ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ
pimatisiwin
The Cree word for "life" is ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ (pimatisiwin).
ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ refers to the state of being alive.
Meaning: the state of being alive (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
pimatisiwin
Did you know?
- Because Cree is a polysynthetic language, a single word related to ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ can be expanded with prefixes and suffixes to mean an entire sentence, such as 'I am living a long life'.
- In traditional Cree philosophy, the word for life is inseparable from the concept of way of life or the way one conducts oneself in the world.
- Cree uses a complex system of syllabics, the symbols seen in ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ, which were adapted from an older system to allow for rapid writing and literacy across different communities.
Example conversation
Two people are reflecting on their elders.
- Aᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ ᐅᐣ ᐴᐄᐣ ᐘᐣ.pimaatisiwin on thun win.Life is a beautiful thing.
- Bᐅᐣ ᒫᑲᐣ ᐴᐄᐣ.on makan thun.That is very true.
- Aᓂᐣᐘᐣ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐏᐣ ᐅᐣ ᐘᐣ.ninwin pimaatisiwin on win.It is a good life.
- Bᐅᐣ ᐅᐣ.on on.Yes, yes.
