wîhcekan
The English word "stinky" is translated into Cree as wîhcekan.
wîhcekan is an adjective used to describe something that has a strong, unpleasant smell.
Meaning: having a strong, unpleasant smell (adj)
Did you know?
- Cree is a polysynthetic language, so a single long word can incorporate the idea of 'stinky' along with the object it describes and the person smelling it.
- In Cree, the word for 'stinky' changes based on 'animacy', meaning the word used for a stinky rock is different from the one used for a stinky animal.
- While 'stinky' can be an insult in English, some words for strong smells in Cree are used affectionately or positively to describe traditional foods like fermented fish.
Example conversation
Two people are cleaning the kitchen.
- Aᐯᐯᐯᐯ ᐯᐯᐯᐯ wîhcekan ᐯᐯᐯᐯ ᐯᐯᐯᐯ.wîhcekanThis trash is stinky.
- Bᐯᐯᐯᐯ ᐯᐯᐯᐯ ᐯᐯᐯᐯ ᐯᐯᐯᐯ.…I can smell it from here.
