maskwa
Plains Cree, animate noun
In Plains Cree the word for "bear" is maskwa. It is a noun in the animate class.
Meaning: large furry mammal (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
Plains Cree is spoken in the prairie provinces of Canada. The spelling here is the standard Roman orthography, which is also written in syllabics.
How does it change in a sentence?
Cree nouns are animate or inanimate rather than masculine or feminine. Maskwa is animate, so you point to it with awa ("this") and ana ("that").
Did you know?
- The name of the Canadian town of Maskwacis, Alberta, comes from the Cree word maskwa.
Examples in context
- Awa maskwa.This is a bear.
Example conversation
Two friends, Joe and Ruth, look across a field in Alberta.
- JoeAna maskwa!That is a bear!
- RuthAna maskwa.Yes, that is a bear.
- JoeMaskwa!A bear!
