ᑮᐢᑵᐤ
kîskwêw
The English word 'crazy' is translated into Cree as ᑮᐢᑵᐤ (kîskwêw).
ᑮᐢᑵᐤ is an adjective used to describe someone who is insane or demented.
Meaning: insane, demented (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kîskwêw.
Did you know?
- In some Cree contexts, a person behaving 'crazy' might be seen as someone experiencing a spiritual vision or a way of communicating with the supernatural.
- Because Cree is a polysynthetic language, the root of the word for 'crazy' can often be combined with other parts to create very specific descriptions, such as 'crazy with laughter' or 'crazy with anger'.
- Cree uses a unique syllabic writing system, where the shape of the character for ᑮᐢᑵᐤ changes based on the vowel sound it represents.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a person acting strangely.
- Aᑮᐢᑵᐤ ᓂᑮᐢᑵᐤ ᒫᓈᐤ.kîskpô nîskpô mânâ.He is totally crazy.
- Bᐄ, ᐄᐤ ᒫᓈᐤ.î, ê-ô mânâ.Yes, he is.
- Aᑮᐢᑵᐤ ᐄᐤ ᒫᓈᐤ ᐄᐤ.kîskpô ê-ô mânâ ê-ô.He is a crazy man.
- Bᐄ, ᑮᐢᑵᐤ ᒫᓈᐤ.î, kîskpô mânâ.Yes, he's insane.
