



Blue might be “berry-blue” or “sky-blue.” Gray is “ash-colored” or “kaakazheaande.” You can create your own colors if you find the need to be very precise about the color of something. One of the words for “orange” is simply the word for the fruit turned into a verb. The second way to indicate color is to consider the color a verb itself and talk about color as an action meaning something is “being a particular color.” These color words can be based on some of same prefixes commonly used by everyone, but they may also reflect a speaker’s personal perceptions. Often an “o” or an “i” is added depending on the first letter in the word that follows. It is important to know the color part of the word (the prefix) can be added many ways with slight variations but when it is added to a noun it becomes a single new word. = ozhaawashko (blue-green) + mikwam (ice) Similarly “ozaaw” was traditionally used for the range of color that includes brown, gold and yellow. For instance, “ozhaawashk” was traditionally used for blue, green and everything in between. Several of the color prefixes represent a spectrum of color. These color prefixes are understood across many regions and often relate to key scientific concepts. The first way to indicate color is to add a small prefix to a word making it more descriptive. There are two main ways to indicate a color in Anishinaabemowin. Color is a basic part of describing the world around us.
