Ken Paupanekis shared this simple teaching song, sung to the tune of Frère Jacques. He uses it to teach prepositions for “here”, “there” and “over there” (that are different for animate and inanimate). He also uses it to drill animate and inanimate nouns.
Remember that some of these prepositions also change with dialect!
| kêkwân ôma, kêkwân ôma têhtapiwin têhtapiwin* kêkwân ôma, kêkwân ôma têhtapiwin têhtapiwin kêkwân anima, kêkwân anima têhtapiwin têhtapiwin* kêkwân anima, kêkwân anima têhtapiwin têhtapiwin kêkwân nêma, kêkwân nêma têhtapiwin têhtapiwin* kêkwân nêma, kêkwân nêma têhtapiwin têhtapiwin | Cree uses different prepositions for things (inanimate nouns) than for people (animate nouns) ôma = right here anima = over there nêma = way over there *Some examples of things (inanimate nouns) you might see: • têhtapiwin (chair) • masinahikan (book) • iskwâhtêm (door) • paspâpiwin (window) • mîcisowinâhtik (table) • wâskâhikan (house) |
| awêna âwa, awêna awa iskwêsis, iskwêsis** awêna âwa, awêna awa iskwêsis, iskwêsis awêna ana, awêna ana iskwêsis, iskwêsis** awêna ana, awêna ana iskwêsis, iskwêsis awêna nâha, awêna nâha iskwêsis, iskwêsis** awêna nâha, awêna nâha iskwêsis, iskwêsis | awa = right here ana = over there nâha = way over there **Some examples of people (animate nouns) you might see: • iskwêsis (girl) • pîsim (moon/sun) • nâpêsis (boy) • nâpêw (man) • awâsis (child) • iskwêw (woman) • otâpânâsk (car, sled) • nitânis (my daughter) • nikosis (my son) |
