Documentation:RelLex/Castel's English-Cree Dictionary and Memoirs of the Elders Based on the Woods Cree of Pukatawagan, Manitoba

Castel's English-Cree Dictionary and Memoirs of the Elders Based on the Woods Cree of Pukatawagan, Manitoba

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Language Name

Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi.

Alternate Language Names

Cree, Naskapi, Montagnais, ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ, Nēhiyawēwin.

Region

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Northwest Territories, Canada.

Who

Robert J. Castel, David Westfall.

Others Involved

Keno Linklater, Adam Castel, Domithilde Castel (Elders); Cornelius Bighetty, Dione Lapensee (maps and charts); Stan Castel, Ken Linklater, Wilmot Robinson (traditional rock painting site location); Mindy Bear, Lorna Bighetty, Loretta Caribou, Marianne Caribou, Doris Castel, Robert Castel, Sarah Jane Dumas, Ludwig Francois, Suzette Francois-Castel, W. Ernest Castel, Caroline Hart, Emily Linklater, Beverly Linklater, Thelma Nice, Adam Richard, Merle Sinclair (student assistants); Dr. Donna Starks, Dr. Robert Brightman (comments); Mr. Mel Lall, Brandon University Northern Teacher Education Program (support); Leonard Bighetty (cover art).

Publishing Information

This dictionary was published in 2001 by the Brandon University Northern Teacher Education Program. It is printed in two volumes: the Dictionary and Memoirs, and the Appendices.

How People are Cited

Elders and speakers are cited under Acknowledgements.

How Information is Cited

Photographs and illustrations are cited alphabetically in the List of Illustrations. Speakers and Elders are cited under Acknowledgements.

Where is Information Coming from

Entries in this dictionary come from speakers and Elders.

Tools and Framework used

This dictionary is available as a physical book. There is a CD-ROM that accompanies this dictionary, but it is unclear whether it is still accessible.

Access

This dictionary is available through libraries.

Included Languages and Directionality

Cree to English; English to Cree (sentence examples, glossary).

Dialects Included

This is a dictionary of Pukatawagan Woods Cree.

Type of Dictionary

This is a bilingual, monodirectional dictionary with texts.

How are Entries Organised

The English-Cree Dictionary is an alphabetized list of example sentences and phrases. Each entry begins with an English headword in boldface type (eg: able, be) followed by a list of related sentences, first in English, then in Cree (written in the Latin/Roman alphabet). The headword itself is not translated into Cree.

Memoirs of the Elders are transcribed interviews with community Elders, interviewed by students. Most of the interviews are written line by line in latinized Cree, with the English translation in smaller text below. A few of them are written entirely in English. A short section of Student Stories is included as well, written in Cree. These stories were created or translated (from English fables) by Cree students in the Pukatawagan BUNTEP class.

The Appendices comprise the entirety of Volume II. The volume contains a series of topical word lists including Kinship Terms, Weather, Trees and Shrubs, Mammals, Numbers, and more. Next is the Cree-English Glossary, which is a on-to-one word list from Cree to English. Entries are organised alphabetically by Cree headword. Each entry contains the grammatical classification, the English gloss, a citation of a previous source the form is attested in (if applicable) and comparative forms. Last is the English-Cree Index, which is organised alphabetically by English headword. Each entry contains only the corresponding Cree word, to be looked up either in this volume or in the example sentence section of Volume I.

Other Features

Feature	Included	More Information
Guide to use and understand	✅	Included in the Introduction
Audio	❌	Reference to a CD, but it is unclear whether that CD is accessible
Images	✅	Includes traditional rock art photographs (colour) and historical photographss relevant to Elders' memoirs
Example phrases	✅	In the Dictionary and the Memoirs
Speakers marked	❌	Not marked in dictionary entries; however, marked in Memoirs
Dialects marked	❌

Other Notes

There is a CD-ROM that accompanies this dictionary. If it is still accessible, it is possible that some libraries do not store it with the print volume.

External Links

Reference on WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/title/48242611