Numbers In Cree

One to Ten

Cree	English
pēyak	One
nīso	Two
nisto	Three
nēwo	Four
niyānan	Five
nikotwāsik	Six
tēpakohp	Seven
ayēnānēw	Eight
kēkā-mitātaht	Nine
mitātaht	Ten

The number before an even multiple of ten is expressed as “nearly the next number,” whatever that number may be. For example, the number nine above is “kēkā-mitātaht,” which literally means “nearly ten.” And so it follows that “ten” is “mitātaht.”

Multiples of Ten

For the multiples of ten from thirty to ninety, the suffix “-mitanaw” is attached to those base numbers which end with an “-o.” For those numbers that end with a consonant, “-omitanaw” is used.

Cree	English
mitātaht	Ten
nīsitanaw	Twenty
nistomitanaw	Thirty
nēmitanaw	Forty
niyānanomitanaw	Fifty
nikotwāsomitanaw	Sixty
tēpakohpomitanaw	Seventy
ayēnānēwomitanaw	Eighty
kēkāc-mitātahtomitanaw	Ninety
mitātahtomitanaw	One Hundred

The Teen Numbers

The teen numbers are written by adding the suffix “-sāp” or “-osāp,” following a consonant, to the base numbers except nine. Nineteen is unique as it is said “kēkā-mitātahtosāp.”... Numbers eleven, twelve, and the teen numbers are used in conjunction with multiples of ten to refer to numbers twenty-one to twenty-eight. Twenty-nine is represented as “nearly thirty,” thirty-nine as “nearly forty,” and so on. Here are the numbers eleven, twelve, and the teen numbers up to nineteen, followed by numbers twenty to twenty-nine. Note: The numbers five and six lose their last syllable when occurring in combinations.

Cree	English
pēyakosāp	eleven
nīsosāp	Twelve
nistosāp	Thirteen
nēwosāp	Fourteen
niyānanosāp	Fifteen
nikotwāsosāp	Sixteen
tēpakohposāp/tēpakohp-tahtosāp	Seventeen*
ayēnānēwosāp	Eighteen
kēkā-mitātahtosāp	Nineteen
nīsitanaw	Twenty

*There are two terms for the number “seventeen.” Either term is acceptable. Communities may prefer one term or they may use them interchangeably; either way they will be understood

Cree	English
nīsitanaw pēyakosāp	Twenty-one
nīsitanaw nīsosāp	Twenty-two
nīsitanaw nistosāp	Twenty-three
nīsitanaw nēwosāp	Twenty-four
nīsitanaw niyānanosāp	Twenty-five
nīsitanaw nikotwāsosāp	Twenty-six
nīsitanaw tēpakohposāp	Twenty-seven
nīsitanaw ayēnānēwosāp	Twenty-eight
kēkāc-nistomitanaw	Twenty-nine

A regional preference is the use of the word “ayiwāk” which means, in this context, “more/plus.” Once the multiple of ten is established, the next numbers are expressed as that “multiple of ten plus the base number.” For example:

Cree	English
nīsitanaw ayiwāk pēyak	Twenty-one
nīsitanaw ayiwāk nīso	Twenty-two
nīsitanaw ayiwāk nisto	Twenty-three
nīsitanaw ayiwāk nēwo	Twenty-four
nīsitanaw ayiwāk niyānan	Twenty-five
nīsitanaw ayiwāk nikotwāsik	Twenty-six
nīsitanaw ayiwāk tēpakohp	Twenty-seven
nīsitanaw ayiwāk ayēnānēw	Twenty-eight
kēkāc-nistomitanaw	Twenty-nine