ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐤ
kaskitêwâw
The Cree word for black is ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐤ (kaskitêwâw).
This adjective is used to describe something that is black by absorbing all light.
Meaning: absorbing all light (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
kaskitêwâw
Did you know?
- In some Cree dialects, the way one describes 'black' can change depending on whether the object is perceived as animate or inanimate, a concept that does not exist in English.
- The syllabics used to write ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐤ are a unique writing system developed by James Evans in the 1840s, which turned the sounds of the Cree language into a highly efficient, visual code.
- Because Cree is a polysynthetic language, a single word like ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐤ can sometimes be expanded with many more small parts to describe not just the color, but also the state or process of something becoming black.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a piece of clothing.
- Aᐄᐤᐤᐤ ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐤ ᒫᐤᐤᐤ?īununu kaskitē-āu māununu?Is that one black?
- Bᐄ, ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐋᐤ ᒫᐤᐤᐤ.ī, kaskitē-āu māununu.Yes, that one is black.
- Aᐄᐤᐤᐤ ᐅᐤᐤᐤ ᐄᐤᐤᐤ?īununu oununu īununu?Is the coat here?
- Bᐄ, ᐄᐤᐤᐤ ᐅᐤᐤᐤ ᐄᐤᐤᐤ.ī, īununu oununu īununu.Yes, the coat is here.
