This same day that we celebrate Fred Sasakamoose’s appointment to the Order of Canada (May 2018), we (in Winnipeg, at least) are also celebrating Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference Finals between the Winnipeg Jets and the Las Vegas Knights. Maybe it’s time for some Cree-language hockey terms!
I asked #CreeSimonSays, and he suggested the following (all dialect neutral and commonly said)
Whiteout:
- wâpiskisîyotân = let’s dress in white
- wâpiskâw = it is white in colour
- wâpiskisîho = dress in white
- wâpiskisîhowak = they are dressed in white
- kawâpiskâw = it will be white in colour
- My favourite (also from Simon): kawāpiskipayiw = it will turn white
Since Whiteout is also a metaphor for a blizzard, I found these two words (but isn’t that the name of another team?)
- pîwani-yôtin, and kostâmikwan
Jets:
For Jets, I could only find pimihâkan(-ak) = airplane(s). They say the Predators burnt a small plane as part of their pre-series ritual: A lot of good that did them!
Simon provided: nōtinikī-piminākana Fighting planes, (n dialect)
Cheering:
(Thanks to Simon and to Mary Cardinal Collins for help with these!)
- awâs! for ‘Go!’ (to one person), but if you need to yell at the whole team at once, use awâsitik for ‘Go, All of you!’
- kisiskâpayiw (vai) = ‘go fast’ (but be really careful with your vowel length: kîsipayiw (vii) = ‘ends, terminates’
- ahkamêyimoh = keep it up, persist
- sohkih = go hard
- kweyaho = hurry .
- tahkahkih = good on u!
- ahaw = Let’s go!
- ahaw mâka = Come on!
Play-by-play:
For play-by-play, here’s a great example from Clarence “Tsi-boy” Iron at CFNK Radio (89.9 FM, PineHouse) Find more at the CFNK FaceBook Group.
And from Kevin Lewis, the most important play-by-play phrase of all:
-
kitâskwêw, pihtakwatâw!!!!! = He shoots, he scores!!!
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Other hockey terms:
And finally, some other general hockey vocabulary from the online itwêwina dictionary:
- atihkwasiniy (hockey stone, puck; caribou testicle)
- sôniskwâtahikêwikamik (arena, hockey rink)
- sôniskwâtahikêwin (skating; hockey)
- sôniskwâtahikêw (skate; play hockey; ski)
- okipahowêw (jailer, prison guard; goalie, goalkeeper, goaltender)
- ohciyâkêw (win from, over people (with things); score a win)
- mêtawêwin (game, contest, sport; dialogue)
- okipahowêw (jailer, prison guard; goalie, goalkeeper, goaltender)
2 Responses
Wahwaa! Lii Jets mitoni miyo-meetawewak! Ahaw!
🙂