A practice dialogue for students to describe the makeup of their family.
Th-dialect
tânitahtwasiyîk kiwîtisânîhitowinihk? | How many of you are in your family? | ᑖᓂᑕᐦᑢᓯᔩᐠ ᑭᐑᑎᓵᓃᐦᐃᑐᐏᓂᕽ? |
kayahtî? mâmawi ayinânîw kayahtî nikî-ihtasinân. | Originally? Altogether there were eight of us originally. | ᑲᔭᐦᑏ? ᒫᒪᐏ ᐊᔨᓈᓃᐤ ᑲᔭᐦᑏ ᓂᑮ ᐃᐦᑕᓯᓈᐣ᙮ |
ostîsimâw cî kîtha? | Are you the eldest brother? | ᐅᐢᑏᓯᒫᐤ ᒌ ᑮᖬ? |
namôtha, namôtha nîtha ostîsimâw. | No, I am not the eldest brother. | ᓇᒨᖬ, ᓇᒨᖬ ᓃᖬ ᐅᐢᑏᓯᒫᐤ᙮ |
osîmimâw cî kîtha? | Are you the youngest sibling? | ᐅᓰᒥᒫᐤ ᒌ ᑮᖬ? |
namôtha, namôtha osîmimâw nîtha. | No, I'm not the youngest. | ᓇᒨᖬ, ᓇᒨᖬ ᐅᓰᒥᒫᐤ ᓃᖬ᙮ |
tânitahto kitostîsin? | How many older brothers do you have? | ᑖᓂᑕᐦᑐ ᑭᑐᐢᑏᓯᐣ? |
nîso kayahtî nikî-ostîsin. ostîsimâw sâsay kayâs nikî-wanihânân. | I originally had two older brothers, we lost the eldest brother long ago. | ᓃᓱ ᑲᔭᐦᑏ ᓂᑮ ᐅᐢᑏᓯᐣ᙮ ᐅᐢᑏᓯᒫᐤ ᓵᓴᕀ ᑲᔮᐢ ᓂᑮ ᐘᓂᐦᐋᓈᐣ᙮ |
tânitahto kitomisin? | How many older sisters? | ᑖᓂᑕᐦᑐ ᑭᑐᒥᓯᐣ? |
nîso kayahtî nikî-omisin, piyak nimisipan nikî-wanihânân anohcihkî. | Originally I had two older sisters, we lost one of my older sisters just recently. | ᓃᓱ ᑲᔭᐦᑏ ᓂᑮ ᐅᒥᓯᐣ, ᐱᔭᐠ ᓂᒥᓯᐸᐣ ᓂᑮ ᐘᓂᐦᐋᓈᐣ ᐊᓄᐦᒋᐦᑮ᙮ |
tânitahto kitosîmisin? | How many younger siblings do you have? | ᑖᓂᑕᐦᑐ ᑭᑐᓰᒥᓯᐣ? |
kayahtî nisto nikî-osîmisin, piyak nisîmisipan nikî-wanihânân namôtha osâm kayâs. | Originally I had three younger siblings, we lost one younger sibling not too long ago. | ᑲᔭᐦᑏ ᓂᐢᑐ ᓂᑮ ᐅᓰᒥᓯᐣ, ᐱᔭᐠ ᓂᓰᒥᓯᐸᐣ ᓂᑮ ᐘᓂᐦᐋᓈᐣ ᓇᒨᖬ ᐅᓵᒼ ᑲᔮᐢ᙮ |
So you’re the middle child! How do you say middle child in Cree? | ||
I don’t know. We tend to be overlooked, even in the Cree kinship system. | ||
What would not be asked of me: | ||
omisimâw cî kîtha? | Are you the eldest sister? | ᐅᒥᓯᒫᐤ ᒌ ᑮᖬ? |
îhî, omisimâw nîtha. | Yes, I am the eldest sister. | ᐄᐦᐄ, ᐅᒥᓯᒫᐤ ᓃᖬ᙮ |
Y-dialect
ânitahtwasiyêk kiwîtisânîhitowinihk? | How many of you are in your family? |
kayahtê? mâmawi ayinânêw kayahtê nikî-ihtasinân. | Originally? Altogether there were eight of us originally. |
ostêsimâw cî kiya? (Ask only if the other person is male.) | Are you the eldest brother? |
namôya, namôya niya ostêsimâw. Or: âha, ostêsimâw niya. | No, I am not the eldest brother. Or Yes, I am the eldest brother. |
omisimâw cî kiya? (Ask only if the other person is female.) | Are you the eldest sister? |
âha, omisimâw niya. Or namôya, namôya omisimâw niya. | Yes, I am the eldest sister. Or No, I am not the eldest sister. |
osîmimâw cî kiya? | Are you the youngest sibling? |
namôya, namôya osîmimâw niya. Or âha, osîmimâw niya. | No, I am not the youngest sibling. Or Yes, I am the youngest sibling. |
ânitahto kitostêsin? | How many older brothers do you have? |
nîso kayahtê nikî-ostêsin. ostêsimâw âsay kayâs nikî-wanihânân. | I originally had two older brothers, we lost the eldest brother long ago. |
tânitahto kitomisin? | How many older sisters do you have? |
nîso kayahtê nikî-omisin, pêyak nimisipan nikî-wanihânân anohcihkê. | Originally I had two older sisters, we lost one of my older sisters just recently. |
tânitahto kitosîmisin? | How many younger siblings do you have? |
kayahtê nisto nikî-osîmisin, pêyak nisîmisipan nikî-wanihânân kayâsês. | Originally I had three younger siblings, we lost one younger sibling a while ago. |