Someone asked for beading terms recently on FaceBook. It’s no substitute for sitting down and talking with a genuine Cree-speaking beading expert, but I was able to find a whole bunch of beading words by searching with keywords in the itwêwina Online Dictionary. Who knows: maybe this list will help encourage the real experts to speak up and teach us more!
Here’s how you can search the dictionary, too:
- Go to the dictionary here: (http://sapir.artsrn.ualberta.ca/itwewina/)
It looks like this:
- Click on English –> Plains Cree, then enter a search word in the box. I started with “bead” then “needle” then “thread” and so on. (You can obviously also search Plains Cree –> English, but you’ll need to spell well in SRO).
I made a list of the words I found. In the dictionary, you can also click on the links to learn about word forms: find the correct form for plurals, or possessives, or – in the case of verbs – how to say who is doing the beading, past, present and future!
| SRO | Gloss |
|---|---|
| akokwâsow | (sew trimming [e.g. on a dress]) |
| akokwâtam | (sew s.t. on) |
| akostaham | (sew s.t. on [as trimming]) |
| akostahamawêw | (sew [it/him] on for s.o.) |
| akostahwêw | (sew s.o. on [as trimming]) |
| âniskokwâtam | (sew s.t. on as an extension) |
| apihkêw | (knit. Or he braids. Could also mean "wear braids"., braid, braid hair; weave, make a net; knit, do knitting) |
| apisâpêkan | (be small [e.g. thread, rope]) |
| apisâpêkisiw | (be small [e.g. thread size]) |
| asapâp | (thread) |
| astinwân | (sinew) |
| astis | (thread made from dried sinew) |
| astisihkêw | (make sinew thread) |
| astisîhkêw | (make sinew thread) |
| astisiy | (thread made from sinew) |
| cista | (poke him or an animate object with something sharp. E.g. with a needle or pin.) |
| cîstahêw | (pierce s.o.; give s.o. an injection, needle; prick s.o. with an awl or pin) |
| cîstahwêw | (prick s.o., pierce s.o., jab s.o., spear s.o. with a pointed object; give s.o. an injection, inject s.o., vaccinate s.o.) |
| cîstatêyâpiy | (sinew) |
| êsawêhkwak | (square needle for sewing leather) |
| êsawêhkwakos | (small square needle for sewing leather) |
| isawêhkwak | (square needle for sewing leather) |
| isawêhkwakos | (small square needle for sewing leather) |
| isikwâtam | (sew s.t. thus) |
| itistaham | (sew s.t. on thus) |
| itistahikêw | (sew things on thus) |
| itistahwêw | (sew s.o. [e.g. porcupine-quills] on thus) |
| kaskikwâcikêw | (sew by hand, giving attention to detail. sew things) |
| kaskikwâsow | (sew by machine. sew, do his/her own sewing; sew s.t.) |
| kaskikwâswâkêw | (sew with something, use something in sewing) |
| kaskikwâswêw | (sew s.o.) |
| kaskikwâtam | (work on it by sewing. sew s.t.) |
| kaskikwâtamâsow | (sew [it/him] for him/herself) |
| kaskikwâtamawêw | (sew [it/him] for s.o.) |
| kaskikwâtêw | (sew him [animate- as a pants]., be sewn) |
| kaskikwâtêw | (sew him [animate- as a pants]., sew s.o. [e.g. pants]; sew for s.o.) |
| kaskikwâtisow | (sew for him/herself) |
| kaskitêmin | (1. black bead 2. prune) |
| kîpikwâsow | (sew quickly) |
| kîpikwâtam | (sew s.t. quickly) |
| kîpikwâtêw | (sew s.o. quickly) |
| kipokwâtam | (sew it shut., sew s.t. closed or together) |
| kipokwâtêw | (sew s.o. closed or together) |
| kipostaha | (sew it shut.) |
| kipostaham | (sew s.t. shut) |
| kipostahikêw | (sew things shut) |
| kipostahikkew | (sew thing shut.) |
| kipostahwêw | (sew s.o. shut) |
| kiskinawâcihôkispison | (bracelet, charm-bracelet) |
| kispakikwâtam | (sew s.t. thickly) |
| mâwasakostaham | (sew s.t. together) |
| mâwasakostahwêw | (sew s.o. together) |
| mâyikwâsow | (sew badly) |
| mihcâpêkisiw | (be a large strand [of thread or wool]) |
| mihkominak | (red beads or red berries.) |
| mîkis | (bead) |
| mîkisasâkay | (beaded jacket, beaded coat, beaded dress) |
| mîkisaskisin | (beaded moccasin) |
| mîkisayiwinisa | (beaded clothing) |
| mîkisihkahcikêw | (do beadwork, bead things) |
| mîkisihkahtam | (bead s.t., put beads on s.t.) |
| mikisikahta | (bead it.) |
| mikisikahtam | (bead it.) |
| mîkisis | (bead) |
| mîkisistaham | (bead s.t.; put beadwork on s.t.; adorn s.t. with beadwork, work beads on s.t.) |
| mîkisistahikan | (bead ornament, beaded article) |
| mîkisistahikêw | (bead, do beadwork) |
| mîkisiwi-pakwahtêhon | (beaded belt) |
| misi-sâponikan | (large needle) |
| miyokwâsow | (sew well) |
| miyokwâtam | (sew s.t. well) |
| miyokwâtêw | (sew s.o. well) |
| moscikwâsow | (sew by hand) |
| moscikwâtam | (sew s.t. by hand) |
| moscikwâtêw | (sew s.o. by hand) |
| môswêkin | (moose hide, leather) |
| nanâtohkokwâsow | (sew patchwork blankets) |
| nanâtostahikêw | (use different stitches) |
| nihtâwikwâsow | (sew well, be a good seamstress; do fancy sewing) |
| nihtâwikwâtam | (sew s.t. well) |
| nihtâwikwâtêw | (sew s.o. well; sew well for s.o.) |
| ocipicikanêyâpiy | (harness, leather straps of harness) |
| omîkiwahpihkêw | (one who sews tipis, one who makes tipis) |
| opahkêkiniw | (have leather, hide) |
| osaponikanim | (his needle.) |
| osâponikaniw | (have a needle or needles. have a needle) |
| osâwasapâp | (yellow thread) |
| osâwi-mîkis | (yellow bead) |
| otapiskahkan | (her tie or necklace or handkerchief.) |
| otâpiskâkaniw | (have a tie, necklace, handkerchief) |
| otastinwâniw | (have sinew) |
| oyâpîhkâtam | (arrange s.t. on a string, thread s.t. on a string) |
| pahkehkin | (hide, leather.) |
| pahkêkin | (hide; tanned hide, dressed hide, finished hide, leather) |
| pahkekiniwat | (a leather bag.) |
| pahkêkinohkêw | (make dressed hides, make leather) |
| pahkêkinos | (a small piece of leather., small dressed hide, small piece of leather) |
| pahkêkinowat | (leather bag) |
| pahkêkinwêsâkay | (a leather coat., leather coat, leather jacket) |
| pahkêkinwêskisin | (leather moccasin) |
| paskinêw | (break s.o. off [e.g. thread]) |
| paskipayiw | (snap and breaks. Animate. snap [when pulled; as thread]) |
| pêhpêkahâkan | (stone in leather as war-club) |
| pîhtawêkwâtam | (sew s.t. as lining into a garment; sew s.t. in between covers, sew covers on s.t.) |
| pîhtawêkwâtêw | (sew s.o. as lining into a garment; sew s.o. in between covers, sew covers on s.o.) |
| pîmikwâtam | (sew s.t. crooked) |
| pîmikwâtêw | (sew s.o. crooked) |
| piskihcikwâtam | (sew an extension on s.t. [e.g. canvas]) |
| piskihcikwâtêw | (sew an extension on s.o. [e.g. pants]) |
| pîwâpiskominis | (bead of metal) |
| pîwâpiskos | (a piece of metal. E.g. peyak piwapiskos- One penny. penny, cent; coin; wire; needle) |
| sakâpâtam | (attach s.t. by sewing, sew s.t. on) |
| sâponikan | (needle) |
| sâponikanis | (small needle) |
| sâpostaham | (pierce s.t. through with a needle) |
| sâpostahwêw | (pierce s.o. through with a needle) |
| sênipânisapâp | (silk thread) |
| sêscakos | (thread; one-ply yarn) |
| sêstak | (yarn., yarn, thread) |
| sihtapekin | (pull on it tight. As thread.) |
| sîhtâpêkinêw | (pull s.o. tight [e.g. yarn, thread]) |
| sîpâpitêw | (pull him under., pull s.o. under; pull thread under the sewing machine) |
| sîpostaham | (sew s.t. up [as a rip in his/her own clothes]) |
| sîpostahamawêw | (sew [it/him] up for s.o.) |
| sîpostahwêw | (sew s.o. up) |
| sôhkâpêkisiw | (be strong [e.g. thread, yarn]) |
| tahpisiminak | (necklace of beads) |
| tapisa | (thread it. Animate.) |
| tapisaha | (thread the needle.) |
| tâpisaham | (thread s.t. [e.g. needle]) |
| tâpisahamawêw | (thread [it] for s.o.) |
| tapisahwaw | (be threaded.) |
| tâpisahwêw | (thread s.o. [e.g. bead]) |
| tapisayihkan | (the eye of the needle.) |
| tapisayihkew | (be threading.) |
| tâpisiminêw | (thread beads) |
| tâpiskahêw | (put a necklace or collar on s.o.) |
| tâpiskâkan | (a collar or a necklace. Usually anything worn around the neck. scarf, necktie; necklace; handkerchief) |
| tâpiskâkan | (a collar or a necklace. Usually anything worn around the neck. collar, horse-collar; necklace) |
| tâpiskâkanêmin | (bead from a necklace; [plural:] bead necklace, necklace of beads) |
| têpipayihêw | (make s.o. last [such as thread]) |
| tipikwasiw | (sew along the edge.) |
| titipikwanaham | (sew s.t. in overcast stitch [e.g. the spiral loops around the vamp of a moccasin]) |
| wanahpitêw | (tangle s.o. [e.g. thread, yarn]) |
| wâpimin | (white bead, white kernel) |
| wâpiskimin | (white bead) |
| wâwiyêkwâtam | (sew s.t. into a circle) |
| wâwiyêkwâtêw | (sew s.o. into a circle) |
| wîskwastêw | (be smoked [e.g. leather]) |
| wîskwastêwinâkwan | (be brown in appearance; literally: "it looks like smoked leather") |
| wîstêpahkway | (piece of old [smoky] leather) |
