Wāpiskisīw-iskwēw
The English phrase "white woman" is translated into Cree as Wāpiskisīw-iskwēw.
This phrase is used to describe a woman who has white skin.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is a compound of wāpiskisīw, meaning white-skinned and iskwēw, meaning woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun phrase, Wāpiskisīw-iskwēw does not change its form depending on whether the woman is the subject or the object of a sentence.
Did you know?
- The root wāpisk- used for 'white' is the same word used to describe 'snow' in many Cree dialects. This connects the concept of a person's skin tone directly to the brightness of a snowy landscape.
- In Cree, the descriptor for 'white' in this phrase, wāpiskisīw, is actually a verb that describes the action of 'being white'.
- The term iskwēw is part of a kinship system where the word used for 'woman' often shifts based on her specific familial relationship to the speaker.
Example conversation
Two people are talking about a new neighbor.
- AWāpiskisīw-iskwēw nīci-māskisīw.Wāpiskisīw-iskwēw nīci-māskisīw.The white woman is my neighbor.
- BMīno-ciyāwīw kīci-miywāsin?Mīno-ciyāwīw kīci-miywāsin?Is she very kind?
- AĒy, mīno-ciyāwīw wīna.Ēy, mīno-ciyāwīw wīna.Yes, she is very kind.
- BKīci-miywāsin nīci-māskisīw.Kīci-miywāsin nīci-māskisīw.My neighbor is also kind.
