Thanks to Mikisiw Hall for scouring his collection of Cree books and resources for new Halloween words to add to our collection.
Review our older lists (with audio) from Wayne Jackson in 2016 and Solomon Ratt in 2023. With Sol’s help, we’ve provided SRO spelling for each of the new (to us) terms, and have presented them in y-dialect.
Special thanks to Celia Deschambault – clearly a master of Halloween – for letting us use her FaceBook photo of two very young (and very scary!) Cree language activists ê-âhcinâkohisocik: disguised as twins from The Shining.
| miyo-cîpayi-kîsikaw | ᒥᔪ ᒌᐸᔨ ᑮᓯᑲᐤ | Happy Halloween |
|---|---|---|
| ayapihkês-ayapiy | ᐊᔭᐱᐦᑫᓴᔭᐱᐩ | web |
| cîpayihkwân | ᒌᐸᔨᐦᒁᐣ | ghost face |
| cîpayi-kakwâtakihiwêwin | ᒌᐸᔨ ᑲᒁᑕᑭᐦᐃᐍᐏᐣ | haunt (suggested by SR) |
| kostâcinâkwan | ᑯᐢᑖᒋᓈᑿᐣ | scary |
| kostâtêyihtâkwan | ᑯᐢᑖᑌᔨᐦᑖᑿᐣ | ghastly |
| maci- | ᒪᒋ- | evil |
| maci-atâmipêkiskwêw | ᒪᒋ ᐊᑖᒥᐯᐦᑭᐏᑵᐤ | siren (i.e., scary mermaid) |
| mamâhtâwan | ᒪᒫᐦᑖᐘᐣ | magical |
| mamâhtâwatisi-nâpêw | ᒪᒫᐦᑖᐘᑎᓯ ᓈᐯᐤ | wizard |
| mamâhtâwi-isihcikêwina | ᒪᒫᐦᑖᐏ ᐃᓯᐦᒋᑫᐏᓇ | witchcraft / spiritually powerful acts |
| maskihkîwâpoy | ᒪᐢᑭᐦᑮᐚᐳᐩ | potion |
| mistahi-sêkisiwin / mistahi-kostâtikwan | ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᓭᑭᓯᐏᐣ / ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᑯᐢᑖᑎᑿᐣ | horror |
| mistikwânikan | ᒥᐢᑎᒁᓂᑲᐣ | skull |
| mitakisiy(a) | ᒥᑕᑭᓯᐩ(ᐊ) | gut(s) |
| mîtihpa | ᒦᑎᐦᐸ | brains |
| miyaw | ᒥᔭᐤ | corpse |
| môhcohkân | ᒨᐦᒍᐦᑳᐣ | clown |
| nîpâyâstêw | ᓃᐹᔮᐢᑌᐤ | moonlight |
| nipiwin | ᓂᐱᐏᐣ | death |
| onipiw kâ-pimohtêt | ᐅᓂᐱᐤ ᑳ ᐱᒧᐦᑌᐟ | zombie |
| oskan(a) | ᐅᐢᑲᐣ(ᐊ) | bone(s) |
| pahkêkinohkwân | ᐸᐦᑫᑭᓄᐦᒁᐣ | leatherface |
| piscipowin | ᐱᐢᒋᐳᐏᐣ | poison |
| sîwi-mahtâmin | ᓰᐏ ᒪᐦᑖᒥᐣ | candy corn |
| sîwinôsiwat | ᓰᐏᓅᓯᐘᐟ | candy bag |
| takwâkin | ᑕᒁᑭᐣ | autumn |
| wâsaskocênikanis(a) | ᐚᓴᐢᑯᒉᓂᑲᓂᐢ(ᐊ) | candles |
| wawêsihtâw | ᐘᐍᓰᐦᑖᐤ | s/he decorates s.t. |
| wawêsîw | ᐘᐍᓰᐤ | s/he dresses up |
| wawiyasihiwêw | ᐘᐏᔭᓯᐦᐃᐍᐤ | joker |
