ᑕᐚᐤ
tawaaw
The English word "welcome" is translated into Cree as ᑕᐚᐤ (tawaaw). If unsure, use ᑕᐚᐤ. Wiktionary also lists ᑕᑕᐘᐤ (tatawaw).
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
Ways to say it
| Cree | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ᑕᐚᐤ | tawaaw |
| ᑕᑕᐘᐤ | tatawaw |
This term is used as a greeting when someone arrives.
How do you pronounce it?
tawaaw
Did you know?
- Cree has no single word that translates exactly to the English use of 'welcome' as a response to 'thank you'. To express 'you are welcome', a speaker might instead say something closer to 'it is nothing'.
- The syllabics used to write ᑕᐚᐤ were a revolutionary invention that allowed Cree speakers to become highly literate in their own language very rapidly.
- While an English 'welcome' is often a single event, in Cree culture, the linguistic greeting is part of a broader, continuous process of hospitality that may last several days.
Examples in context
- ᑕᐚᐤ.ta-waw.Welcome.
- ᑕᐚᐤ, nâpê.ta-waw, nâpê.Welcome, my friend.
Example conversation
A person arrives at a friend's home.
- Aᑕᐚᐤ! ᒫᑲᐤᐤ ᒥᐣᐤᐤᐤ.Tawô! Mâkawâw minôw.Welcome! Everything is good.
- Bᑭᐣᐤᐤᐤ ᐌᐤᐤᐤ.Minôw fâw.It is good.
- Aᐌᐤᐤᐤ ᓂᐌᐤᐤᐤ ᒫᑲᐤᐤᐤ.Fâw nifâw mâkawâw.Come in, everyone.
- Bᒫᑲᐤᐤ ᐌᐤᐤᐤ.Mâkawâw fâw.We are coming in.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
