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
20 core words in Cree (Plains)
Water
ᓂᐱᕀ
/nipij/
Fire
ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ
/iskoteːw/
Sun
ᐲᓯᒼ
/piːsim/
Moon
ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐍᐲᓯᒼ
/tipiskaːwi piːsim/
Mother
ᓂᑲᐎᕀ
/nikaːwij/
Father
ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ
/noːhtaːwij/
Eat
ᒨᐍᐤ
/moːweːw/
Drink
ᒥᓂᐦᐠᐌᐤ
/minihkweːw/
Love
ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ
/saːkihiweːwin/
Heart
ᒥᑌᐦ
/miteːh/
Tree
ᒥᐢᑎᐠ
/mistik/
House
ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ
/waːskahikan/
Dog
ᐊᑎᒼ
/atim/
Cat
ᒥᓅᐢ
/minoːs/
Hand
ᒥᒋᒋᕀ
/miciciːj/
Eye
ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ
/miskiːsik/
Hello
ᑖᓂᓯ
/taːnisi/
Thank you
ᑭᓇᓈᐢᑯᒥᑎᐣ
/kinanaːskomitin/
One
ᐯᔭᐠ
/peːjak/
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/ |
| Mother | ᓂᑲᐎᕀ /nikaːwij/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ | okawi /okawi/ | nimaamaa /nimaːmaː/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | ningà /nɪŋɡaː/ | nkáhees /ŋkahees/ |
| Father | ᓄᐦᑖᐎᕀ /noːhtaːwij/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ | ohi /ohi/ | indede /indede/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | nòs /nɔːs/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ |
| 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/ |
| Love | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | zaagiʼiwewin /zaːɡiʔiweːwin/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | sàgi'à /saːɡiʔaː/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ |
| Heart | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ | mite /mite/ | odeʼ /odeʔ/ | otēh /oteːh/ | odè /ɔdeː/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ |
| 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/ |
| Hand | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /miciciːj/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | ninij /ninidʒ/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | ninj /nɪntʃ/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ |
| Eye | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | oshkiinzhig /oʃkiːnʒiɡ/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | oshkìnzhig /ɔʃkiːnʒɪɡ/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ |
| 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/ |
| One | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | bezhig /beʒiɡ/ | nekot /nekot/ | pejig /peʒɪɡ/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ |
| Good | ᒥᔫ /mijo/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | mino /mino/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | mino /mɪnɔ/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ |
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