ᐅᓵᐚᐤ
osâwâw
The English word "yellow" is translated into Cree as ᐅᓵᐚᐤ (osâwâw).
ᐅᓵᐚᐤ is an adjective used to describe something that has the color yellow.
Meaning: having yellow as its color (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
osâwâw
Did you know?
- In Cree, the way you describe a color can change based on whether the object is animate or inanimate, a distinction that does not exist in English.
- The syllabic script used to write ᐅᓵᐚᐤ was developed in the 19th century to increase literacy among Indigenous peoples, replacing the Latin alphabet in many communities.
- The Cree language is polysynthetic, meaning a single word can often be expanded to include the subject and the action, changing how a simple color adjective like ᐅᓵᐚᐤ functions in a sentence.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a garden.
- Aᑭᐚᐤ ᓂᐚᐤ ᐅᓵᐚᐤ?kîyâ nîyâ osâwâ?Is that one yellow?
- Bᐄ, ᐅᓵᐚᐤ ᓂᐚᐤ.ê, osâwâ nîyâ.Yes, it is yellow.
- Aᐘᐤᐤᐤᐤ ᓂᐚᐤ ᓂᐚᐤ.wîyâ nîyâ nîyâ.It is very bright.
- Bᓂᐚᐤ ᓂᐚᐤ ᓂᐚᐤ.nîyâ nîyâ nîyâ.I like it.
