Editing Cree language (section)

== Dialect criteria ==
The Cree [[dialect continuum]] can be divided by many criteria. Dialects spoken in northern [[Ontario]] and the southern James Bay, Lanaudière, and Mauricie regions of [[Quebec]] differentiate {{IPA|/ʃ/}} (sh as in '''''sh'''e'') and {{IPA|/s/}}, while those to the west have merged the two phonemes as {{IPA|/s/}} and in the east the phonemes are merged as either {{IPA|/ʃ/}} or {{IPA|/h/}}.  In several dialects, including northern [[Plains Cree language|Plains Cree]] and Woods Cree, the long vowels {{IPA|/eː/}} and {{IPA|/iː/}} have merged into a single vowel, {{IPA|/iː/}}. In the Quebec communities of [[Chisasibi, Quebec|Chisasibi]], [[Whapmagoostui, Quebec|Whapmagoostui]], and [[Kawawachikamach, Quebec|Kawawachikamach]], the long vowel {{IPA|/eː/}} has merged with {{IPA|/aː/}}.

However, the most transparent phonological variation between different Cree dialects are the reflexes of [[Proto-Algonquian language|Proto-Algonquian]] '''*l''' in the modern dialects, as shown below:

{| class="wikitable"
! Dialect
! Location
! Reflex<br />of *''l''
! Word for 'native person'<br />← *{{Transliteration|cr|elenyiwa}}
! Word for 'you'<br />← *{{Transliteration|cr|kīla}}
|-
| [[Plains Cree language|Plains Cree]] || SK, AB, BC, NT || align="center"| y || {{lang|cr-Latn|iyiniw}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|kīya}}
|-
| [[Woods Cree language|Woods Cree]] || MB, SK || align="center"| ð/th || {{lang|cr-Latn|iðiniw/ithiniw}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|kīða/kītha}}
|-
| [[Swampy Cree language|Swampy Cree]] || ON, MB, SK || align="center"| n || {{lang|cr-Latn|ininiw}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|kīna}}
|-
| [[Moose Cree language|Moose Cree]] || ON || align="center"| l || {{lang|cr-Latn|ililiw}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|kīla}}
|-
| [[Atikamekw language|Atikamekw]] || QC || align="center"| r || {{lang|cr-Latn|iriniw}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|kīr}}
|-
| [[Northern East Cree language|Northern East Cree]] || QC || align="center"| y || {{lang|cr-Latn|iyiyiw}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|čīy}}
|-
| [[Southern East Cree language|Southern East Cree]] || QC || align="center"| y || {{lang|cr-Latn|iyiyū/iyinū}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|čīy}}
|-
| [[Naskapi language|Kawawachikamach Naskapi]] || QC || align="center"| y || {{lang|cr-Latn|iyiyū}}  || {{lang|cr-Latn|čīy}}
|-
| [[Montagnais language|Western Innu]] || QC || align="center"| l || {{lang|cr-Latn|ilnu}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|čīl}}
|-
| [[Montagnais language|Eastern Innu]] || QC, NL || align="center"| n || {{lang|cr-Latn|innu}} || {{lang|cr-Latn|čīn}}
|}

The Plains Cree, speakers of the '''y''' dialect, refer to their language as ''{{lang|cr-Latn|nēhi'''y'''awēwin}}'', whereas Woods Cree speakers say ''{{lang|cr-Latn|nīhi'''th'''awīwin}}'', and Swampy Cree speakers say ''{{lang|cr-Latn|nēhi'''n'''awēwin}}''.

Another important phonological variation among the Cree dialects involves the [[Palatalization (phonetics)|palatalisation]] of Proto-Algonquian '''*k''': East of the Ontario–Quebec border (except for Atikamekw), Proto-Algonquian *k has changed into {{IPA|/tʃ/}} or {{IPA|/ts/}} before front vowels. See the table above for examples in the *{{Transliteration|cr|kīla}} column.

Very often the Cree dialect continuum is divided into two languages: Cree and Montagnais. Cree includes all dialects which have not undergone the *k > {{IPA|/tʃ/}} sound change (BC–QC) while Montagnais encompasses the territory where this sound change has occurred (QC–NL). These labels are very useful from a linguistic perspective but are confusing as ''East Cree'' then qualifies as Montagnais. For practical purposes, Cree usually covers the dialects which use syllabics as their orthography (including Atikamekw but excluding Kawawachikamach Naskapi), the term Montagnais then applies to those dialects using the Latin script (excluding Atikamekw and including Kawawachikamach Naskapi). The term Naskapi typically refers to [[Kawawachikamach, Quebec|Kawawachikamach]] (y-dialect) and [[Natuashish]] (n-dialect).