cree linguistics

                Naomi McIlwraith









nôhtâwiy opîkiskwêwin – Father Tongue                                                            









 .
I read about the –ikawi suffix
and the unspecified actor form,
wonder about the curiosities
of active or passive voice in Cree,
but mostly I yearn to learn
real Cree words, am eager to hear
nêhiyawêwin itwêwina in the air.
Want to hear your voice.
.
Food words like bread and tea
and water –
pahkwêsikan, maskihkîwâpoy,
êkwa nipiy.
.
Words for tree and bud and leaf –
mistik, osimisk, êkwa nîpiy.
.
Seasonal words for winter, spring,
summer, and fall –
pipon, miyoskamin,
nîpin, êkwa takwâkin.
.
Weather words like snow and rain,
sunshine and wind –
mispon êkwa kimiwan,
wâsêskwan êkwa yôtin.
.
More food words like cookie,
tomato, and cheese –
wîhki-pahkwêsikanis,
kihci-okiniy, êkwa
âpakosîsi-mîciwin.
.
Nature words for lake, mountain,
prairie –
sâkahikan, asinîwaciy,
paskwâw.
How to say picnic and camping –
papâ-mîcisowin êkwa kapêsiwin.
How we always picked bottles
when we went picnicking or camping –
kâkikê ê-kî-môsâhkinamâhk
môtêyâpiskwa ispî
kâ-kî-papâ-mîcisoyâhk
ahpô ê-nitawi-kapêsiyâhk.
.
How the sky is blue just now,
when it’s been grey for so long.
sîpihkonâkwan mêkwâc kîsik
mâka kinwês ê-kî-pihkonâkwahk.
.
I want to hear words for car and canoe
and toboggan and cradleboard –
sêhkêpayîs êkwa cîmân
napakitâpânâsk êkwa tihkinâkan.
Baby, boy, girl, man, and woman –
oskawâsis, nâpêsis, iskwêsis, nâpêw, êkwa iskwêw.
.
Kinship terms like mother and father –
nikâwiy êkwa nôhtâwiy.
Grandmother and grandfather –
nôhkom êkwa nimosôm.
My little siblings, sister and brother –
nîcisânak, nimis êkwa nistês.
Auntie and uncle –
nikâwis êkwa nôhcâwîs.
.
If only I had stopped long enough
to say “my girl” or “my boy” –
“nitânis” êkwa “nikosis”.
.
Words for old woman and old man –
nôcokwêsîs êkwa kisêyinîs.
Words for hard and soft,
loud and quiet –
ê-maskawâk êkwa ê-yôskâk
ê-sôhkihtâkwahk êkwa
ê-kâmwâtahk.
.
Words for the ground is hard –
ê-maskawahcâk,
the silence is loud –
ê-sôhkihtâkwahk kipihtowêwin,
your voice soft and quiet –
ê-miyotâmoyan êkwa ê-kâmwâtahk.
.
You always spoke so softly
like a steady rain on parched land.
kâkikê ê-ki-manâcimiyâhk
tâpiskôc kimiwan,
ê-pahkipêstâk
itê ê-pâhkwahcâk.
.
Maybe that’s why you sound
so far away now –
kiyâwihtâkosin êkwa anohc.
Verbs for listening and persevering –
ê-nitohtawiyan êkwa ê-âhkamêyihtamohiyan,
and loving and raising children –
ê-kî-sâkihiyâhk êkwa
kiya êkwa nikâwînân
ê-kî-nihtâwôsêyêk.
Words for birth and death and funeral –
ê-kî-miyo-pimâtisiyan, mâka
ispîhk ê-kî-kisipipayiyan
êkwa kikî-âstêsinin kitaywêpiwinihk.
.
Verbs for kind and just
and humble and soft-spoken –
ê-kî-kisêwâtisiyan
êkwa ê-kî-kwayaskwâtisiyan,
ê-kî-tapahtêyimisoyan
êkwa ê-kî-pêyâhtakowêyan.
.
The verb for soft-hearted –
ê-kî-yôskâtisiyan,
and how you had a soft spot
in your heart for all
Cree people –
ê-kî-yôskitêhêstawacik
kahkiyaw nêhiyawak.
.
Verbs for generous and caring –
ê-kî-sawêyimacik êkwa ê-kî-nâkatêyimacik.
Words for thoughtful and oh,
such good Cree speech –
ê-kî-kâh-kakihcihiwêyan,
ê-kî-miyo-tôtaman
tahtwâw ê-kî-nêhiyawêyan.
.
Words for being so good
at so many things –
ê-kî-nahîyan mistahi kîkway.
.
Words for sadness and regret –
nipîkiskâtisin êkwa kikîsinâtêyihtamâtin.
Because sickness stole your speech
and I came too late to listen –
osâm kitâhkosiwin
kipîkiskwêwin ê-kimotamâkoyan
êkwa ê-kî-mwêstasisiniyân
ka-nitohtâtân.
.
Yet now you’re whispering
and I’m listening –
mâka êkwa anohc âta ê-kîmwêyan
kina-nahihtâtin.




































....