Cree, Woods

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A language of Canada

ISO 639-3
cwd
Population

35,000 (1982 SIL). Ethnic population: 53,000 (1982 SIL).

Location

Far north Manitoba into Saskatchewan, inland southwest from Churchill.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Algic, Algonquian, Cree-Montagnais
Dialects

Nonpalatalized th-dialect within Cree-Montagnais-Naskapi language complex or dialect subgroup. A member of macrolanguage Cree [cre].

Language Use

Vigorous. All ages. Also use English [eng].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Cree, Woods
Writing

Latin script [Latn]. Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics script [Cans], uses western finals.

Other Comments

Use of Roman orthography has been gaining ground at the expense of the older syllabic system, due to university language and teacher education programs (Golla 2007).