Dan Cardinal – Weather Terms
Dan Cardinal is a Cree language teacher who has taught with various schools including St. Jospehs High School, Ben Calf Rove School and Concordia University and the Canadian Native Friendship Centre, Red Deer College and Portage College . Dan also spent many years as the Vice President of the Metis Nation of Alberta. Dan continues to be a pillar in Cree language teaching throughout Alberta since the 1980s and a strong advocate for preserving the Cree language.
Segment 1
āsay – already, without delay
mīna – and
kitatamiskâtin – I greet you , ki (t) atamiskât in
namōya nantāw -I am not bad, I am fine
ninanāskomon ē-nitomiyan ōta kā – pē- piksweyan – I am grateful you invited me here to speak
tāpwē – it is true
nīsta mīna – me also
nimiywêyihtên – I am happy
āsay mīna – and , already
ê-wâpamitân – I am seeing you
nīsta – me also
tāpwē – it is true
anohc – today , miyo kīsikāw – it is a good day
anohc yîkwaskwan – it is cloudy today
apisis yîkwaskwan – a little bit cloudy
wāpahki apisis kā-yīkwaskwan – tomorrow it will be a little cloudy
kimiwan – rain, it is raining
mitoni – very , much , a lot
mistahi – very much , a lot , greatly
mitoni mistahi kimiwan – it is raining heavily
kîwê-sîkipêstâw – it is down pouring
aya – ah , well, hmm
ēwako – this , that
kimiwanayāw – it is raining there , misponayâw – it is snowing there
ninisitohtên – I understand
apisis kimiwan – a little rain
kimiwanis – a little rain
mispon – falling snow , there is snow falling
misponayaw – it is snowy (flurries)
kōna – snow ( on the ground )
mistahi ē-mispon – it is snowing alot
ē-pimohtēyān ē-misponayaw – I am walking as it is snowing
ê-kiskinwahamâkêyân nêhiyawêwin – I am teaching Cree language
kiskinwahamâkan – student
nikiskinwahamâkân – i teach
niyānan askiy – 5 years
wâwâskêsiw sâkahikan – Lac la Biche (Elk Lake)
wâhyaw – far away
mekwac – right now, currently
ka-otâkosik – in the evening
nikotwāsik tipahikan – six o’ clock
ayinānēw tipahikan – eight o’clock
isiyihkâtêw – it is called this
mīhcet – many , alot
ôma niya nikî-pê-ohpikin – ” where I grew up”
ôcênâs – town , village , settlement
Segment 2
tānisi isiwepan ? – How is the weather ?
Tānisi kīsik kīsikak ? – How is the sky today ?
anohc kisāstēw – today the weather is hot
anohc kisin – today is cold
ekwa mīna – and also
ka kītwan – you will say
anohc tahkāyāw – today is very cold
kisē – pīsim – january , cold month , great month
māyi – kīsikāw – it is a bad day
māyi – prefix for bad
miyo – prefix for bad
miyo kīskikāw – it is a good day
kīsikāw – day time
tipiskāw – night time, evening
pīsim – the sun
kīsikaw pīsim , the sun
tipiskāw pīsim – the moon
tahkāyāw ōma ka ōtakosīhk – it is cold this evening
yōtin – it is windy
anohc yōtin – today it is windy
yōtinisin – a little bit windy (diminutive)
mitoni yōtin – very windy
mistahi yōtin – very windy , big wind
ēkotē – over there
tānisi isiwepan ēkotē ? – How is the weather over there
ōta miyo kīsikāw māka yīkwaskwan – here it is a good day but it is cloudy
Seg 3
mistahi nimiywêyihtên – I am very happy , I am very glad
ē – wī – atoskēmak- my co worker i would work with
acimo – tell me a story
mawisowin – picking berries
kayās ka miywāsin – it was good back long ago
ayisiyiniwak – people ( plural)
ê-wîcihitok – we would help each other
nohkompam ka kīwē oho sīpiy – my late grandma lived in owl river
ekosi maka – that is all
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