matter?, What's wrong?
  • nen (ネン) - who (<*ne niw "what person")
    • nenka (ネンカ) - someone, anyone, no one (e.g. nenka isam "There is no one (at all)")
  • nep (ネプ) - what; something, anything (<*ne pe "what thing")
    • nepka (ネプカ) - something, anything, nothing (e.g. nepka e eram an "Do you know something (about it)?", nepka isam "There is nothing (at all)")
  • newno (ネゥノ) - where, whence, whither
  • neyta (ネィタ) - where, whence, whither
• ni （ニ） - tree; wood
  • ni kapuhu (ニカプフ) - bark of a tree
  • nikara (ニカラ) - a notched log used as a ladder to access an elevated structure
  • nina (ニナ) - to collect firewood
  • nitay (ニタィ) - woods, forest
• ni (ニ) (cf. Korean ni > i "tooth, teeth" and Nivkh nəγs "teeth")
  • nimak (ニマㇰ) - tooth, teeth (mimak or imak in some dialects; possessed form nimaki ~ nimakihi)
  • nirus (ニルㇱ) - gums (of the teeth)
• nis (ニㇱ) - sky, heaven, air; cloud (cf. Nivkh lɨx "sky, weather")
  • niskur (ニㇱクㇽ) - cloud
• nisat (ニサッ) - morning, dawn; tomorrow
• nispa (ニㇱパ) - a master, an owner; a wealthy person, a rich man, the rich; a gentleman, a lord; an honorific title for a man, Mr.
• nisu (ニス) - a mortar (perhaps from Ainu ni "tree; wood" + Ainu su "pot")
• nit (ニッ) - handle; stick, rod; skewer, spit (possessed form ニチ nici)
  • nitne (ニッネ) - to be hard, to be solid, to be firm
• nociw (ノチゥ) - star
• nok (ノㇰ) - egg; testicle (cf. Nivkh ŋóik "egg")
• nokkew (ノッケゥ) - jaw (probably from Ainu not "chin; cape, promontory" + obsolete Ainu *kew "bone")
  • kanna-nokkew (カンナノッケゥ) - upper jaw
• nonno (ノンノ) - flower
• noski (ノㇱキ) - middle, center (variants include noske ノㇱケ)
• nospa (ノㇱパ) - to chase, to pursue, to run after, to follow
• not (ノッ) - chin; cape, promontory
• notak (ノタㇰ) - blade, cutting edge, sharp edge of a tool (possessed form ノタク notaku or ノタクフ notakuhu)
• noto (ノト) - calm (of the sea, etc.), lull (dialectal variants include neto ネト)
• noype (ノィペ) - brain; temples (of the head)
• nu (ヌ) - to hear, to listen
• numa (ヌマ) - hair (of the body)
• numan (ヌマン) - yesterday
• nup (ヌプ) - (wild) field, plain, fen, tableland
  • nupka (ヌプカ) - id.
• nupe （ヌペ） - tears
• nupek (ヌペㇰ) - light (dialectal variants include nipek and nikep; possessed form nupeki, nipeki, nikepihi, etc.)
  • ninninkep (ニンニンケプ) - a firefly, a glowworm (ニニンケプ nininkep in the dialect of Urakawa)
• nupuri (ヌプリ) - mountain
• nusa （ヌサ） - a word that collectively describes an altar and the many inaw (a shaved stick used in an offertory ceremony) that decorate it (cf. obsolete Japanese 幣 nusa "an offering made to a deity; an object that is used in a ceremony of purification (harae); a gift, esp. one that is presented on the occasion of a person's setting out on a journey")

O

• ohaw (オハゥ) - ohaw, Ainu-style stew
• okay (オカィ), oka (オカ) - [pl.] to be (in a certain place), to exist (suppletive plural form of アン an)
• okkay (オッカィ) - a man, a male (also オッカヨ okkayo in some dialects)
• oman (オマン) - [sing.] to go
• omap (オマㇷ゚) - to love (one's child, etc.), to cherish, to hold dear (cf. Japanese omow- < *omop- "to think (that), to consider, to feel; to recall, to recollect, to remember; to imagine, to think of, to think about; to worry (about), to care (about), to love")
• on (オン) - to ferment
• ona (オナ) - father (explicitly possessed form オナハ onaha)
• onkami (オンカミ) - worship/prayer/beseechment (cf. Japanese ogami, which has the same meanings)
• onne (オンネ) - to be old (of age); to grow old, to age
• ontaru (オンタル) - barrel (cf. Japanese taru "barrel")
• or (オㇿ) - [n.] the inside (of something)
  • or ta (オㇿタ) - on the inside (of something), in, within (usually contracted according to a regular morphophonological process to become オッタ otta)
• osoma (オソマ) - feces
• osor (オソㇿ) - buttocks, derrière
• ota (オタ) - sand; sandy plain, sandy place, beach
• otcike (オッチケ) - tray (cf. Japanese oshiki < *wosiki "tray")
• otop (オトㇷ゚) - hair (also エトㇷ゚ etop in some dialects)
• oyra (オィラ) - to forget

P

• pa (パ) - head; top, summit
  • pake (パケ) - head; top, summit
• pa (パ) - season, time of year; year, age
• papus (パプㇱ) - lip (also capus, patoy)
  • kanna-papus (カンナパプㇱ) - upper lip
• para (パラ) - wide, broad (cf. Japanese *piro- > hiro-, -biro "wide, broad" and various toponyms, such as Sapporo, Paramushir, Toyohara (Toyopara), etc.)
• paro (パロ) - mouth (possessed form paroho)
  • parunpe (パルンペ) - tongue (cf. Japanese pero-pero "lick lick (as said to a dog, etc.)" and dialectal or vulgar Japanese bero "tongue")
• pase (パセ) - to be heavy; to be important, to be valuable (also pasi in some dialects)
• pasuy (パスィ) - chopsticks (cf. Old Japanese *pasi or *ɸasi > Modern Japanese hashi "chopsticks")
• paye (パイェ) - [pl. subj.] to go
• paykar （パィカㇻ） - spring (season)
• pe (ペ) - a thing, a person, one (who is/does ~)
• pe (ペ) - water (especially that which is non-potable, not intended for drinking, or laden with much dissolved or suspended matter), moisture, sap, juice (possessed form pehe ペヘ)
• peko (ペコ) - cow, cattle (cf. べこ beko "cow, cattle" in various Japanese dialects)
• pene (ペネ) - thoroughly rotten, soft with decay, rotten and sticky or slimy
• pet　（ペッ） - river (appears in Hokkaido place names as betsu, e.g., Noboribetsu)
• pewre (ペゥレ) - to be young
• pi (ピ) - seed, kernel, pip; pebble (as on a riverbed), small stone (possessed form piye ピイェ or piyehe ピイェヘ)
• pinne (ピンネ) - male
• pira (ピラ) - cliff, precipice (cf. Old Japanese *yomotupirasaka ("the slope at the entrance to the realm of Hades, the sloping path that leads into the underworld"), Okinawan hwira "slope, hillside," Middle Korean byero ~ byerh- ~ birey ("cliff, precipice; craggy shore; the high or sloping part of an inkstone (as opposed to the depression in which liquid ink is collected)") > Modern Korean byeorang ("cliff, precipice") ~ byeoru ("an inkstone; a precipice at a seashore or at a riverbank"))
• pirka （ピㇼカ） - good, nice, fine, beautiful
  • pirka kur （ピㇼカクル） - a fine man (in the sense of "a good person, a virtuous person")
  • pirka okkay (ピㇼカオッカィ） - a fine man (in the sense of "a handsome man, a good-looking man")
  • pirka menoko （ピㇼカメノコ） - a beautiful woman, a fine young lady
  • pirka pa （ピㇼカパ）- a good year
• pis (ピㇱ) - coast, shore, beach
• po (ポ) - a child, (in some dialects especially) a son; a juvenile, the young of anything (possessed form ポホ poho; also frequently used as a diminutive suffix)
  • pon (ポン) - (to be) small, (to be) little
    • ponmat (ポンマッ) - a concubine
    • ponno (ポンノ) - [adv.] few, a little (water to drink, etc.), a bit
• pok (ポㇰ) -
  • pokna (ポㇰナ) - lower, under, below, beneath
• pok (ポㇰ) - vulva, a female's private parts (possessed form poki or pokihi)
• pone (ポネ) - bone (cf. Old Japanese *pone or *ɸone > Modern Japanese hone ~ -bone "bone")
• popke (ポㇷ゚ケ) - to be warm
• poppe (ポㇷ゚ペ) - sweat, perspiration (formerly also ポㇷ゚ pop in some dialects)
• poro (ポロ) - big, large
  • poronno (ポロンノ) - many, much, a lot
• poru (ポル) - cave, pit, hole (in rock, etc.)
• poyna (ポイナ) - rock, stone (esp. one that is large)
• pu （プ）- an elevated structure in which to store food and other valuables (the traditional Ainu equivalent of a shed or a warehouse)
• pukusa (プクサ) - a kind of wild plant (Allium victorialis subsp. platyphyllum) that is prized by the Ainu for its pungent, garlic-like flavor (known in Japanese as Ainu negi "Ainu onion" or gyōja ninniku "wandering ascetic garlic")
• punki (プンキ) - a guard, a watchman
• put (プッ) - a confluence (of two rivers); a mouth (of a body of water), an outlet
• puy (プィ) - a hole
• puyar (プヤラ) - a window (also ピヤラ piyar, プララ purar, プラィ puray, or プワラ puwar depending on the dialect)

R

• rakko (ラッコ) - a sea otter (borrowed into Japanese with the same form and meaning)
• ram （ラㇺ） - heart (in the figurative sense), bosom, soul, mind; understanding, intellect
  • eraman (エラマン) - to know, to understand (also e-ram an　エラㇺアン)
• ramat (ラマッ) - soul, spirit; meaning (of a word, etc.) (possessed form ramaci ラマチ)
• rap (ラㇷ゚) - feather; wing
  • raporapo (ラポラポ) - to fly, to flap the wings
  • kisarrap (キサㇻラㇷ゚) - the external ear, the part of the ear that projects from the side of the head; earlobe
• rar (ラㇻ) - eyebrow (possessed form ラル raru or ラルフ raruhu)
  • rarnuma (ラㇻヌマ) - eyebrow, the hair of the eyebrows
  • rarutur (ラルトゥㇽ) - the space between the eyebrows
• rarak (ララㇰ) - to be smooth; to be slippery
• ray (ラィ) - to die
  • cupray (チュㇷ゚ラィ) - eclipse
  • rayke (ラィケ) - [sing. obj.] to kill (one thing), to cause (a singular object) to die
• re (レ) - name (possessed form レヘ rehe)
• re
  • rep (レㇷ゚) - three things (<*re pe)
  • ren (レン) - three persons (<*re niu)
• rekut (レクッ) - neck, throat (possessed form レクチ rekuci or レクチヒ rekucihi)
• rep (レㇷ゚) - offshore, the offing, (out in the) sea
  • repun (レプン) - in the offing, offshore, out in the sea (cf. Rebun Island)
    • repunkamuy (レプンカムィ) - god of the sea; orca; (in Samani dialect) whale
• rera (レラ) - wind
• resu (レス) - to raise (a child, etc.), to rear, to bring up, to foster
  • respa (レㇱパ) - [pl.] to raise
  • u-respa (ウレㇱパ) - to live together, to cohabit
• retar (レタㇻ) - white
  • retatcir (レタッチㇼ) - swan
• ri （リ） - high, tall, lofty
• rir (リㇼ) - wave (of the sea)
• rimse (リㇺセ) - a dance; to dance; to jump up
• rok (ロク) - [pl. subj.] to sit
• ronnu (ロンヌ) - [pl. obj.] to kill (more than one thing), to massacre (occurs as ロンノ ronno in some dialects)
• ru (ル) - path, way, road, street
• rupus (ルプㇱ) - to freeze
• rur (ルㇽ) - (clear) soup, broth, gravy; the tide, the surface of the sea, sea water, sea, ocean
  • cep rur (チェㇷ゚ルㇽ) - fish broth
  • runnu (ルンヌ) - to be salty
• rus (ルㇱ) - fur, hide, skin (of an animal) (cf. Nivkh cus ~ -zus "meat, flesh")
• ruska (ルㇱカ) - to get angry (often used in the form イルㇱカ i-ruska "to get angry about it")
• ruy (ルィ) - whetstone, grindstone
• ruyanpe (ルヤンペ) - rain; [dial.] storm

S

• sak （サㇰ） - summer (also known as the "women's season" for the fact that it is a good time of year for women to cultivate plants or to gather wild botanical resources)
• sampe (サンペ) - heart, cardiac organ
• san (サン) - to go down, to descend; to flow along (as a river)
  • sanke (サンケ) - to send down, to cause to go down
• sani (サニ) - lineage, bloodline
  • santek (サンテㇰ) - lineage, bloodline; descendant
• sapa (サパ) - head
  • sapa pirka (サパピㇼカ) - to be intelligent, to be smart
• sapanpe (サパンペ) - men's ceremonial Ainu crown [6]
• sapo (サポ) - elder sister
• sar (サㇻ) - tail (possessed form sara サラ or saraha サラハ)
• sar (サㇻ) - marsh, wetland, reedy plain
  • sarki (サㇻキ) - reed
• sat (サッ) - [v.i.] to dry
  • satke (サッケ) - [v.t.] to dry
• sayo （サヨ） - sayo, Ainu-style porridge
• sesek (セセㇰ) - to be hot
  • sesekka (セセㇰカ) - to warm (by a fire, etc.), to heat
• set (セッ) - bed; nest (possessed form セチ seci or セチヒ secihi)
  • heperset (ヘペレセッ) - a cage in which a bear cub is kept (also known as kamuyset or hepercise)
• seta (セタ) - dog (recent dialectal variants include sita シタ; early records of the Ainu language also contain other variant forms of this word for "dog," such as sta, heta, and hida)
• setur (セツル) - back (of one's body)
• si (シ) - dung, (animal) feces, excrement
• sik (シㇰ) - to be full (of oil, etc.); to become full, to be filled (with something); to be sated
• sik (シㇰ) - eye; eyesight (possessed form siki or sikihi)
  • sikiwen (シキウェン) - weak-eyed, weak-sighted (literally, "one's eye(sight) is bad")
  • sikkap (シㇰカㇷ゚) - eyelid
  • sikkes (シㇰケシ) - the outer end or outer corner of an eye
  • siknum (シクヌㇺ) - eyeball
  • sikpa (シㇰパ) - the inner end or inner corner of an eye (also シㇰパケ sikpake)
  • sikrap (シㇰラプ) - eyelash (also シキラプ sikirap in some dialects)
• siknu (シㇰヌ) - to be alive
• sikotan (シコタン）　－　Pleasant Village (present day Shikotan island)
• sine (シネ) - one
  • sinep (シネプ) - one thing
  • sinen (シネン) - one person
• sinrit (シンリッ) - root (of a tree, etc.); (ancestral) roots, bloodline, pedigree
• sippo (シッポ) - salt (cf. Japanese shio < *sipo 'salt')
• sir (シㇼ) - weather; appearance; status, condition; land, ground; island; mountain; world, realm
  • siretok (シㇼエトㇰ) - the end of the Earth; the Shiretoko Peninsula
  • sirka (シㇼカ) - (on) the ground, the surface of the earth; the upper or outer surface (of clothing, etc.)
  • sirkunne (シㇼクンネ) - dusk
  • sirpeker (シㇼペケレ) - dawn
  • sirpirka (シㇼピㇼカ) - clear skies, good weather, to have good weather, the weather is fine
  • sirwen (シㇼウェン) - bad weather, to have bad weather, the weather is bad (e.g. tanto sirwen wa apto as "Today, the weather is bad, and it is raining.")
• sirar (シラㇻ) - rocky shore
• sisam (シサㇺ) - Japanese (or assimilated Ainus); (more generally) any foreigner, non-Ainus (cf. Nivkh /sezam/, /sizm/ "Japanese"; probably originally from Ainu si- "self (reflexive prefix)" + sam "near by, close to; side" or Ainu si- "self (reflexive prefix)" + isam "not to exist, not to be, not to have")
  • hure-sisam (フレシサㇺ) - Russian; (more generally) European (from Ainu hure "red" + sisam "Japanese; foreigner")
• sito (シト) - a dumpling made from rice or millet (cf. Japanese shitogi "ceremonial dumpling," Middle Korean *stek > Modern Korean tteok "Korean rice cake")
• sitoki (シトキ) - glass-bead necklace with a medallion
• siw (シゥ) - bitter
• siwnin (シゥニン) - blue, green, yellow
• siyuk (シユㇰ) - a male bear (also シゥㇰ siwk in some dialects)
• so (ソ) - waterfall, cascade
• sokkar (ソㇰカㇻ) - mat, rug
• sonno (ソンノ) - truly, really; very
• soy (ソィ) - outside (also used as a postposition, e.g. cise-soy "outside of a house," "outside the house")
  • soyta - outside (in the locative case)
  • soyke
• su (ス) - pot, cauldron
  • su'asam (スアサム) - the bottom of a pot
  • su'at (スアッ) - the bail of a pot
  • suni (スニ) - the hook on which the bail of a pot is placed in order to suspend the pot over a fire
  • suputa (スプタ) - a potlid, the lid of a pot
• sum (スㇺ) - oil (as food) (cf. Nivkh tʰom ~ -r̥om "fat")
  • tarasum (タラスㇺ) - cod liver oil, oil obtained from the liver of Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)
• suma (スマ) - stone
• sumari (シュマリ) - fox
• supuya (スプヤ) - smoke (シプヤ sipuya in some dialects)
• susam (スサㇺ) - shishamo
• susu (スス) - willow

T

• takahka (タカッカ) - crab (Sakhalin Ainu)
• takne (タㇰネ) - to be short
• tamasay (タマサィ) - beaded necklace worn by women
• tane (タネ) - now (also タネポ tanepo, etc.)
• tanne (タンネ) - to be long
• tap (タプ) - shoulder, arm
  • tapsut (タプスッ) - shoulder
• tek (テㇰ) - hand, arm (explicitly possessed form teke ~ tekihi ~ tekehe)
• tepa (テパ) - loincloth
• tere (テレ) - to wait for
• terke (テレケ) - to run; to jump (also terki in some dialects)
• teyne (テイネ) - (to get) wet, damp
• tomari （トマリ）- Shelter (Tomari city in Aomori)
• tonkori (トンコリ) - traditional Sakhalin Ainu stringed instrument (cf. Nivkh tynryn, a traditional stringed instrument of the Nivkhs)
• to (ト) - day
  • tanto (タント) - today
• to (ト) - lake, pond, puddle (cf. Nivkh tu "lake")
• to (ト) - breast (possessed form トホ toho)
  • tope (トペ) - milk
• topen (トペン) - (to be) sweet
• tom (トム) - to shine, to sparkle, to twinkle
  • tompi (トムピ) - light, brilliance, sparkle, glow
  • tomte (トムテ) - to cause to shine
  • tom tom (トムトム) - sparkling, twinkling, glowing, flashing
  • tonnatara (トンナタラ) - brilliant, resplendent, shining
• top (トプ) - bamboo
• topa (トパ) - flock, herd (usually appears in the explicitly possessed form topaha トパハ "a flock of ~," "a herd of ~")
• toy （トィ） - earth, soil, clay, mud, land; garden (also reduplicated to produce toytoy)
• tu (トゥ)
  • tup (トゥプ) - two things (< *tu pe)
  • tun (トゥン) - two persons (< *tu niu)
• tukar (トゥカラ) - seal (i.e. a sort of marine Pinniped; also tukkar, tukoro, or tokkari in some dialects)
• tuki (トゥキ) - (drinking) glass, [esp.] a saké cup (cf. Japanese 杯 sakazuki "a vessel from which one drinks an alcoholic beverage," from Old Japanese sake ~ saka- "alcoholic beverage" + tuki "drinking vessel")
• tunakay (トゥナカィ) - reindeer (borrowed into Japanese as トナカイ tonakai; also cf. Nivkh tlaŋi 'reindeer')
• tunas (トゥナシ) - to be early; to be quick
  • tunasno (トゥナシノ) - quickly, swiftly, nimbly; well, in good health
• tuntu (トゥントゥ) - pillar, column; post, stake
• tur (トゥㇽ) - dirt, grime, filth
  • turtur (トゥㇽトゥㇽ) - dirt, grime, filth
  • tursak (トゥㇽサㇰ) - pure, clean, unsullied
• tura (トゥラ) - to be accompanied by, to bring somebody along, to take with, to be in company with (cf. Japanese tsure- < *ture- "to be accompanied by, to bring smb. along" and obsolete Japanese tsura < *tura "company, associate, colleague; formation (of a flock of flying birds, etc.), line, row, queue")
• tures (トゥレシ) - (a male's) younger sister; (a male's) lover
• tus (トゥシ) - rope
• tus (トゥシ) - (a man's) concubine, (a woman's) fellow wife
• tusa (トゥサ) - to be cured, to heal up, to recover (from an illness)
  • tusare (トゥサレ) - to cure, to heal
• tusir (トゥシリ) - grave, tomb; graveyard, cemetery
• tuye (トゥイェ) - to cut, to cut off
• tuyma (トゥィマ) - to be far, to be distant

U

• uhuy (ウフイ) - to burn
• uk (ウク) - to take, to acquire, to receive, to accept
  • uyna (ウイナ) - [pl.] to take, to receive, to collect
• uku (ウク) - to blow
• umma (ウンマ) - horse (cf. Japanese うま uma "horse")
• una (ウナ), uyna (ウイナ) - ashes
  • unakutausi (ウナクタウシ) - a place where one disposes of ashes
• unarpe (ウナルペ) - aunt; middle-aged woman
• unci (ウンチ) - fire (mainly in Sakhalin dialects)
• upas (ウパㇱ) - snow (also オパㇱ opas in some dialects)
• urar (ウララ) - fog, clouds, mist, vapor
• usis (ウシㇱ) - hoof
• utari (ウタリ) - friend, companion, compatriot; relatives, kin; used by the Ainu to describe themselves, the politically correct term for the Ainu people; a suffix for marking the plural number (also ウタラ utar)

W

• wakka (ワッカ) - water (especially that which is potable or clean) (cf. Wakkaus Kamuy, the goddess of fresh water)
• wan (ワン) - ten
  • wanpe (ワンペ) - ten things, ten animals
  • waniw (ワニゥ) - ten persons
• wen (ウェン) - bad; cruel; poor
  • wenkur (ウェンクㇽ) - a pauper, a poor person
  • wenno (ウェンノ) - poorly, badly, in a cruel way
  • wenpe (ウェンペ) - a bad one; a bad thing; a bad person, an evil person, a villain
  • wenpekur (ウェンペクㇽ) - a bad person, an evil person, a villain

Y

• ya (ヤ) - net
• ya (ヤ) - land (as opposed to sea, river, etc.), shore, (river)bank
• ye (イェ) - to say
  • ayep (アイェプ) - that which is called ~, that which is said to be ~
• yuk (ユク) - deer
• yam (ヤム) - to be cold (to the touch)
• yam (ヤム) - chestnut
• yup (ユプ) - older brother (explicitly possessed form yupi or yupihi)
  • yupo (ユポ) - older brother (dialectal variants include yuppo and yuhpo; probably from an earlier */yup-po/ < /yup/ "older brother" + /po/ "small; diminutive suffix")
• yukar (ユーカㇻ) - traditional Ainu sagas

External links

Ainu-English Dictionary