Family words in Plains Cree

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

	Plains Cree (nēhiyawēwin / ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ)
family (kinship, relations)	wâhkôtowin / ᐚᐦᑰᑐᐏᐣ
(my) parents	ninekihikwak / ᓂᓀᑭᐦᐃᑿᐠ
(my) father	nohtâwiy / ᓄᐦᑖᐏᐩ
(my) mother	nikâwiy / ᓂᑳᐏᐩ
children	awâsisak / ᐊᐚᓯᓴᐠ
son	nikosis / ᓂᑯᓯᐢ
daughter	nitânis / ᓂᑖᓂᐢ
(my) husband (my man)	ninâpem / ᓂᓈᐯᒼ niwîkimâkan / ᓂᐑᑭᒫᑲᐣ
wife (my woman)	nîwa / ᓃᐘᐣ nitiskwêm / ᓂᑎᐢᑵᒼ niwîkimâkan / ᓂᐑᑭᒫᑲ
(my) brother	nistes / ᓄᐢᑌᐢ (older brother) nisîmis / ᓂᓰᒥᐢ (younger sibling)
(my) sister	nimis / ᓂᒥᐢ (older sister) nisîmis / ᓂᓰᒥᐢ (younger sibling)
uncle	nohcâwîs / ᓄᐦᒑᐑᐢ (“little father” - father’s brother / mother’s sister’s husband) nisis / ᓂᓯᐢ (mother’s brother)
aunt	nikâwîs / ᓂᑳᐑᐢ (“little mother” - mother’s sister / father’s brother’s wife) nisikos / ᓂᓯᑯᐢ (father’s sister)
cousin (male)	nistes / ᓄᐢᑌᐢ (older male cousin) nisîmis / ᓂᓰᒥᐢ (younger cousin)
cousin (female)	nimis / ᓂᒥᐢ (older female cousin) nisîmis / ᓂᓰᒥᐢ (younger cousin)
nephews & nieces	nitihkwatimak ekwa nitôsimiskwêmak / ᓂᑎᐦᑿᑎᒪᐠ ᐁᑿ ᓂᑑᓯᒥᐢᑵᒪᐠ
nephew	nikosis / ᓂᑯᓯᐢ (if you are the same gender as your nephew’s parent) nitihkwatim / ᓂᑎᐦᑿᑎᒼ (if you are not the same gender as your nephew’s parent)
niece	nitânis / ᓂᑖᓂᐢ (if you are the same gender as your niece’s parent) nitôsimiskwêm / ᓂᑑᓯᒥᐢᑵᒼ (if you are not the same gender as your niece’s parent)
grandparents	nimosômak ekwa nohkomak / ᓂᒧᓲᒪᐠ ᐁᑿ ᓄᐦᑯᒪᐠ (my grandfathers and grandmothers)
grandfather grandmother	nimosôm / ᓂᒧᓲᒼ
grandchildren	nôsisimak / ᓅᓯᓯᒪᐠ
grandson granddaugher	nôsisim / ᓅᓯᓯᒼ
great grandfather great grandmother	nicâpân / ᓂᒑᐹᐣ
great uncle	nimosôm / ᓂᒧᓲᒼ
great aunt	nohkom / ᓄᐦᑯᒼ
father-in-law	nohcâwîs / ᓄᐦᒑᐑᐢ (same-sex couple) nisis / ᓂᓯᐢ (opposite-sex couple)
mother-in-law	nikâwîs / ᓂᑳᐑᐢ (same-sex couple) nisikos / ᓂᓯᑯᐢ (opposite-sex couple)
brother-in-law	nistes / ᓂᐢᑌᐢ (same-sex couple - older) nisîmis / ᓂᓰᒥᐢ (same-sex couple - younger) nîscâs / ᓃᐢᒑᐢ (opposite-sex couple - older) nîcimos / ᓃᒋᒧᐢ (opposite-sex couple - younger)
sister-in-law	nimis / ᓂᒥᐢ (same-sex couple - older) nisîmis / ᓂᓰᒥᐢ (same-sex couple - younger) nicâhkos / ᓂᒑᐦᑯᐢ (opposite-sex couple - older) nîcimos / ᓃᒋᒧᐢ (opposite-sex couple - younger)

Information provided by William Swindler

More details of Plains Cree family words (PDF)

Notes

These words change depending on whose family members you are talking about. For example, my father is nôhtâwiy, your father is kôhtâwiy and his / her / their father is ohtâwiya, and my mother is nikâwiy, your mother is kikâwiy and his / her / their mother is okâwiya
Words for older siblings and cousins have different male and female forms, but words for younger siblings and cousins do not.
There are different words for cross cousins and the children of your mother’s brother(s) or your father’s sister(s). These vary depending on whether the cousins are older or younger than, and whether you are male or female.

Information about Plains Cree family words
https://www.strongnations.com/download.php?f=229
https://apihtawikosisan.com/2011/10/cree-kinship-terms/

Information about parallel cousins and cross-cousins
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_and_cross_cousins

Family words in other languages

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