Dan Cardinal is a Cree language teacher who has taught with many schools throughout Alberta including St. Josephs High School, Ben Calf Robe, Concordia University, CNFC, Red Deer College and Portage College . Dan also spent many years as the Vice President of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Dan continues to be a strong advocate for preserving the Cree language since the 1980's.
This weeks vocabulary
āsay – already, without delay
mīna – and
kitatamiskâtin – I greet you , ki (t) atamiskât in
namōya nantāw -I am not bad, I am fine
ninanāskomon ē-nitomiyan ōta kā – pē- piksweyan – I am grateful you invited me here to speak
tāpwē – it is true
nīsta mīna – me also
nimiywêyihtên – I am happy
āsay mīna – and , already
ê-wâpamitân – I am seeing you
nīsta – me also
tāpwē – it is true
anohc – today , miyo kīsikāw – it is a good day
anohc yîkwaskwan – it is cloudy today
apisis yîkwaskwan – a little bit cloudy
wāpahki apisis kā-yīkwaskwan – tomorrow it will be a little cloudy
kimiwan – rain, it is raining
mitoni – very , much , a lot
mistahi – very much , a lot , greatly
mitoni mistahi kimiwan – it is raining heavily
kîwê-sîkipêstâw – it is down pouring
aya – ah , well, hmm
ēwako – this , that
kimiwanayāw – it is raining there , misponayâw – it is snowing there
ninisitohtên – I understand
apisis kimiwan – a little rain
kimiwanis – a little rain
mispon – falling snow , there is snow falling
misponayaw – it is snowy (flurries)
kōna – snow ( on the ground )
mistahi ē-mispon – it is snowing alot
ē-pimohtēyān ē-misponayaw – I am walking as it is snowing
ê-kiskinwahamâkêyân nêhiyawêwin – I am teaching Cree language
kiskinwahamâkan – student
nikiskinwahamâkân – i teach
niyānan askiy – 5 years
wâwâskêsiw sâkahikan – Lac la Biche (Elk Lake)
wâhyaw – far away
mekwac – right now, currently
ka-otâkosik – in the evening
nikotwāsik tipahikan – six o’ clock
ayinānēw tipahikan – eight o’clock
isiyihkâtêw – it is called this
mīhcet – many , alot
ôma niya nikî-pê-ohpikin – ” where I grew up”
ôcênâs – town , village , settlement
tānisi isiwepan ? – How is the weather ?
Tānisi kīsik kīsikak ? – How is the sky today ?
anohc kisāstēw – today the weather is hot
anohc kisin – today is cold
ekwa mīna – and also
ka kītwan – you will say
anohc tahkāyāw – today is very cold
kisē – pīsim – january , cold month , great month
māyi – kīsikāw – it is a bad day
māyi – prefix for bad
miyo – prefix for bad
miyo kīskikāw – it is a good day
kīsikāw – day time
tipiskāw – night time, evening
pīsim – the sun
kīsikaw pīsim , the sun
tipiskāw pīsim – the moon
tahkāyāw ōma ka ōtakosīhk – it is cold this evening
yōtin – it is windy
anohc yōtin – today it is windy
yōtinisin – a little bit windy (diminutive)
mitoni yōtin – very windy
mistahi yōtin – very windy , big wind
ēkotē – over there
tānisi isiwepan ēkotē ? – How is the weather over there
ōta miyo kīsikāw māka yīkwaskwan – here it is a good day but it is cloudy
mistahi nimiywêyihtên – I am very happy , I am very glad
ē – wī – atoskēmak- my co worker i would work with
acimo – tell me a story
mawisowin – picking berries
kayās ka miywāsin – it was good back long ago
ayisiyiniwak – people ( plural)
ê-wîcihitok – we would help each other
nohkompam ka kīwē oho sīpiy – my late grandma lived in owl river
ekosi maka – that is all
