api
The Cree word for 'sit' is api.
This verb describes a person being in a position where the upper body is upright and the legs are supported.
Meaning: of a person, be in a position in which the upper body is upright and the legs are supported (verb)
Did you know?
- In Cree culture, the act of sitting in a circle during a meeting is a symbolic gesture of equality and shared community.
- Cree is a polysynthetic language, meaning 'api' can be expanded into much longer words that include the subject, the object, and even the manner of sitting.
- Cree uses a complex system of animacy, where api is categorized based on whether the subject is considered an animate or inanimate being.
Example conversation
A person is offering a chair to a guest.
- Aapi ᒫᓈᓅᐠ.api mānānūwak.Sit here.
- Bᑭᐣᐄᐭ, ᒫᓈᓅᐠ ᓂᐱᐧ.kinīy, mānānūwak nipi.Thank you, I will sit here.
- Aᐄ, ᒫᓈᓅᐠ ᓂᐧᐄᐞᐞᐤᐝᐤᐝᐤ.ī, mānānūwak nīēēūūū.Yes, sit comfortably here.
- Bᒥᐣᐄᐧ.minīy.I am.
