To our dear colleague Andrea Custer and to wîcimosa (her sweetheart) Randy Clarke as they begin their new life together, we send best wishes with help from Solomon Ratt!
tâpika kinwîsk ta-wîcîwitoyîk mîna ta-mithopathihikoyîk
ᑖᐱᑲ ᑭᐣᐑᐢᐠ ᑕ ᐑᒌᐏᑐᔩᐠ ᒦᓇ ᑕ ᒥᖪᐸᖨᐦᐃᑯᔩᐠ
Wishing you a life of long companionship and good fortune
In honour of your special day, and the vows you plan to exchange in Cree(!) we have assembled a list of wedding vocabulary. Our way of joining the celebration remotely.
The Proposal:
kisâkihitin nitiskwêm êkwa ê-nohtê-wîkimitân … ka-kî-wîkimin nâ?
I love you my lady and I want to marry you, will you marry me?
Wedding Celebration:
| Term | Gloss |
|---|---|
| wîhkihkohkêwin | feast, banquet |
| wîkihtowi-wîhkihkasôs | wedding cake (SR) |
| wîkihtowin | wedding; marriage, marriage ceremony; living together |
Marriage Ceremony:
| Term | Gloss |
|---|---|
| isistâwin | traditional ceremony |
| kihci-wîkihtow | s/he is formally married in church |
| kihci-wîkihtowin | formal marriage, Holy Matrimony |
| manitôhkâsowin | rites; religious ceremony |
| mêkiskwêmêw | s/he gives s.o. (female) away in an arranged marriage |
| mêkiskwêwâniw | she is given away in an arranged marriage |
| mêkiskwêwêwin | giving a woman (e.g. daughter) away in an arranged marriage; betrothal |
| mêkiw | s/he gives, s/he gives away; s/he gives s.t. away; s/he releases s.t.; he gives her in marriage |
| nahikâpawîstawêw | s/he stands in place by s.o.; he acts as s.o.'s best man at a wedding |
| nîpawîstamawêw | s/he stands up for s.o., s/he is a witness (e.g. at wedding) for s.o. |
| tahkopicikêwin | knot |
| wêwêkinâwak akohpihk | they are wrapped in a blanket SR |
| wîkihtow | 1. bride; groom; [plural:] bride and groom, married couple; 2. s/he gets married, s/he is married; [plural:] they marry one another, they are married to one another; they live together |
Life Together
| Term | Gloss |
|---|---|
| nahâhkapiw | he lives with his wife's people or his wife's parents |
| nahâhkis | son-in-law; bridegroom |
| osikosimâw | mother-in-law; paternal aunt, wife of maternal uncle |
| osisimâw | father-in-law; maternal uncle, husband of paternal aunt |
| sâkihitowin | love; mutual love; affection; charity |
| tipiskamowin | birthday; anniversary |
| wîc-âyâhtowak | they live together, they are married to one another |
| wîkihtahêw | s/he makes s.o. marry; s/he unites s.o. in marriage |
Giving Rings
| âhcanicihcân | ring finger |
|---|---|
| âhcanicihciy | ringed hand |
| âhcanis | ring |
| kihci-wîkihtowin-âhcanis | wedding ring |
| nitomiskwêwêw | he asks for a woman's hand in marriage |
| otâhcanisiw | s/he has a ring |
| poscipayiw | it goes on (e.g. a ring) |
| wâsihkopayiw | s/he glitters (e.g. wedding-ring) |
Being Spouses
| Term | Gloss |
|---|---|
| nâpêw | man, male adult, male being; husband |
| nîcêwâkan, niwîcêwâkan | my spouse; my companion, my partner, my buddy, my friend |
| nîkimâkan, niwîkimâkan | my spouse, my wife, my husband; my housemate |
| ninâpêm | my husband, my (male) lover |
| nitiskwêm | my wife, my woman, my (female) lover |
| nîwa | my wife |
| onâpêmimâw | husband |
| owîkihtow | bridegroom; bride |
| owîkimâkaniw | s/he has (s.o. as) a spouse, wife, husband |
| wîcêwâkan | spouse, wife; companion, buddy |
| wîcêwâkanihtowak | they find one another as partner, spouse; they live as common-law partners |
| wîcêwâkaniw | s/he has (s.o. as) a partner, spouse; he has a wife; she has a husband |
| wîkimâkan | spouse; wife; husband |
| wîkimêw | s/he marries s.o., s/he takes s.o. as spouse; s/he is married to s.o.; s/he lives with s.o. |
| wîtapimêw | s/he sits with s.o., s/he stays with s.o., s/he is present with s.o.; s/he works together with s.o.; s/he sits by s.o. (in marriage) |
| wîwa | his wife |
| wîwimâw | wife |
2 Responses
meywasin metoni
My friends met in Oujé-Bougoumou and are getting married and have two kids. These phrases and words will help me with their marriage celebration !
Migwetch!