Cree syllabics are the versions of Canadian Aboriginal syllabics used to write Cree language, including the original syllabics system created for Cree and Ojibwe language. There are two main varieties of syllabics for Cree: Western Cree syllabics and Eastern Cree syllabics. Syllabics were later adapted to several other languages.
History
Cree syllabics were developed for Ojibwe by James Evans, a missionary in what is now
Manitoba in the 1830s. Evans had originally adapted the
Latin script to Ojibwe (see Evans system), but after learning of the success of the Cherokee syllabary
, he experimented with invented scripts based on his familiarity with
Pitman shorthand and
Devanagari.
[George Campbell & Gareth King (2018:462) The Routledge Concise Compendium of the World's Languages]
When Evans later worked with the closely related Cree and ran into trouble with the Latin alphabet, he turned to his Ojibwe project and in 1840 adapted it to Cree.[Mona Baker, Kirsten Malmkjær (2001:364) Routledge Encyclopedia of Translation Studies]
Structure
Canadian Aboriginal syllabics are unique among
abugida scripts in that the orientation of a symbol, rather than modifications of its shape or
diacritic marks, determines the
vowel of a syllable. Each basic shape corresponds to a specific consonant sound; this is flipped or rotated to denote the accompanying vowel.
Like the Latin alphabet, syllabics are written from left to right, with each new line of writing directly under the previous one.
Sample text: ᒥᓯᐌ ᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᑎᐯᓂᒥᑎᓱᐎᓂᐠ ᐁᔑ ᓂᑕᐎᑭᐟ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐯᔭᑾᐣ ᑭᒋ ᐃᔑ ᑲᓇᐗᐸᒥᑯᐎᓯᐟ ᑭᐢᑌᓂᒥᑎᓱᐎᓂᐠ ᓀᐢᑕ ᒥᓂᑯᐎᓯᐎᓇ᙮ ᐁ ᐸᑭᑎᓇᒪᒋᐠ ᑲᑫᑕᐌᓂᑕᒧᐎᓂᓂᐤ ᓀᐢᑕ ᒥᑐᓀᓂᒋᑲᓂᓂᐤ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐎᒋᑴᓯᑐᐎᓂᐠ ᑭᒋ ᐃᔑ ᑲᓇᐗᐸᒥᑐᒋᐠ᙮
Transliteration: Misiwe ininiw tipēnimitisowinik ēshi nitawikit nēsta pēyaykan kici ishi kanawapamikowisit kistēnimitisowinik nēsta minikowisiwina. Ē pakitinamacik kakētawenitamowininiw nēsta mitonēnicikaniniw nēsta.
Meaning: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Variants
The syllabary continues in use for dialects of Cree west of the
Manitoba–
Ontario border as Western Cree syllabics.
John Horden introduced modifications in the 1850s in the
James Bay area.
These were standardized in 1865 to form Eastern Cree syllabics, used today for many eastern dialects of Cree,
Naskapi language, and Ojibwe, though Cree dialects of eastern
Quebec use the Latin alphabet. The two versions differ primarily in the way they indicate syllable-final consonants, in how they mark the semi-vowel , and in how they reflect the phonological differences between Cree dialects.
There are more minor local differences in orthography, shapes of the characters, writing styles, and punctuation, with some writers using dots or spaces between words, and others not indicating word separation.
Cree numerals
The syllabics have been recorded to have been used as numerals with individual fixed integer values in certain combinations akin to that of the
Roman numerals:
-
a vertical bar represents 1,
-
ᐅ o represents 3 (Iᐅ equals 4),
-
ᐊ a represents numerals more than 6 (ᐅᐊ equals 6, ᐊ equals 7, ᐊII equals 9),
-
ᒥ mi represents 10,
-
looped syllables (ᓀᓂᓄᓇᑯᑲᑫᑭ) represent 20-90.
The zero is represented as an eight pointed star.
Modern usage
Though used for manuscripts, letters, and personal records since the 19th century, the need for special type long restricted printed syllabics to missionary publications. However, with the development of syllabic typewriters and, later, word processors, control of the script passed to native speakers, and it is now used for schoolbooks, periodicals, and official documents.
See also
-
Canadian Aboriginal syllabics
-
Eastern Cree syllabics
-
Inuktitut writing
-
Journal of Indigenous Studies
-
Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics (Unicode block)
-
Western Cree syllabics
Cree books written in syllabics
-
Hundreds of Eastern James Bay Cree books were published by the Cree School Board of Quebec, Canada. See the catalogue .
-
Swampy Cree Hymn Book = ᓇᑲᒧᐏᓇ ᐅᒪᐢᑮᑯᐘ ᐅᑎᑘᐏᓂᐘᐤ. (By James Evans) Norway House, 1841. ( Peel 209)
-
The Psalter, or Psalms of David = ᑌᕕᑦ ᐅ ᓂᑲᒧᐎᓇᕽ. (By John Horden) London, 1875. ( Peel 738)
-
The New Testament, translated into the Cree language = ᐅᔅᑭ ᑎᔅᑌᒥᓐᑦ ᑭ ᑎᐯᓕᒋᑫᒥᓇᐤ ᓀᔥᑕ ᑭ ᐱᒪᒋᐃᐌᒥᓇᐤ ᒋᓴᔅ ᒃᣅᔅᑦ. (By John Horden) London, 1876. ( Peel 782)
-
Catechism. (Transl. James Evans) Rossville, É.N.
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The Holy Bible. (Transl. John Sinclair, Henry Steinhauer) London, 1861.
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Bunyan: Pilgrim´s Progress. (Transl. John Sinclair) Toronto, 1900.
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Cree Hymn Book. (By John Mcdougall) Toronto, 1888.
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Cree Hymn Book. (By Robert Steinauer, Egerton Steinauer) Toronto, 1920.
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The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Galatians. (Transl. Joseph Reader) Oonikup (Northwest Territory), S.A.
-
The Acts of The Apostles And The Epistles. London, 1891.
-
The Books of The New Testament. London, 1859.
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The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians; the Epistle of Jacob; the First Epistle General of John. (Transl. Thomas Hullburt) Rossville, 1857.
-
The Travellers´ Spiritual Provision (Calendar) S.L., S. A.
-
The Handbook to Scripture Truth: Words of Admonition, Counsel and Comfort. Toronto, 1893.
-
Prières, cantiques, catéchisme, etc. en langue crise. Montréal, 1886.
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The Book of Common Prayer, (Transl. John Horden) London, 1889 (Addl. Printings Through 1970).
- :: In: Paleográfiai kalandozások. Szentendre, 1995.
Further reading
-
Barber, F. Luis: James Evans and the Cree Syllabic. In: Victoria Library Bulletin Toronto. July 1940. vol. 2. No. 2. 16 p.
-
Burwash, Nathaniel: The Gift to a Nation of Written Language. S.l., 1911. 21 p.
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Evans, James: Cree Syllabic Hymn Book. Norway House, 1841. In: Bibliographical Society of Canada; Facsim. Series 4. Toronto, 1954. 23 p.
-
Ray, Margaret: The James Evans Collection. In: Victoria Library Bulletin Toronto. July 1940. vol. 2. No. 2. 16 p.
External links
