# Cree: month names



## Gabrielle Wei

I'm now translating an illustration children's book called _birdsong_. In it the author use Cree language to describe the month, like ayikipisim (the frog moon), pimihâwipîsim (the migrating moon). I need to know its pronunciation to translate it. Could anyone who speaks Cree show me its phonetic symbols？

Or if there are 12 months' meaning, I can also use its meaning to translate, like
november ayikipisim the frog moon 蛙月
september pimihâwipîsim the migrating moon 移月

Thanks a lot～


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## entangledbank

I don't know any Cree, but Wiktionary has a good selection of IPA transcriptions of Plains Cree terms:
Category:Plains Cree terms with IPA pronunciation - Wiktionary
It's simple enough; the circumflex indicates a long vowel, the letter <c> is [ts], and otherwise the consonants are as in English (and vowels are international). Unfortunately it doesn't have the month names, though there is for example the word for "frog":
ayîkis - Wiktionary

A quick look through Google shows Ayikipisim as April, and this one has a list of all twelve, with Pimihawipisim as October:
https://quizlet.com/132743675/plains-cree-months-and-moon-flash-cards/
That hasn't got any length marks on it, but if you're transliterating it into Chinese sounds, you probably don't need length.


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## Gabrielle Wei

entangledbank said:


> I don't know any Cree, but Wiktionary has a good selection of IPA transcriptions of Plains Cree terms:
> Category:Plains Cree terms with IPA pronunciation - Wiktionary
> It's simple enough; the circumflex indicates a long vowel, the letter <c> is [ts], and otherwise the consonants are as in English (and vowels are international). Unfortunately it doesn't have the month names, though there is for example the word for "frog":
> ayîkis - Wiktionary
> 
> A quick look through Google shows Ayikipisim as April, and this one has a list of all twelve, with Pimihawipisim as October:
> https://quizlet.com/132743675/plains-cree-months-and-moon-flash-cards/
> That hasn't got any length marks on it, but if you're transliterating it into Chinese sounds, you probably don't need length.



Thanks a lot～It's exactly what I need!


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## Gabrielle Wei

with help of entangledbank (thanks again), I have an edition of cree month in Chinese. I post it here in case someone meet the same problem.

一月 Kisepisim 美月 （the great moon）

二月 Mikisiwipisim 鹰月（the eagle moon）

三月 Niskipisim 雁月（the goose moon）

四月 Ayikispisim 蛙月（the frog moon）

五月 Sakipakawipisim 筑月（the building moon）

六月 Paskawihowipisim 孵月（the hatching moon）

七月 Paskowipisim 蜕月（the moulting moon）

八月 Ohpahowipisim 升月（the flying up moon）

九月 Takwakipisim 秋月（the Autumn moon）

十月 Pimihawipisim 迁月（the migrating moon）

十一月 Ihkopiwipisim 霜月（the frost moon）

十二月 Pawacakinasisipisim 霜解之月（the frost exploding moon）


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