ᑫᐦᑫᕽ
kêhkêhk
The English word "hawk" is translated into Cree as ᑫᐦᑫᕽ (kêhkêhk).
The word refers to a predatory bird of the Accipitridae family.
Meaning: predatory bird of Accipitridae (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Plains Cree dialect, the term Paskwâw is used to refer to a hawk.
How do you pronounce it?
kêhkêhk
Did you know?
- The Syllabary used to write ᑫᐦᑫᕽ was originally invented for the Cree language by James Evans in the 1840s.
- Cree uses a complex system of 'animacy' where the hawk is categorized as an animate being, affecting how verbs are used alongside ᑫᐦᑫᕽ.
- In some Cree traditions, certain birds of prey are seen as messengers between the physical world and the spirit world, giving the word a spiritual weight beyond just a biological label.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a bird in a tree.
- Aᐅᑫᐦᑫᕽ ᑭᐣᐄᐣᐎᐣ?ōkīhkīw kinēnīni?Is that a hawk?
- Bᐁ, ᑫᐦᑫᕽ ᐄᐣᐄᐣᐎᐣ.ē, kīhkīw īnēnīni.Yes, it is a hawk.
- Aᑫᐦᑫᕽ ᐄᐣᐄᐣᐎᐣ ᐄᐣᐄᐣᐎᐣ.kīhkīw īnēnīni īnēnīni.The hawk is very fast.
- Bᐄ, ᑫᐦᑫᕽ ᐄᐣᐄᐣᐎᐣ.ā, kīhkīw īnēnīni.Yes, it is a hawk.
