Across various regions of Canada, the Cree language is spoken in several dialects that differ from one another in a few sounds and in occasional words. Most examples in the books are given in both Plains and Swampy Cree, which account for at least three-quarters of the total number of Cree speakers. But since all Cree has the same basic structure, speakers of neighbouring dialects have little difficulty in communicating, and the examples apply equally to all dialects of Cree. Meet Cree introduces the reader to the Cree language, mainly by showing how its structure differs from that of English. It does not attempt to teach the Cree language itself, but those who read this book will find it much easier to actually learn Cree afterwards. The book will make Euro-Canadians aware of language differences that are liable to cause misunderstandings, and it will acquaint them with the difficulties faced by Cree speakers when they learn English. The authors introduce the reader to the sounds of Cree, its consonants, vowels, and semivowels. Differences in approach to gender, number, and direction are explored, as are inflections of nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Word "shape," as important in Cree as word order in is English, is explained with many examples, and the book ends with a list of supplementary readings.

H.C. Wolfart is University Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the University of Manitoba.

H.C. Wolfart's profile page

Janet F. Carroll's profile page