HOW TO SAY IT IN CREE (Revised and Expanded) © reserved by: Solomon Ratt 1990, 1995 HTML Authors: Laliberte/Waddell INTRODUCTION: The following program is primarily an aid to the acquisition of simple, everyday phrases in Cree. It is hoped that students of Introductory Cree classes, and those who browse or travel in Cree country, find this a useful tool in their studies. To use correctly, simply fill in the blanks. The last section includes a glossary of most of the words contained in this program plus more common words which do not appear. Table of Contents I. Pronunciation 1. Consonants 2. Vowels II. Polite Conservation III. Asking for Someone: Animate Nouns IV. Asking for Something: Inanimate Nouns V. Asking Directions: In General VI. Other Questions 1) Simple Requests: I 2) Simple Requests: You 3) Simple Requests: Want VII. Modals VIII. Some Common Words IX. Some Useful Words X. Time XI. Numbers XII. Time Phrases XIII. Days of Week XIV. Dates XV. Months XVI. Seasons XVII. Likes and Dislikes XVIII. Verbs AI Verb Roots I I Verbs Colors Tenses Transitive Verbs XIX. Verb Charts XX. Glossary I. PRONUNCIATION 1. Consonants: Ten consonants are used to write Cree in the Roman Orthography. They are: c, h, k, m, n, p, s, t, w, y All but four are pronounced similar to their English counterparts. The four that will give problems are: c, k, p, and t. Examples: A.) C - is like the "ch" in chalk i) cêskwa - wait ii) âcimo - tell a story (AIV) iii) mêkwâc - presently B.) K - is unaspirated* as the "k" in skin i) kiyâm - It doesn't matter ii) okot - his/her nose (I) iii) kiskîsik - your eye (I) C.) P - is unaspirated as the "p" in spit i) pîyisk - eventually ii) apoy - a paddle (A) iii) akohp - a blandket (A) D.) T - is unaspirated as the "t" in Stan i) timîw - It is deep (IIV) ii) mistik - a log (I) / a tree (A) iii) âtiht - some * unasperated means making a consonant sound without a slight puff of air as in pronouncing the "k" in "kin", the "p" in "pit" or the "t" in "tan" (AIV) refers to Animate Intransitive Verb (pp. 22,23) (IIV) refers to Intransitive Inanimate Verb (p. 23) (I) refers to Inanimate noun (pp. 3,6) (A) refers to Animate noun (pp. 3,5) Note: In D(i) above, the whole word is printed but in speaking one tends to drop the first "I". So rather than "tânisi" we have in normal speech "tân'si". Since this program is designed for speech all possible elisions will be marked by an "'". Another aspect of phonetics is the combination of two vowels to make one vowel sound. For example we have: 1. Nika-apin ôta - I will sit here. 1 is written as the above but upon speaking we combine the short "a's" to make a long "â" sound. So in speaking we have the same sentence: 2. Nikâpin ôta - I will sit here. All entries here will be written as to 2. 2. VOWELS Cree Roman Orthography uses four English vowels to make seven vowel sounds. There are four long vowels and three short vowel sounds. Short Vowels:These are the three short vowels used in the SRO. A.) a - pronounced as the "u" in but i) apisîs - a little ii) capasis - lower iii) pôna - feed the fire (AIV) B.) i - pronounced as the "i" in pit i) iskwêw - a woman (A) ii) tipiskâw - it is night (IIV) iii) api - sit (AIV) C.) o - pronounced as the "oo" in "book" i) omisi - this way (showing one how) ii) wâpos - a rabbit (A) iii) mîciso - eat (AIV) Long Vowels: To make vowels long in written Cree, a bar (macron) or a circumflex ^ is added above the vowel. A.) a - pronounced as the "a" in father i) âmôw - a bee (A) ii) nâpêw - a man (A) iii) pâtimâ - later B.) i - pronounced as the "e" in be i) îyâpîw - a buck (deer or moose) (A) ii) mînis - a berry (I) iii) awikâcî - or else C.) o - pronounced as the "o" in ore or the "oo" in too i) ôta - here ii) nitôtêm - my friend (A) iii) âhpô - or D.) e - pronounced as the "ay" in say i) êkosi - there! ii) pêyak - one iii) tâpwê - true, truly Note: The Cree divide nouns into two genders: Animate and inanimate. Using the right verbs, colors, demonstrative pronouns all depend on the noun's gender. Most living things are Animate in gender; most non-living things are Inanimate. Glossary II. POLITE CONVERSATION A. Tân'si Hi! How are you? B. Namôya nân'taw, kiya mâka Fine, and you? A. Pêyakwan, The same, tâpwê miyo-kîsikaw it is truly a nice day. B. âha, awînâwa Yes, who is this that kâwîcêwat you are with? A. Iyaw, nitôtêm awa Oops, this is my friend. B. (to C) Tân'si, Hi! Tân'sîsîyihkâsoyan how are you called? (What is your name?) C. nit'sîyihkâson is my name. B. Tân'tê ohci Where are you from? C. I am from nitohcîn B. Wahwâ, tâpwê wahyaw Wow, that's far! kik'skêyimâw cî Do you know êkotê ohci from there? C. 'Mwâc No. B. Kiyâm That's okay, nitôtêm anêwako he is my friend. A. êkosi, There, ê-n'to-mîcisoyahk oma; we are going to eat, âsay cî kiya have you kikîmîcison eaten yet? B. N'mêskwa Not yet. A. âstam mâka, Come with us then, wîcêwinân come. Glossary III. ASKING FOR SOMEONE: ANIMATE NOUNS 1.Tâniwâ Where is (for singular)? 2.Tâniwêhkâk Where are (for plural)? 3.Tâniwâ ana Where is that ? 4.Tâniwêhkâk aniki Where are those ? Note: Animate noun plural forms all end in "k"; rules for pluralizing are few; (i) most nouns simply require the addition of "ak" to the singular, but; (ii) for those ending in "m" or "k" add "wak" to the singular, (iii) for those ending in long "î" add "yak", and; (iv) for those ending in "a" add "k". Animate Nouns: people's names - Salamô nitôtêm - my friend atim - a dog kitôtêminaw - our friend nâpêw - a man kisîmis - your younger kin nâpêsis - a boy kistês - your older brother iskwêw - a woman kimis - your older sister iskwêsis - a girl kohtâwî - your father okimâw - a boss kikâwî - your mother okiskinwahamâkêw - a teacher kohkom - your grandmother awâsis - a child kimosôm - your grandfather kinîkihikwak - your parents okimâhkân - a chief apoy - a paddle asinî - a stone mitâs - a pair of pants astis - a mitt asikan - a sock tâpiskâkan - a tie / scarf mistik - a tree mîtos - a poplar tree êmihkwân - a spoon akohp - a blanket okiskinwahamâkan - a student askihk - a pail masinahikanahcikos - a pen/pencil ayamihêwikimâw - a preacher Glossary IV. ASKING FOR SOMETHING: INANIMATE NOUNS 1. Tâniwê Where is (singular)? 2. Tâniwêhâ Where are (plural)? 3. Tâniwê anima Where is that ? 4. Tâniwêhâ anihi Where are those ? Note: All inanimate plurals end in "a". Here are the rules: (i) in general, simply add "a" to the noun; (ii) add "wa" when the noun ends in "k"; (iii) when the noun ends with a short vowel, drop the vowel and add "a"; (iv) for those ending in long vowels add "ya". Inanimate Nouns: kiskinwahamâtowikamik - a school ayamihêwikamik - a church atâwikamik - a store ahkosîwikamik - a hospital pântwahpis - a band office simâkan'sîwikamik - a police station masinahikan - a book ayamâkan - a telephone miskotâkay - a jacket/coat talahpôn - a telephone kîkih - your home wâskâhikan - a house kapîsîwikamik - a hotel/motel pahkêkin - leather mîcisowikamik - a restaurant pahkêkinwaskisin - a moccasin mîsîwikamik - a lavatory têhtapiwin - a chair iskwahtêm - a door pân-hâl - a band hall pakôwayân - a shirt oyâkan - a plate cîstahasîpon - a fork mîcisowinahtik - a table sêhkêpayîs - a car ôsih - a boat [Forgive the liberties I've taken in borrowing from the English] Glossary V. ASKING DIRECTIONS: IN GENERAL USED WITH VERBS 1. Tân'tê Where is ? 2. Tâ'tê anima Where is that ? 3. Tâ'ta Where is ? Verbs that can be used in the above blanks: ... Kâ-mâmawapinâniwik they are holding the meeting? ... Kâ-îcisonânowik they are holding a banquet? ... Kâ-mêtawânowik they are holding sports events? ... Kâ-wîkiyan you live/reside? ... Kâ-wîkit(name) lives/resides? ... Kâ-yâcik(names) are they? ... takî-kapîsiyân ... can I stay the night? ... takî-mîcisoyân ... can I eat? ... takî-pakâsimoyân ... can I swim? ... takî-kwâskwêpicikiyân ... can I go fishing? ... takî-piminawasoyân ... can I cook? ... takî-mânokêyân ... can I set up camp? ... takî-atâwêyân ... can I buy ? ... takî-nitahtâmoyân ... can I borrow ? ... takî-atotamân ... can I rent ? Glossary VI. 1. OTHER QUESTIONS: most of these can be used on their own; Tânimêwako (Noun I) Which (I noun) Tânêwako (Noun A) Which (A noun) Kîkway What/pardon? Kîkway ôma What is this? Awînâwa Who is this? Tânîkohk How much? Tântahto How many? Tântahtwasiyêk How many of you are there? Tânêhki Why/How come? 2. a) Simple Requests: I 1. Nikakî- cî ôta. May/Can I here? Verbs: to be placed in the above blank; -nîpawin stand -apin sit -kapîsin stay the night -nakatên (cî ôta) ôhi leave these (I) -nakatâw (cî ôta) awa leave this (An) -pêhon wait -kapân get off -atoskân work -mîcison eat -talahpônowin (...) ohci phone from b) Simple Requests: You 2. Kakî- cî Would/Might/Can you ? Verbs: to be used in the above blank; -wîcihin help me -itwêstamawin translate for me -wîcêwin come with me -minahin give me a drink -pihtwâhin give me a smoke 3. Kakî-minahin cî Would/Can you give me a drink of: nipiy water? maskîhkîwâpoy tea? nihtî tea? (kahpî) coffee? pihkatêwâpoy coffee? 4. Kakî-masinahên cî ôta: Can you write here: