Colour words in Plains Cree

Words for colours in Plains Cree (nēhiyawēwin / ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ), an Algonquin language spoken in Canada and the USA.

Note: colour words in Plains Cree have two different forms: one is used with animate nouns, e.g. pîyesîs mihkosiw (the bird is red), and one is used with inanimate nouns, e.g. asinîya mihkwâwa (the rocks are red). Animate colour words are labelled A, while inanimate ones are labelled IA.

itasinâson / ᐃᑕᓯᓈᓱᐣ = colour
ma-miýwasinâstêw / ᒪ ᒥᔭᐧᓯᓈᐢᑌᐤ = it is colourful

kaskitesiw / ᑲᐢᑭᑌᓯᐤ (A), kaskitewâw / ᑲᐢᑭᑌᐚᐤ (IA) - black (“to be black / like coal”)

wâpiskisiw / ᐚᐱᐢᑭᓯᐤ (A), wâpiskwâw / ᐚᐱᐢᒁᐤ (IA) - white (“to be white / like light”)

mihkosiw / ᒥᐦᑯᓯᐤ (A), mihkwâw / ᒥᐦᒁᐤ (IA) - red (“to be red / like blood”)

Etymology: from mihko / ᒥᐦᑯ (blood), from Proto-Algonquian *meskwi (blood, red) [source].

wâpôsâwisiw / ᐚᐴᓵᐏᓯᐤ (A), wâpôsâwâw / ᐚᐴᓵᐚᐤ (IA) - yellow (“to be yellow / light orange”)

sîpihkosiw / ᓰᐱᐦᑯᓯᐤ (A), sîpihkwâw / ᓰᐱᐦᒁᐤ (IA) - blue (“to be blue / like water”)

askihtakosiw / ᐊᐢᑭᐦᑕᑯᓯᐤ (A), sîpihkwâw / ᓰᐱᐦᒁᐤ (IA) - green (“to be green / like Earth”)

wîpôsâwisiw / ᐑᐴᓵᐏᓯᐤ (A), wîpôsâwâw / ᐑᐴᓵᐚᐤ (IA) - brown (“to be brown / dark orange”)

wâpikwanîwinâkosiw / ᐚᐱᑿᓃᐏᓈᑯᓯᐤ (A), wâpikwanîwinâkwan / ᐚᐱᑿᓃᐏᓈᑿᐣ (IA) - pink (“to be pink / to look like a flower”)

osâwâwisiw / ᐅᓵᐚᐏᓯᐤ (A), osâwâw / ᐅᓵᐚᐤ (IA) - orange (“to be orange”)

pihkonâkosiw / ᐱᐦᑯᓈᑯᓯᐤ (A), pihkonâkwan / ᐱᐦᑯᓈᑿᐣ (IA) - grey (“to be grey / to look like ashes”)

wîpisîpihkosiw / ᐑᐱᓰᐱᐦᑯᓯᐤ (A), wîpisîpihkwâw / ᐑᐱᓰᐱᐦᒁᐤ (IA) - purple (“to be purple / dark-blue”)

watôkimihkosiw / ᐘᑑᑭᒥᐦᑯᓯᐤ (A), watôkimihkwâw / ᐘᑑᑭᒥᐦᒁᐤ (IA) - wine-colour (“to be coloured / like congealed blood”)

Information provided by William Swindler

Links

Information about colours in Plains Cree
https://www.native-languages.org/cree_colors.htm
https://www.native-languages.org/cree_animate.htm
https://creeliteracy.org/2016/07/18/all-about-colours-in-cree/
https://www.native-languages.org/cree_animate.htm

Colour words in other languages

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