kêkwan ôma (What is this?) : awêna ôma (Who is this?) (n-dialect)

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)

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