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We can divide the Cree dialect continuum by several criteria. Dialects spoken from north-eastern Ontario to Labrador make a distinction between š (sh as in she) and s, while those to the west do not. In several dialects, including northern James Bay Cree and Woods Cree , the long vowels ê and î have merged into a single vowel. However, the most transparent phonological variation between different Cree dialects is in the evolution of the proto-Algonquian retroflex /l/ in the modern dialects.
The Plains Cree, speakers of the so-called y dialect, refer to their language as Nehiyawewin, whereas Woods Cree speakers say nehithawewin, and Swampy Cree speakers say nehinawewin. This is similar to the alternation in the Siouan languages Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota, or the evolution of the Old Church Slavonic vowel yat into different present-day Slavic languages.
We can broadly classify the Cree dialects into nine groups. From west to east:
Many Cree words also became the basis for words in the Chinook Jargon trade language used until some point after contact with Europeans.
Like many Native American languages, Cree features a complex polysynthetic morphology and syntax. A Cree word can be very long, and express something that takes a series of words in English, while at other times Cree is more explicit than English. For example, the Plains Cree word for "school" is kiskinohamatowkamikw, "Know-by.hand-caus-applicative-reciprocal-place," "The knowing-it-together-by-example place". To say "he always danced like that" in Plains Cree, however, is simply ki-isi-nanimihtow.
Cree dialects, except for those spoken in eastern Quebec and Labrador, are traditionally written using Cree syllabicsCree syllabics are the variations on Canadian aboriginal syllabic writing that are used to write Cree language dialects. This writing system was devised for the Cree language in the mid- 1840s by James Evans, an English Wesleyan missionary working in nort, a variant of Canadian aboriginal syllabic writingCanadian aboriginal syllabic writing (often "syllabics" for short) is a family of writing schemes which are used to write a number of aboriginal Canadian languages from the Algonquian, Athabascan and Inuit language families. Canadian syllabics are present, but can be written with the Roman alphabet as well. The easternmost dialects are written using the Roman alphabet exclusively.
A unique kind of creoleA creole is a language descended from a pidgin that has become the native language of a group of people. Study of Creole languages around the world (in particular by Derek Bickerton) has shown that they display remarkable similarities in grammar, lending of Cree and Quebec FrenchQuebec French or Quebecois French is a dialect of French spoken by the great majority of people in Quebec. It developed out of 17th and 18th century French and in many respects it resembles it more closely than contemporary France French, although it also, called Michif, is spoken by some Canadian Métis.
The social and legal status of Cree varies across Canada. Cree is one of the seven official languages of the Northwest Territories, but is only spoken by a small number of people there in the area around the town of Fort Smith. In many areas, it is a vibrant community language still spoken by large majorities and taught in schools. In other areas, its use has declined dramatically. Cree is one of the least endangered aboriginal languages in North America, but is nonetheless at risk since it possesses little institutional support in most areas.
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