Word
cree
Phoneticscree
US/ˈkɹi/
UK/kɹˈiː/
Definition
n. a member of a large group of Indigenous people living in North America, mostly in Canada. It also refers to the language they speak.
n. a member of a major North American First Nations people whose traditional territory spans from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast. When referring to the language, it describes a dialect continuum within the Algonquian family.
Examples
“The Cree community hosted a traditional gathering.”
“Many Cree communities in northern Quebec continue to practice traditional hunting and fishing while managing modern local government.”
“The preservation of the Cree language is supported by a unique syllabic writing system that was developed in the nineteenth century and remains in use across several provinces today.”
Examples
simple
“The Cree community hosted a traditional gathering.”
contextual
“Many Cree communities in northern Quebec continue to practice traditional hunting and fishing while managing modern local government.”
complex
“The preservation of the Cree language is supported by a unique syllabic writing system that was developed in the nineteenth century and remains in use across several provinces today.”
Usage
The plural can be 'Cree' or 'Crees'; the singular form is often used as a collective noun or an attributive modifier.
Etymology
From a phonetic rendering of Canadian French Cris, short for Christinaux, from either Algonquin Kirishtinó, or Cree Kenisteniwuik.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cree