thumb|A proof from freshly made Cree [[typeface]]
Cree syllabics are the versions of Canadian Aboriginal syllabics used to write Cree dialects, including the original syllabics system created for Cree and Ojibwe. There are two main varieties of syllabics for Cree: Western Cree syllabics and Eastern Cree syllabics. Syllabics were later adapted to several other languages. It is estimated that over 70,000 Algonquian-speaking people use the script, from Saskatchewan in the west to Hudson Bay in the east, the US border to Mackenzie and Kewatin (the Northwest Territories and Nunavut) in the north.
History
Cree syllabics were developed for Ojibwe by James Evans, a missionary in what is now Manitoba in the 1830s. Evans had originally adapted the Latin script to Ojibwe (see Evans system), but after learning of the success of the Cherokee syllabary, he experimented with invented scripts based on his familiarity with Pitman shorthand and Devanagari.
When Evans later worked with the closely related Cree and ran into trouble with the Latin alphabet, he turned to his Ojibwe project and in 1840 adapted it to Cree.
Structure
Canadian Aboriginal syllabics are unique among abugida scripts in that the orientation of a symbol, rather than modifications of its shape or diacritic marks, determines the vowel of a syllable. Each basic shape corresponds to a specific consonant sound; this is flipped or rotated to denote the accompanying vowel.
Like the Latin alphabet, syllabics are written from left to right, with each new line of writing directly under the previous one.
Sample text: ᒥᓯᐌ ᐃᓂᓂᐤ ᑎᐯᓂᒥᑎᓱᐎᓂᐠ ᐁᔑ ᓂᑕᐎᑭᐟ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐯᔭᑾᐣ ᑭᒋ ᐃᔑ ᑲᓇᐗᐸᒥᑯᐎᓯᐟ ᑭᐢᑌᓂᒥᑎᓱᐎᓂᐠ ᓀᐢᑕ ᒥᓂᑯᐎᓯᐎᓇ᙮ ᐁ ᐸᑭᑎᓇᒪᒋᐠ ᑲᑫᑕᐌᓂᑕᒧᐎᓂᓂᐤ ᓀᐢᑕ ᒥᑐᓀᓂᒋᑲᓂᓂᐤ ᓀᐢᑕ ᐎᒋᑴᓯᑐᐎᓂᐠ ᑭᒋ ᐃᔑ ᑲᓇᐗᐸᒥᑐᒋᐠ᙮
Transliteration: Misiwe ininiw tipēnimitisowinik ēshi nitawikit nēsta pēyaykan kici ishi kanawapamikowisit kistēnimitisowinik nēsta minikowisiwina. Ē pakitinamacik kakētawenitamowininiw nēsta mitonēnicikaniniw nēsta.
Meaning: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
{| class="wikitable"
!
!a
!e
!i
!o
|-
!-
|ᐊ
|ᐁ
|ᐃ
|ᐅ
|-
!p
|ᐸ
|ᐯ
|ᐱ
|ᐳ
|-
!t
|ᑕ
|ᑌ
|ᑎ
|ᑐ
|-
!k
|ᑲ
|ᑫ
|ᑭ
|ᑯ
|-
!ch
|ᒐ
|ᒉ
|ᒋ
|ᒍ
|-
!m
|ᒪ
|ᒣ
|ᒥ
|ᒧ
|-
!n
|ᓇ
|ᓀ
|ᓂ
|ᓄ
|-
!s
|ᓴ
|ᓭ
|ᓯ
|ᓱ
|-
!y
|ᔭ
|ᔦ
|ᔨ
|ᔪ
|}
Variants
The syllabary continues in use for dialects of Cree west of the Manitoba–Ontario border as Western Cree syllabics. John Horden introduced modifications in the 1850s in the James Bay area.
- a vertical bar represents 1,
- ᐅ o represents 3 (Iᐅ equals 4),
- ᐊ a represents numerals more than 6 (ᐅᐊ equals 6, ᐊ equals 7, ᐊII equals 9),
- ᒥ mi represents 10,
- looped syllables (ᓀᓂᓄᓇᑯᑲᑫᑭ) represent 20-90.
The zero is represented as an eight pointed star.