THUNDER BAY – As a part of our continuing series on how to learn Cree, here is lesson 2.
Lesson 2
‘I’: present, past & future tense.
A brief introduction: The final indicates ‘n’ as in nTshinikason; meaning: ‘my name is…’, or ‘I am called…’. (‘nTshinikason My name is…’ is more common.)
Present tense: Using ownership ‘nTa’ (to have)
I have; the final ‘n’ replacing ‘I’ in front of I have
Past tense: Using ownership ‘nKi’ (to have)
I had; the final ‘n’ replacing ‘I’ in front of I had
Future tense: Using ownership ‘nKa’ (to have)
I will have; the final replaces ‘n’ in front of I will have
Additional Practice phrases:
I know him nKiskenimaw
I gave him lodging nKiminaw keishinipat
I fed him nKiashamaw
I gave him a drink nKiminaaw
I wrote him nKimasinaamawaw
I scolded him nKikitotaw
I washed his face nKikasikwenaw
I hear him nPetawaw
I called him nKitepwataw
I helped him nKiwitchiaw
I spoke to him nKiayamiaw
I saw him nKiwapamaw
I gave her nKiminaw
I listened to him nKitotawa
I took him there nKiitotaaw
I am reading a book nTayamitan masinaikan
I am working hard nTapatisin kenikok
I understood nKinstoten
I understood him nNinisototawaw
I am learning Cree nKiski noamson ininimowin
I work at home nTapatisin nikik
I killed a goose nKinipaaw niska (snow goose) (weew Canada goose)
I went moose hunting nKinatawimoosan
I will be seeing her nKawapamaw
Cree is gender-free – men and women are referred to as persons, and owners in reference of ‘he/his/him, she/hers/her’.
