Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Lexical Roots of Old Cree: An Etymological Dictionary

Lexical Roots of Old Cree: An Etymological Dictionary

Brousseau, Kevin

Paperback

Series: Mercury

Native American HistoryIndigenous Languages of the AmericasLinguistics

ISBN10: 0776645498
ISBN13: 9780776645490
Publisher: Mercury-Mercure
Published: Dec 16 2025
Pages: 464
Weight: 1.84
Height: 1.27 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English

Lexical Roots of Old Cree: An Etymological Dictionary is a dictionary of derivational morphemes of Old Cree, the postulated ancestor of Cree, Innu, Naskapi, and Atikamekw dialects. It results from over two decades of research on historical and contemporary Cree dialects. Built from extensive linguistic fieldwork with nearly a hundred fluent speakers and supported by lexical databases and textual corpora, it offers a detailed reconstruction of Old Cree lexical roots with evidence from various dialects.

Lexical roots--the smallest meaningful units of words--are central to Cree's polysynthetic structure. By reconstructing these roots, this dictionary provides critical insights into how words were formed in Old Cree and remain structured in modern dialects.

Beyond linguistic reconstruction, this work addresses practical challenges in Cree lexicography, particularly orthographic variations and dialectal differences. It serves as a valuable resource for lexicographers, linguists, and community members engaged in language preservation and revitalization. Amid rapid linguistic erosion, this dictionary documents Cree's rich lexical heritage and supports ongoing efforts to sustain and strengthen the language for future generations. It stands as a testament to the knowledge generously shared by fluent speakers and the enduring vitality of Cree linguistic traditions.

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