tahkāyāw
The Cree word for "cold" is tahkāyāw.
tahkāyāw is an adjective used to describe something that has a low temperature.
Meaning: having a low temperature (adj)
Did you know?
- In Cree, whether you use tahkāyāw depends on if the object is 'animate' or 'inanimate'. This means the language categorizes the world not just by gender, but by whether a thing possesses a spiritual life force.
- Because Cree is a polysynthetic language, a speaker can attach suffixes to the root for tahkāyāw to create a single word that expresses who is cold, when they became cold and how they are experiencing it.
- In Cree-speaking communities, describing the 'cold' often involves specific nuances that can indicate the direction of the wind or the type of weather expected.
Example conversation
Two people are stepping outside in the winter.
- ATahkāyāw ᐘᐘᐘ ᐘᐘᐘ!Tahkayaw eya!It is cold!
- Bᐘᐘᐘ ᐘᐘᐘ.Eya.Yes, it is.
- Aᐘᐘᐘ ᐘᐘᐘ ᐘᐘᐘ?Ni-tahkayaw ni-sōmīy.Am I cold, or are you?
- Bᐘᐘᐘ ᐘᐘᐘ ᐘᐘᐘ.Nīya tahkayaw.I am the one who is cold.
