sipihkwaw
The Cree word for blue is sipihkwaw.
The word sipihkwaw is an adjective used to describe something that is blue-coloured.
Meaning: blue-coloured (adj)
Did you know?
- In some traditional contexts, there is no linguistic distinction between the words for 'blue' and 'green', as both can be encompassed by a single term for 'bright/vibrant color'.
- The word sipihkwaw carries a rhythmic structure that can change based on the 'animacy' of the noun it describes, meaning a 'blue rock' and a 'blue bird' use different grammatical forms.
- If you were describing a 'blue object', the word sipihkwaw might actually function more like the English phrase 'it is blue-ing' due to the verb-heavy nature of the grammar.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at beads.
- Asipihkwaw ᒧᓈᓅ ᒫᓈᓅ?sipihkwaw mūnū mānū?Do you have a blue one?
- Bဢᐘ, ᒧᓈᓅ ᒫᓈᓅ.ē, mūnū mānū.Yes, I have one.
- Asipihkwaw ᓂᐘᓈᓅ ᓈᓅ.sipihkwaw nikūnū nūnū.I like the blue color.
- Bᓇᐆᓈᓅ ᒫᓈᓅ.nāūnū mānū.It is very beautiful.
