π¨π¦
Cree Alphabet
Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics
Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics were developed by missionary James Evans in the 1840s for the Cree language. The system uses rotation to indicate vowels β the same consonant shape points in four directions for four different vowels (e, i, o, a). The script is used by many Indigenous communities across Canada including Cree, Ojibwe, Inuktitut, and Blackfoot.
Basic Vowels
| Character | Name | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| α | E | e | like 'e' in 'they' |
| α | I | i | like 'ee' in 'meet' |
| α | O | o | like 'o' in 'go' |
| α | A | a | like 'a' in 'father' |
P Series
| Character | Name | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| α― | Pe | pe | like 'pe' in 'pet' |
| α± | Pi | pi | like 'pee' |
| α³ | Po | po | like 'po' in 'pole' |
| αΈ | Pa | pa | like 'pa' in 'park' |
| α | P (final) | p | final 'p' sound |
T Series
| Character | Name | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| α | Te | te | like 'te' in 'ten' |
| α | Ti | ti | like 'tee' |
| α | To | to | like 'to' in 'tone' |
| α | Ta | ta | like 'ta' in 'tall' |
| α¦ | T (final) | t | final 't' sound |
K Series
| Character | Name | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| α« | Ke | ke | like 'ke' in 'key' |
| α | Ki | ki | like 'kee' |
| α― | Ko | ko | like 'ko' in 'coat' |
| α² | Ka | ka | like 'ka' in 'car' |
| α | K (final) | k | final 'k' sound |
C / M / N Series
| Character | Name | Romanization | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| α | Ci | ci / chi | like 'chee' |
| α | Ca | ca / cha | like 'cha' in 'char' |
| α₯ | Mi | mi | like 'mee' |
| αͺ | Ma | ma | like 'ma' in 'mark' |
| α | Ni | ni | like 'nee' |
| α | Na | na | like 'na' |
| α― | Si | si | like 'see' |
| α΄ | Sa | sa | like 'sa' in 'sat' |
| α¨ | Yi | yi | like 'yee' |
| α | Ya | ya | like 'ya' in 'yard' |