Lykins' Conversion Orthography is our awkward name for the orthography that emerged when we converted Lykins' character set to the set we use in our PBP orthography. Lykins used only seventeen characters, and we use twenty-eight, if you count our "semivowels", so some of the characters in this system are doing double or triple duty. For example, Lykins did not distinguish between the "g" and "k" sounds and used "k" for both, so "gin" (you) is written "kin" in this document.

We have summarized this orthography and set it up in several formats below. We hope one of them fits within this box for your easy reference. If you cannot find one that works for you, please let us know what browser and computer you are using and what you see in this box. Thanks.

The table is divided into two parts. The first is an orthographic reference; in it, "c: ch as in chat" means c sounds like ch in the word chat. "a as in father" means a sounds like a in the word father.

The second section shows you the symbol used in this orthography and all of the standard PBP symbols we have found that are represented by this symbol in modern Potawatomi words. In it, "k: k and g" indicates that "k" in the text may be either "k" (e.g. kik, earth); or "g" (e.g. kin in this text, which is pronounced gin now) in the modern Potawatomi word.

How will this help you? When you come across the word "pakin" in the text, you may suspect that it means "bed," based on the English translation. The modern Potawatomi word for "bed" is "bagin." When you refer to this table, you will see that, in fact, Lykins used "p" for a "b" sound and "k" for a "g" sound, so that "pakin" in the text is "bagin," bed.

For a more detailed explanation of all this, with examples, please read about "how we converted Lykins' text".

If you have a reasonable working knowledge of Potawatomi, get comfortable with the orthography (top part of table) and read the text, aloud if necessary. Many of these problems will disappear, as the sound of the words rings familiarly in your ears.