Colors

The colors in Cree are descriptive and are related to our immediate surroundings. For example, mihko can be interpreted as 'red' but it can also be interpreted as 'blood'. Another example is wapikwuneewinakwun - 'it is pink'. The Cree word for flower is wapikwuniy and so wapikwuneewinakwun can also be interpreted as 'it looks like a flower'.

mihko - red (prefix)

mihkwaw - it is red

mihkosiw - s/he is red

osawi - orange  (prefix)

osawaw - it is orange

osawosiw - s/he is orange

kuskitay-osawi - brown  (prefix)

kuskitay-osawaw - it is brown

kuskitay-osawisiw - s/he is brown

waposawi - yellow (prefix)

waposawaw - it is yellow

waposawisiw - s/he is yellow

askihtuko - green (prefix)

askihtukwaw - it is green

askihtukosiw - s/he is green

seepihko - blue (prefix)

seepihkwaw - it is blue

seepihkosiw - s/he is blue

seepihkoni - sky blue (prefix)

seepihkonakwun - it is sky blue

seepihkonakosiw - s/he is sky blue

neepamayati - purple (prefix)

neepamayatun - it is purple

neepamayatisiw - s/he is purple

wapikwuneewi - pink (prefix)

wapikwuneewinakwun - it is pink

wapikwuneewinakosiw - s/he is  pink

wapi - white (prefix)

wapiskaw - it is white

wapikisiw - s/he is white

ceepayhtakwi - grey (prefix)

ceepayhtakwaw - it is grey

ceepayhtukosiw - s/he is grey

kuskitaywi - black (prefix)

kuskitaywaw - it is black

kuskitaysiw - s/he is black

The prefixes can be used before other words to describe the color of something. For examples: wapi-muskwa (white bear) or mihko-misatim (red horse). The difference between "it is" or "s/he is" is sometimes described as inanimate and animate respectively.