Datapoint Michif/ɛ - lower mid front unrounded vowel

The status of the vowels is controversial. Rosen (2007) and Rhodes (2009; French words only) have different views, and the author of these lines has a different opinion again.

The phoneme /ɛ/ contrasts with /e/ and /æ/, which tend to be short, but there is quite a bit of phonetic overlap.

In French words, /ɛ/ exists only word-medially and word-finally: tet 'head', veer 'green' (with a tendency to /e/), portre 'photo, picture'.

In Cree words, it is found in not so many words: enikoons 'ant' (a borrowing from Ojibwe), ekushi 'that's it', kenawaapam 'look after it!'.

For Cree origin-words /ɛ/ is also found in the frequent ending /jɛn/ () for second person singular, for example: ee-kii-pee-tuhtee-yen 'when you came here'.

Values

Exists (as a major allophone)

Example 75-327:
shenn - chi-atushkeeyen
oak - that you will work