Spelling East Cree (Southern) – Syllabic symbols not to forget to write

Short or at the beginning

In many words the short or at the beginning is not pronounced in ordinary fast speech. However, you can hear it when a prefix is added to the beginning of a word. Make sure to write the or , even when it is not audible or pronounced.

ᔥᐧᑳᐦᑌᒻ ᓵᒻ
ᔥᐹᐤ ᔥᑐᑎᓐ
ᔥᑯᑌᐤ ᐱᔒᔥ
ᔥᐱᒥᐦᒡ ᑯᑖᐤ
ᔅᐧᑫᐤ ᔅᑎᔅ
ᔅᐧᑫᔥ ᒥᔅᒄ
ᔥᐸᑯᑌᐤ ᒋᒧᔥ
ᔥᐸᑯᒋᓐ ᐧᑳᐱᐦᑌᓇᒻ
ᑎᔕᐦᐊᒻ ᒋᑳᔥ
ᑳᒥᐦᒡ
ᐱᐦᑲᓐ
ᔥᑖᐤ
ᔥᐱᔑᒧᐧᐃᓐ
ᔥᐧᑫᔑᒧᐧᐃᓐ

ᐧᐃ and ᐧᐄ

Words beginning with ᐧᐃ and ᐧᐄ sound alike. In order to decide which one to write, it is best to check with the dictionary.

ᐧᐃ wi ᐧᐄ wii
ᐧᐃᔮᓐᐦ calf of leg ᐧᐄᐧᐋᐤ them
ᐧᐃᔫ her/his body ᐧᐄᐤᐦ his wife
ᐧᐃᔩ her/his bladder ᐧᐄᐧᐊᑦ his bag, load, container
ᐧᐃᔮᔅ meat

ᐧᐃᓐ at the end of a word

A noun can be made from a verb by adding ᐧᐃᓐ to a verb.

ᑌᐦᑕᐴ ᑌᐦᑕᐳᐧᐃᓐ
ᐊᔨᒥᐦᐁᐤ ᐊᔨᒥᐦᐁᐧᐃᓐ
ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐤ ᒋᔅᑯᑕᒫᒉᐧᐃᓐ
ᐃᓯᓂᐦᑳᓲ ᐃᓯᓂᐦᑳᓱᐧᐃᓐ

ᐧᐊᑦ at the end of a word (A NEW RULE Fall 2015)

Words which refer to a box or container or sealed packages are now spelled with ᐧᐊᑦ at the end (and not ᐧᐃᑦ).

ᐋᐸᐦᐄᑲᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᐊᑎᐦᑌᐅᐧᐊᑦ ᐊᑎᐦᑌᐧᐊᑦ
ᐊᔫᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᒌᐸᔨᒥᔥᑎᑯᐧᐊᑦ ᐌᐱᓈᓱᓄᐗᑦ
ᑲᐧᓛᑲᓱᐧᐊᑦ ᑲᔅᒋᐧᑳᓲᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᑲᔅᒋᐧᑫᐦᐧᐋᓄᐧᐊᑦ
ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐁᒋᐧᓈᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᒪᓯᓇᐦᐄᑲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐧᐊᑦ ᒦᐧᐊᑦ
ᒥᔥᑎᑯᐧᐊᑦ ᒨᐦᑯᒫᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᓇᒣᔥᑌᑯᐧᐊᑦ
ᓀᐅᒦᐧᐊᑦ ᓃᒫᐅᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᓂᐹᑲᓄᐧᐊᑦ
ᓂᔅᑲᒣᔥᑌᑯᐧᐊᑦ ᐯᔭᑯᒦᐧᐊᑦ ᐯᔭᑯᐧᐊᑦ
ᐲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐧᐊᑦ ᐲᐦᑖᓲᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᔐᑯᐦᐄᑲᓄᐧᐊᑦ
ᔒᔒᐹᐦᑯᐧᐊᑦ ᔔᑳᐅᐧᐊᑦ ᔔᓖᔮᐧᐊᑦ
ᔔᔮᓄᐧᐊᑦ ᐅᔥᑳᒉᐧᐊᑦ
ᐧᐄᑯᐲᐧᐊᑦ ᐧᐄᐧᐊᑦ

at the beginning of a word

In many words, which begin with , there is a tendency to write this syllabic symbol as a small. But the small symbol is only used at the end of words.

Write… Not…
ᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᓐᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ
ᒋᒄ ᓐᒋᒄ
ᑑᐦᐆ ᓐᑑᐦᐆ
ᑐᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ ᓐᑐᐧᐋᐸᒣᐤ
ᑖᒥᐦᒡ ᓐᑖᒥᐦᒡ
ᑕᐧᐋᔒᒻ ᓐᑕᐧᐋᔒᒻ

Some of the numbers are pronounced two ways, with or without at the beginning.

ᑯᐧᑖᔥᒡ ᑯᐧᑖᔥᒡ six
ᔮᓈᓀᐤ ᔮᓈᓀᐤ eight

at the beginning of a word

Often words, which are written with at the beginning, are pronounced with or . The big should still be written before ᑎ, ᑐ, ᑕ.

Write… Not…
ᑌᒻ ᔥᑌᒻ
ᑕᐧᐋᔒᒻ ᔥᑕᐧᐋᔒᒻ
ᑖᓂᔅ ᔅᑖᓂᔅ
ᑕᔥᑐᑎᓐ ᔥᑕᔥᑐᑎᓐ

Also before

Write… Not…
ᒌ ᒥᔅᑫᓐ ᔅᒌ ᒥᔅᑫᓐ
ᒌ ᒦᒋᓐ ᔅᒌ ᒦᒋᓐ

in the middle of a word…

Write… Not…
ᐧᐯᔅᑑ ᐧᐯᔅᑑ
ᐧᐄᐦᔅᑑ ᐧᐄᔅᑑ
ᔅᑎᓇᒻ ᐸᔅᑎᓇᒻ
ᑳᐦᔥᑎᓇᒻ ᑳᔥᑎᓇᒻ

See also: Spelling East Cree – Northern Dialect – Syllabic symbols not to forget to write