Cree language
| Cree | |
|---|---|
| ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ, nēhiyawēwin (Plains) ᓃᐦᐃᖬᐑᐏᐣ, nīhithawīwin (Woods) ᓀᐦᐃᓇᐌᐎᐣ, nêhinawêwin (W Swampy) ᐃᓂᓃᒧᐎᓐ, ininîmowin (E Swampy) ᐃᔨᓂᐤ ᐊᔭᒥᐎᓐ, Iyiniu-Ayamiwin (N Eastern) ᐄᔨᔫ ᐊᔨᒨᓐ, Iyiyiu-Ayamiwin (S Eastern) | |
Historical distribution of Cree peoples | |
| Native to | Canada; United States (Montana) |
| Ethnicity | Cree |
Native speakers | 96,000, 27% of ethnic population (2016 census) (including Montagnais–Naskapi and Atikamekw) |
Algic
| |
| Latin, Canadian Aboriginal syllabics (Cree) | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Northwest Territories |
Recognised minority language in | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | cr |
| ISO 639-2 | cre |
| ISO 639-3 | cre – inclusive codeIndividual codes: crk – Plains Creecwd – Woods Creecsw – Swampy Creecrm – Moose Creecrl – Northern East Creecrj – Southern East Creensk – Naskapimoe – Montagnaisatj – Atikamekw |
| Glottolog | cree1271 Cree–Montagnais–Naskapicree1272 |
Six dialects of Cree are classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. | |
Cree (/kriː/ KREE; also known as Cree–Montagnais–Naskapi) is a dialect continuum of Algonquian languages spoken by approximately 86,475 people across Canada in 2021, from the Northwest Territories to Alberta to Labrador. If considered one language, it is the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. The only region where Cree has any official status is in the Northwest Territories, alongside eight other aboriginal languages. There, Cree is spoken mainly in Fort Smith and Hay River.