Spelling East Cree (Southern) – Boundaries

Making compound words

Two or three words can be joined together to make one new word, but there are almost always spelling changes when this happens. The names of the months are good examples of compound words.

Sometimes there is no change to the spelling of the words.

ᐋᒨ + ᔔᑳᐤ = ᐋᒨᔔᑳᐤ
ᒪᒋ + ᓈᐯᔥ = ᒪᒋᓈᐯᔥ

Often the syllabic final is made big when the second word begins with a consonant (use ᐱ ᑎ ᒋ ᓂ ᒥ ᓯ ᔑ in this case)

ᐅᑖᐹ + ᒣᔅᑲᓇᐤ = ᐅᑖᐹᒣᔅᑲᓇᐤ
ᐅᑖᐹ + ᒣᔅᑲᓅ = ᐅᑖᐹᒣᔅᑲᓅ
ᓃᔥᑖ + ᑯᔅᑯᔅᒡ = ᓃᔥᑖᑯᔅᑯᔅᒡ
ᓇᒣ + ᐱᒦ = ᓇᒣᐱᒦ
ᐱᐳ + ᐧᐄᔥᑦ = ᐱᐳᐧᐄᔥᑦ
Note: ᓂᔅᒃ + ᐱᒦ = ᓂᔅᐱᒦ or ᓂᔅᑲᐱᒦ

This also applies to words made of a second part that cannot stand alone (to which a final is added):

ᐅᒋᒫ + ᑲᒥᒄ = ᐅᒋᒫᑲᒥᒄ
ᐅᒋᒫᔒᐤ + ᑲᒥᒄ = ᐅᒋᒫᔒᐅᑲᒥᒄ

When the second word begins with a vowel symbol (ᐁ ᐃ ᐄ ᐅ ᐆ ᐊ ᐋ) this vowel disappears but the small symbol at the end of the first word becomes big.

ᐲᔖᑲ + ᔅᑎᔅ = ᐲᔖᑲᔅᑎᔅ
ᒨᓐ + ᑯᐦᑉ = ᒨᓇᑯᐦᑉ
ᒦᓂ + ᐃᐦᑯᓈᐤ = ᒦᓂᐃᐦᑯᓈᐤ
ᐲᔖᑲ + = ᐲᔖᑲ

Sometimes the beginning of the second word is dropped.

ᓂᑲ + ᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓐ = ᓂᑲᒨᓯᐦᐄᑲᓐ
ᐅᐦᑯ + ᑎᐦᒌ = ᐅᐦᑯᑎᐦᒌ
ᒥᐦᑯ + ᑎᐦᒌ = ᒥᐦᑯᑎᐦᒌ
ᒌᒫ + ᒋᒫᐤ = ᒌᒪᒋᒫᐤ

The w-circle is changed to .

ᐃᔅᐧᑫ + ᒦᒋᒻ = ᐃᔅᐧᑫᒦᒋᒻ
ᓈᐯ + ᒦᒋᒻ = ᓈᐯᒦᒋᒻ

The w-circle is changed to and the beginning of the second word is dropped if it is a vowel (ᐁ ᐃ ᐄ ᐅ ᐆ ᐊ ᐋ).

ᐄᔅᒌᒣ + ᔅᒌ = ᐄᔅᒌᒣᔅᒌ
ᓇᒣ + ᐦᐄᐲ = ᓇᒣᐦᐄᐲ
ᓇᒣ + ᐦᐊᐲ = ᓇᒣᐦᐊᐲ

Note that the w-circle at the end of the first word becomes a w-dot in the compound word:

ᐃᔥᑯᑌ + ᐋᐴ = ᐃᔥᑯᑌᐧᐋ

The little becomes big or ᐧᑳ.

+ ᐱᒦ = ᐱᒦ
ᒥᔅᑎ + ᐱᒎ = ᒥᔅᑎᐱᒎ
ᒥᓇᐦᐄ + ᐦᑦ = ᒥᓇᐦᐄᐧᑳᔥᐦᑦ

Many words add a between the words (and may drop the beginning of the second word).

ᐧᐋᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂ + ᔨᔫ = ᐧᐋᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂᔒᐅᐄᔨᔫ
ᐧᐋᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂ + = ᐧᐋᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂᔒᐅᐄᓅ
ᒥᔅᑕᓯᓃ + ᔨᒧᐧᐃᓐ = ᒥᔅᑕᓯᓃᔨᒧᐧᐃᓐ

A number of words have shorter forms (acting as finals) used to created new words:

long form short combining form new word
ᓈᐯᐤ > ᐋᐯᐤ ᒥᔥᑕ + ᐋᐯᐤ = ᒥᔥᑖᐯᐤ
ᐃᔅᐧᑫᐤ > ᔅᐧᑫᐤ ᒋᔐ + ᐃᔅᐧᑫᐤ = ᒋᔐᔅᐧᑫᐤ
ᓇᒣᔅ > ᒣᔅ ᒥᔪ + ᒣᔅ = ᒥᔪᒣᔅ
ᑳᒄ > ᐋᒄ ᓈᐯᐤ + ᐋᒄ = ᓈᐯᔮᒄ
ᐧᐋᐳᔥ > ᐋᐳᔥ ᑕᓱᔮᑲᓐ + ᐧᐋᐳᔥ = ᑕᓱᔮᑲᓈᐳᔥ
ᐄᔨᔫ > ᐄᔨ ᐄᔨ + ᒦᒋᒻ = ᐄᔨᒦᒋᒻ
ᐄᓅ > ᐄᓂ ᐄᓂ + ᒦᒋᒻ = ᐄᓂᒦᒋᒻ

Sometimes a joining y or w is used:

ᓈᐯᐤ + + ᑳᒄ = ᓈᐯᔮᒄ

See also: Spelling East Cree – Northern Dialect – Making compound words