Editing Michif (section)

== Orthography ==
Michif lacks a unified spelling standard. Aside from local language differences, lack of a uniform spelling system can be attributed to Michif’s history as an oral language.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Michif |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/michif |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411025550/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/michif |archive-date=2021-04-11 |access-date=2024-04-15 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |language=en}}</ref> Generally, Michif-speaking communities spell words as they are pronounced in regional dialects, creating much variation in spelling.<ref name=":0" /> Some systems are phonetic, with each letter having only one sound (often based on English standards), while other are etymological, with French-derived words [[French orthography|spelled by French standards]], and Cree-derived words spelled using the "Standard Roman Orthography" system.

In 2004, Robert Papen proposed a new system that was mostly phonetic.<ref>Robert Paper, Linguistica atlantica No. 26. 2005 75–97</ref>

The government of Manitoba published a translation of its annual report on ''The Path to Reconciliation Act'' in Michif in June 2017.  Its choice of spelling system can be seen in this extract:

{{blockquote|{{Lang|crg|"Chimooshakinitoohk" aen itwayhk Kwaayeshchi Kanawaapinitoohk, chi nishtotaatoohk paarmii lii atoktonn pi lii blaan pour chi ooshitaahk chi li Trustiihk, mina kayaash chi nishtotamihk ka kii itawyhk mina chi kii kayhk pi mina kaahkiiyow chi maamoo atooshkayhk.}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.mb.ca/inr/reports-and-expenses/pubs/ptr-annual-progress-report-2016-2017-michif.pdf|title=Li shmayn chi Mooshakahkinitoohk Ayshkum awn achimoohk daan laanii|website=Gov.mb.ca|access-date=2021-11-30|archive-date=2021-04-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420044324/https://www.gov.mb.ca/inr/reports-and-expenses/pubs/ptr-annual-progress-report-2016-2017-michif.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
Here, as in Papen's system, different vowel qualities are marked by writing the character doubled ("a" vs. "aa") instead of using [[diacritical mark]]s as usual for Cree.  For consistency, this system is also extended to the French-derived words so that French {{Lang|fr|les bl'''a'''ncs}} ('whites') becomes {{Lang|crg|lii bl'''aa'''n}} but {{Lang|fr|les '''au'''tochtones}} ('the indigenous') becomes {{Lang|crg|lii '''a'''toktonn}}.