ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ
amiskwaciy-wâskahikan
Edmonton is ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (amiskwaciy-wâskahikan) in Cree.
This term refers to the city of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada.
Meaning: city in Alberta, Canada (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name is a compound meaning 'beaver hole/river place'. It is composed of amisk (beaver), aciy (its water/river) and wâskahikan (a place or thing).
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is amiskwaciy-wâskahikan.
Did you know?
- The syllabics used to write the name, such as in ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, rely on the direction a shape points to signal a change in vowel.
- The use of amisk connects the city's name to a linguistic family that stretches from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains.
- The Cree name amiskwaciy-wâskahikan is not a proper noun in the Western sense, but a topographical description that tells a traveler what to expect from the terrain.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing their travel plans.
- Aᑕᐣᐣᐣ ᓂᐣᑕᐣᐃᐣ ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ?tannn nintain amiskakici-awaskahikan?When are you going to Edmonton?
- Bᐄᐣᐣ ᓂᐣᑕᐣᐃᐣ ᐋᐣᐣ.ee nintain aan.I am going now.
- Aᐌᐄᐣᐣ ᓂᐣᑕᐣᐃᐣ ᒫᐢᑲᐧᐣ.wiinn nintain maskan.I am going that way too.
- Bᑭᐣᐄᐣ ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᐄᐣᐣ.kineen amiskakici-awaskahikan ee.We will be in Edmonton.
