ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ
Cree (Plains)
Algic (Algonquian)
Plains Cree is the largest Cree variety in the Algonquian family, written in the Canadian Aboriginal syllabics that missionary James Evans devised in 1840 at Norway House. The script is a featural abugida in which consonant glyphs are rotated to indicate vowels — a typological rarity. Cree is polysynthetic, and Plains Cree communities span Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Cree (Plains)
Water
ᓂᐱᕀ
/nipij/
Fire
ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ
/iskoteːw/
Sun
ᐲᓯᒼ
/piːsim/
Moon
ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ
/tipiskaːwi piːsim/
Star
ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ
/acaːhkos/
Mother
ᓂᑲᐎᕀ
/nikaːwij/
Father
ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ
/noːhtaːwij/
I
ᓂᔭ
/nija/
You
ᑭᔭ
/kija/
Name
ᐏᐦᐅᐎᐣ
/wiːhowin/
Eye
ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ
/miskiːsik/
Hand
ᒥᒋᒋᕀ
/miciciːj/
Heart
ᒥᑌᐦ
/miteːh/
Love
ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ
/saːkihiweːwin/
Tree
ᒥᐢᑎᐠ
/mistik/
House
ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ
/waːskahikan/
Dog
ᐊᑎᒼ
/atim/
Cat
ᒥᓅᐢ
/minoːs/
Eat
ᒨᐍᐤ
/moːweːw/
Drink
ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ
/minihkweːw/
One
ᐯᔭᐠ
/peːjak/
Two
ᓃᓱ
/niːso/
Hello
ᑖᓂᓯ
/taːnisi/
Thank you
ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ
/kinanaːskomitin/
Good
ᒥᔫ
/mijo/
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian) languages
| Meaning | Cree (Plains) | Plains Cree | Atikamekw | Ojibwe | Menominee | Algonquin | Munsee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipij/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ | nipi /nipi/ | nibi /nibi/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | nibì /nɪbiː/ | mpíi /mbiː/ |
| Fire | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | ishkode /iʃkode/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | ishkotè /ɪʃkɔteː/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ |
| Sun | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ | pisim /pisim/ | giizis /ɡiːzis/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | kìzis /kiːzɪs/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ |
| Moon | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | dibik-giizis /dibik ɡiːzis/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | tibik-kìzis /tɪbɪkkiːzɪs/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ |
| Star | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ | atcakos /atʃakos/ | anang /anaŋ/ | anaeq /anɛːʔ/ | anang /aˈnaŋ/ | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ |
| Mother | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | okawi /okawi/ | nimaamaa /nimaːmaː/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | ningà /nɪŋɡaː/ | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ |
| Father | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | ohi /ohi/ | indede /indede/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | nòs /nɔːs/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ |
| I | ᓂᔭ /nija/ | ᓂᔭ /niya/ | nir /niɾ/ | niin /niːn/ | nenah /nɛnah/ | niin /niːn/ | nii /niː/ |
| You | ᑭᔭ /kija/ | ᑭᔭ /kiya/ | kir /kiɾ/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | kenah /kɛnah/ | giin /ɡiːn/ | kii /kiː/ |
| Name | ᐏᐦᐅᐎᐣ /wiːhowin/ | ᐑᐦᐅᐏᐣ /wiːhowin/ | wirowin /wiɾowin/ | izhinikaazowin /ɪʒɪnɪkaːzowɪn/ | -esian /ɛsian/ | wiinzowin /wiːnzowin/ | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ |
| Eye | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | oshkiinzhig /oʃkiːnʒiɡ/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | oshkìnzhig /ɔʃkiːnʒɪɡ/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ |
| Hand | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | ninij /ninidʒ/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | ninj /nɪndʒ/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ |
| Heart | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | mite /mite/ | odeʼ /odeʔ/ | otēh /oteːh/ | odè /ɔdeː/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ |
| Love | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | zaagiʼiwewin /zaːɡiʔiweːwin/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | sàgi'à /saːɡiʔaː/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ |
| Tree | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | mitig /mitiɡ/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | mitig /mɪtɪɡ/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ |
| House | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | wiigiwaam /wiːɡiwaːm/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | wàkàigan /waːkaːiɡan/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ |
| Dog | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ | atim /atim/ | animosh /animoʃ/ | anēm /aneːm/ | animosh /anɪmɔʃ/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ |
| Cat | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | gaazhagens /ɡaːʒaɡens/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ |
| Eat | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | wiisini /wiːsini/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | wìsini /wiːsɪni/ | mit /mit/ |
| Drink | ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ /minihkweːw/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | minikwe /minikwe/ | menew /menew/ | minikwe /mɪnɪkwe/ | mneew /mneew/ |
| One | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | bezhig /beʒiɡ/ | nekot /nekot/ | pejig /peʒɪɡ/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ |
| Two | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ | niso /niso/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | nīs /niːs/ | niizh /niːʒ/ | niisha /niːʃa/ |
| Hello | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ | kwei /kwej/ | boozhoo /boːʒoː/ | posoh /posoh/ | Kwe /kwe/ | hé /heː/ |
| Thank you | ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ /kinanaːskomitin/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | miigwech /miːɡʷetʃ/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | Migwech /mɪɡwetʃ/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ |
| Good | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | mino /mino/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | mino /mɪnɔ/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ |
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