Kiss of the Fur Queen Page 22

  Awasis, magawa, tugoosin — child, here he/she is, has arrived

  Awiniguk oo-oo? — who (plural) are these (people)?

  Awus — go away

  Aymeeskweewuk anee-i — they’re holy women (i.e., nuns)

  Cha — dogsled term: turn right

  Doos — Cree prononciation for “deuce”

  Eehee — yes

  Eematat — he/she’s fucking her/him

  Kaaaa — an elongation (as in “Ohhhh”) of “ka,” meaning “oh.”

  Kareewalatic — the backrest of a dogsled from which the handlebar protrudes for the standing driver to hang on to

  Katha matoo — don’t cry

  Keechigeesigook — heaven

  Keegway kaweetamatin — I’ll tell you something

  Keeyapitch n’tayamiyan — I still pray

  Kigiskisin na? — do you remember?

  Kitoochigan — music maker (e.g., record player, piano, guitar, or any instrument that makes music)

  Kimoosoom chimasoo, koogoom tapasao, diddle-ee, etc. — Grandpa gets a hard-on, grandma runs away, diddle-ee, etc. (a non-sensical musical rhyme)

  Kiweethiwin — your name

  K’si mantou — the Great Spirit, i.e., God (also spelled and pronounced “Kitchi mantou” or, in bad Cree “Gitche Manitou”)

  Machimantou — Satan

  Machipoowamoowin — bad dream power (a very powerful term)

  Maggeesees — fox

  Mati siwitagan — pass the salt

  Mawch — no

  Maw keegway — nothing

  Maw neetha niweetootan — I’m not going

  Migisoo — eagle

  Mithoopoowamoowin — good dream power

  Miximoo — bark

  Mootha nantow — it’s all right

  Mush — dogsled term: go (or) go forward

  Muskoosis(uk) — little bear(s)

  Napeesis awa — it’s a boy

  Neee, bailee sleeper chee anima? — sheesh (or “good grief”), isn’t that a ballet slipper?

  Neee, nimantoom — sheesh, my God!

  Neee, tapwee sa awa aymeegimow — sheesh, the nerve of this priest

  Nibeebeem macheeskooteek taytootew! — my baby will go down to hell!

  Nigoosis — my son

  Nimama — my mother

  Nimantoom — my God

  Noos’sim — grandson/daughter

  Oogimow — Chief

  Oogoosisa — the son of

  Ooneemeetoo — dancer

  Ootee-si — this way

  Peechinook’soo — is approaching (i.e., can be seen approaching)

  Peeyuk, neesoo — one, two

  Peeyatuk — be careful

  P’mithagan — airplane

  Poowamoowin — dreaming (i.e., the act of dreaming)

  Seemak — right away

  Sooni-eye-gimow — Indian agent (i.e., Department of Indian Affairs)

  Taneegi iga? — why not?

  Tansi! — how ya doin’!

  Tantee kageegimootee-in anima misti-mineeg’wachigan? — where did you steal the big cup?

  Tapwee — really (or) yes, really

  U — dogsled term: turn left

  Weechee-in — help me

  Weeks’chiloowew! — “the wind’s a-changing!” with childish pronunciation (a cry of joy, of boundless elation, as nonsensical yet as expressive of a point as “heavens to Betsy!”)

  General Notes on the Cree Language

  1) There is no gender, so that, in a sense, we are all he/shes, as is God, one would think …

  2) The soft g, as in “George,” does not exist; rather, all gs are hard, as in “gag” or “giggle.”