Description: Sioux is a Siouan language spoken by over 30,000 Sioux in the United States and Canada, making it the fifth most spoken indigenous language in the United States or Canada, behind Navajo, Cree, Inuit languages, and Ojibwe. Wikipedia
Native to: United States, Canada Contents
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Comparison of Sioux and Nakota languages and dialects
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Phonetic differences Lexical differences
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Sioux language
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Sioux | |
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Dakota, Lakota | |
Native to | United States, Canada |
Region | Northern Nebraska, southern Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, northeastern Montana; southern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan |
Native speakers
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25,000[1] (2015)[2] |
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Official status | |
Official language in
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Language codes | |
Linguasphere | 62-AAC-a Dakota |
Sioux is a Siouan language spoken by over 30,000 Sioux in the United States and Canada, making it the fifth most spoken indigenous language in the United States or Canada, behind Navajo, Cree, Inuit languages, and Ojibwe.[4][5]
Since 2019, “the language of the Great Sioux Nation, comprised of three dialects, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota” is the official indigenous language of South Dakota.[6][3]
Regional variation
Sioux has three major regional varieties, with other sub-varieties:
- Lakota (a.k.a. Lakȟóta, Teton, Teton Sioux)
- Western Dakota (a.k.a. Yankton-Yanktonai or Dakȟóta, and erroneously classified, for a very long time, as “Nakota“[7])
- Yankton (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ)
- Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna)
- Eastern Dakota (a.k.a. Santee-Sisseton or Dakhóta)
- Santee (Isáŋyáthi: Bdewákhathuŋwaŋ, Waȟpékhute)
- Sisseton (Sisíthuŋwaŋ, Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ)
Yankton-Yanktonai (Western Dakota) stands between Santee-Sisseton (Eastern Dakota) and Lakota within the dialect continuum. It is phonetically closer to Santee-Sisseton but lexically and grammatically, it is much closer to Lakota. For this reason Lakota and Western Dakota are much more mutually intelligible than each is with Eastern Dakota. The assumed extent of mutual intelligibility is usually overestimated by speakers of the language. While Lakota and Yankton-Yanktonai speakers understand each other to a great extent, they each find it difficult to follow Santee-Sisseton speakers.
Closely related to the Sioux language are the Assiniboine and Stoney languages, whose speakers use the self-designation term (autonym) Nakhóta or Nakhóda.
Comparison of Sioux and Nakota languages and dialects
Phonetic differences
The following table shows some of the main phonetic differences between the regional varieties of the Sioux language. The table also provides comparison with the two closely related Nakota languages (Assiniboine and Stoney).[8]
Sioux | Assiniboine | Stoney | gloss | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lakota | Western Dakota | Eastern Dakota | |||||
Yanktonai | Yankton | Sisseton | Santee | ||||
Lakȟóta | Dakȟóta | Dakhóta | Nakhóta | Nakhóda | self-designation | ||
lowáŋ | dowáŋ | dowáŋ | nowáŋ | to sing | |||
ló | dó | dó | nó | assertion | |||
čísčila | čísčina | čístina | čúsina | čúsin | small | ||
hokšíla | hokšína | hokšína | hokšída | hokšína | hokšín | boy | |
gnayáŋ | gnayáŋ | knayáŋ | hnayáŋ | knayáŋ | hna | to deceive | |
glépa | gdépa | kdépa | hdépa | knépa | hnéba | to vomit | |
kigná | kigná | kikná | kihná | kikná | gihná | to soothe | |
slayá | sdayá | sdayá | snayá | snayá | to grease | ||
wičháša | wičháša | wičhášta | wičhášta | wičhá | man | ||
kibléza | kibdéza | kibdéza | kimnéza | gimnéza | to sober up | ||
yatkáŋ | yatkáŋ | yatkáŋ | yatkáŋ | yatkáŋ | to drink | ||
hé | hé | hé | žé | žé | that |
Lexical differences
English gloss | Santee-Sisseton | Yankton-Yanktonai | Lakota | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Northern Lakota | Southern Lakota | |||
child | šičéča | wakȟáŋyeža | wakȟáŋyeža | |
knee | hupáhu | čhaŋkpé | čhaŋkpé | |
knife | isáŋ / mína | mína | míla | |
kidneys | phakšíŋ | ažúŋtka | ažúŋtka | |
hat | wapháha | wapȟóštaŋ | wapȟóštaŋ | |
still | hináȟ | naháŋȟčiŋ | naháŋȟčiŋ | |
man | wičhášta | wičháša | wičháša | |
hungry | wótehda | dočhíŋ | ločhíŋ | |
morning | haŋȟ’áŋna | híŋhaŋna | híŋhaŋna | híŋhaŋni |
to shave | kasáŋ | kasáŋ | kasáŋ | glak’óǧa |
Writing systems
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This article or section should specify the language of its non-English content, using {{lang}}, {{transliteration}} for transliterated languages, and {{IPA}} for phonetic transcriptions, with an appropriate ISO 639 code. Wikipedia’s multilingual support templates may also be used. (September 2021)
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In 1827, John Marsh and his wife, Marguerite (who was half Sioux), wrote the first dictionary of the Sioux language. They also wrote a “Grammar of the Sioux Language.”[9][10]
Life for the Dakota changed significantly in the nineteenth century as the early years brought increased contact with white settlers, particularly Christian missionaries. The goal of the missionaries was to introduce the Dakota to Christian beliefs. To achieve this, the missions began to transcribe the Dakota language. In 1836, brothers Samuel and Gideon Pond, Rev. Stephen Return Riggs, and Dr. Thomas Williamson set out to begin translating hymns and Bible stories into Dakota. By 1852, Riggs and Williamson had completed a Dakota Grammar and Dictionary (Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center). Eventually, the entire Bible was translated.
Today, it is possible to find a variety of texts in Dakota. Traditional stories have been translated, children’s books, even games such as Pictionary and Scrabble. Despite such progress, written Dakota is not without its difficulties. The Pond brothers, Rev. Riggs, and Dr. Williamson were not the only missionaries documenting the Dakota language. Around the same time, missionaries in other Dakota bands were developing their own versions of the written language. Since the 1900s, professional linguists have been creating their own versions of the orthography. The Dakota have also been making modifications. “Having so many different writing systems is causing confusion, conflict between our [the Dakota] people, causing inconstancy in what is being taught to students, and making the sharing of instructional and other materials very difficult” (SICC).
Prior to the introduction of the Latin alphabet, the Dakota did have a writing system of their own: one of representational pictographs. In pictographic writing, a drawing represents exactly what it means. For example, a drawing of a dog literally meant a dog. Palmer writes that,
As a written language, it [pictographs] was practical enough that it allowed the Lakota to keep a record of years in their winter counts which can still be understood today, and it was in such common usage that pictographs were recognized and accepted by census officials in the 1880s, who would receive boards or hides adorned with the head of the household’s name depicted graphically. (pg. 34)[full citation needed]
For the missionaries, however, documenting the Bible through pictographs was impractical and presented significant challenges.
IPA | Buechel & Manhart spelling (pronunciation) |
Standard orthography[11] | Brandon University |
Deloria & Boas |
Dakota Mission |
Rood & Taylor |
Riggs[12] | Williamson | University of Minnesota |
White Hat | Txakini Practical[13] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ʔ | ´ | ´ | ʾ | ´ | none | ʼ | ´ | ´ | ´ | none | ‘ |
a | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | a |
aː | a (á) | á | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | ‘a[note 1] |
ã | an, an’ (aƞ) | aŋ | an̄ | ą | an | ą | aŋ | aŋ | aŋ | aƞ | an |
p~b | b | b | b | b | b | b | b | b | b | b | b |
tʃ | c | č | c | c | c | č | ć | c | c | c̄ | c |
tʃʰ | c (c, c̔) | čh | ć | cʽ | c | čh | ć̣ | c̣ | c | ċ[note 2] | ch |
tʃʼ | c’ | č’ | c̦ | c’ | c | čʼ | ć | c | c’ | ċ’[note 2] | c’ |
t~d | none | none | d | d | d | d | d | d | d | d | d |
e~ɛ | e | e | e | e | e | e | e | e | e | e | e |
eː~ɛː | e (é) | é | e | e | e | e | e | e | e | e | ‘e[note 1] |
k~ɡ | g | g | g | g | g | g | g | g | g | g | g |
ʁ~ɣ | g (ġ) | ǧ | ǥ | ġ | g | ǧ | ġ | ġ | g | ġ | gx |
h | h | h | h | h | h | h | h | h | h | h | h |
χ | h̔ | ȟ | ħ | ḣ | r | ȟ | ḣ | ḣ | ḣ | ḣ | x |
χʔ~χʼ | h’ (h̔’) | ȟ’ | ħ̦ | ḣ’ | r | ȟʼ | ḣ | ḣ | ḣ’ | ḣ’ | x’ |
i | i | i | i | i | i | i | i | i | i | i | i |
iː | i (í) | í | i | i | i | i | i | i | i | i | ‘i[note 1] |
ĩ | in, in’ (iƞ) | iŋ | in̄ | į | in | į | iŋ | iŋ | iŋ | iƞ | in |
k | k (k, k̇) | k | k | k | k | k | k | k | k | k | k |
kʰ~kˣ | k | kh | k̔ | k‘ | k | kh | k | k | ḳ | k | kh |
qˣ~kˠ | k (k̔) | kȟ | k̔ | k‘ | k | kh | k | k | ḳ | k̇ | kx |
kʼ | k’ | k’ | ķ | k’ | q | kʼ | ḳ | ḳ | k’ | k’ | k’ |
l | l | l | none | l | none | l | l | l | none | l | l |
lː | l´ | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
m | m | m | m | m | m | m | m | m | m | m | m |
n | n | n | n | n | n | n | n | n | n | n | n |
ŋ | n | n | n | n | n | ň | n | n | n | n | ng |
o | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | o |
oː | o (ó) | ó | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | o | ‘o[note 1] |
õ~ũ | on, on’ (oƞ) | uŋ | un̄ | ų | on | ų | oŋ | oŋ | uŋ | uƞ | un |
p | ṗ (p, ṗ) | p | p | p | p | p | p | p | p | p̄ | p |
pʰ | p | ph | p̔ | p‘ | p | ph | p | p | p̣ | p | ph |
pˣ~pˠ | p (p̔) | pȟ | p̔ | p‘ | p | ph | p | p | p̣ | ṗ | px |
pʼ | p’ | p’ | p̦ | p’ | p | pʼ | p̣ | p̣ | p’ | p’ | p’ |
s | s | s | s | s | s | s | s | s | s | s | s |
sʼ | s’ | s’ | ș | s’ | s | sʼ | s’ | s’ | s’ | s’ | s’ |
ʃ | š | š | š | ṡ | x, ś | š | ś | ṡ | ṡ | ṡ[note 3] | sh |
ʃʔ~ʃʼ | š’ | š’ | ș̌ | ṡ’ | x, ś | š | ś’ | ṡ’ | ṡ’ | ṡ’[note 3] | sh’ |
t | t (t, ṫ) | t | t | t | t | t | t | t | t | t | t |
tʰ | t | th | tʿ | tʽ | t | th | t | t | ṭ | t | th |
tˣ~tˠ | t (t̔) | tȟ | tʿ | tʽ | t | th | t | t | ṭ | ṫ | tx |
tʼ | t’ | t’ | ţ | t’ | t | tʼ | ṭ | ṭ | t’ | t’ | t’ |
u | u | u | u | u | u | u | u | u | u | u | u |
uː | u (ú) | ú | u | u | u | u | u | u | u | u | ‘u[note 1] |
õ~ũ | un, un’ (uƞ) | uŋ | un̄ | ų | un | ų | uŋ | uŋ | uŋ | uƞ | un |
w | w | w | w | w | w | w | w | w | w | w | w |
j | y | y | y | y | y | y | y | y | y | y | y |
z | z | z | z | z | z | z | z | z | z | z | z |
ʒ | j | ž | ž | z | j | ž | ź | ż | ż | j | zh |
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Marks a stressed initial syllable
- ^ Jump up to:a b Saskatchewan uses c̀ for White Hat’s ċ
- ^ Jump up to:a b Saskatchewan uses s̀ for White Hat’s ṡ
Structure
Phonology
See Lakota language – Phonology and Dakota language – Phonology.
Morphology
Dakota is an agglutinating language. It features suffixes, prefixes, and infixes. Each affix has a specific rule in Dakota. For example, the suffix –pi is added to the verb to mark the plurality of an animate subject.[14] “With respect to number agreement for objects, only animate objects are marked, and these by the verbal prefix wicha-.”[15] Also, there is no gender agreement in Dakota.
Example of the use of –pi:[16]
ma-khata
I-hot
“I am hot”
khata-pi
0-hot-pl
“they are hot”
Example of the use of wicha-
wa-kte
0-I-kill
“I kill him”
wicha-wa-kte
them-I-kill
“I kill them”
Infixes are rare in Dakota, but do exist when a statement features predicates requiring two “patients”.
Example of infixing:
iye-checa
to resemble→
iye-ni-ma-checa
I resemble you
“you resemble me”
iskola
be as small as
→
i-ni-ma-skola
I am as small as you
“you are as small as I”
Syntax[edit]
Dakota has subject/object/ verb (SOV) word order. Along the same line, the language also has postpositions. Examples of word order:[14]
wichasta-g
man-det
wax aksica-g
bear-det
kte
kill
“the man killed the bear”
bear-det
wichasta-g
man-det
kte
kill
“the bear killed the man”
According to Shaw, word order exemplifies grammatical relations.
In Dakota, the verb is the most important part of the sentence. There are many verb forms in Dakota, although they are “dichotomized into a stative-active classification, with the active verbs being further subcategorized as transitive or intransitive.”[15] Some examples of this are:[17]
- stative:
- ma-khata “I am hot” (I-hot)
- ni-khata “you are hot” (you-hot)
- khata “he/she/it is hot” (0-hot)
- u-khata “we (you and I) are hot” (we-hot)
- u-khata-pi “we (excl. or pl) are hot” (we-hot-pl.)
- ni-khata-pi “you (pl.) are hot” (you-hot-pl.)
- khata-pi “they are hot” (0-hot-pl.)
- active intransitive
- wa-hi “I arrive (coming)” (I-arrive)
- ya-hi “you arrive” (you-arrive)
- hi “he arrives”
- u-hi “we (you and I) arrive”
- u-hi-pi “we (excl. or pl.) arrive”
- ya-hi-pi “you (pl.) arrive”
- hi-pi they arrive”
- active transitive
- wa-kte “I kill him” (0-I-kill)
- wicha-wa-kte “I kill them” (them-I-kill)
- chi-kte “I kill you” (I-you (portmanteau)- kill)
- ya-kte “you kill him” (0-you-kill)
- wicha-ya-kte “you kill them” (them- you-kill)
- wicha-ya-kte-pi “you (pl.) kill them”
- ma-ya-kte “you kill me” (me-you-kill)
- u-ya-kte-pi “you kill us” (we-you-kill-pl.)
- ma-ktea “he kills me” (0-me-kill-pl.)
- ni-kte-pi “they kill you” (0-you-kill-pl.)
- u-ni-kte-pi “we kill you” (we-you-kill-pl.)
- wicha-u-kte “we (you and I) kill them” (them-we-kill)
The phonology, morphology, and syntax of Dakota are very complex. There are a number of broad rules that become more and more specific as they are more closely examined. The components of the language become somewhat confusing and more difficult to study as more sources are examined, as each scholar has a somewhat different opinion on the basic characteristics of the language.
Notes
- ^ UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger
- ^ Dakota at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Lakota at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required) - ^ Jump up to:a b South Dakota Legislature (2019): Amendment for printed bill 126ca
- ^ Estes, James (1999). “Indigenous Languages Spoken in the United States (by Language)”. yourdictionary.com. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 2006 Census Archived 2013-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kaczke, Lisa (March 25, 2019). “South Dakota recognizes official indigenous language”. Argus Leader. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ for a report on the long-established error of the Yankton and the Yanktonai as “Nakota”, see the article Nakota
- ^ Parks, Douglas R.; DeMallie, Raymond J. (1992). “Sioux, Assiniboine, and Stoney Dialects: A Classification”. Anthropological Linguistics. 34 (1–4): 233–255. JSTOR 30028376.
- ^ Winkley, John W. Dr. John Marsh: Wilderness Scout, pp. 22-3, 35, The Partnenon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1962.
- ^ Lyman, George D. John Marsh, Pioneer: The Life Story of a Trail-blazer on Six Frontiers, pp. 79-80, The Chautauqua Press, Chautauqua, New York, 1931.
- ^ Orthography of the New Lakota Dictionary
- ^ Riggs, p. 13
- ^ “Lakota orthographies”. Society to Advance Indigenous Vernaculars of the United States. 2011. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Shaw, P.A. (1980). Theoretical issues in Dakota phonology and morphology. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc. p. 10.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Shaw 1980, p. 11.
- ^ Shaw 1980, p. 12.
- ^ Shaw 1980, pp. 11–12.
Bibliography
- Bismarck Tribune. (2006, March 26). Scrabble helps keep Dakota language alive. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from [1]
- Catches, Violet (1999?). Txakini-iya Wowapi. Lakxota Kxoyag Language Preservation Project.
- DeMallie, Raymond J. (2001). “The Sioux until 1850”. In R. J. DeMallie (Ed.), Handbook of North American Indians: Plains (Vol. 13, Part 2, pp. 718–760). W. C. Sturtevant (Gen. Ed.). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. ISBN 0-16-050400-7.
- de Reuse, Willem J. (1987). One hundred years of Lakota linguistics (1887–1987). Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics, 12, 13–42. (Online version: https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/handle/1808/509).
- de Reuse, Willem J. (1990). A supplementary bibliography of Lakota languages and linguistics (1887–1990). Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics, 15 (2), 146–165. (Studies in Native American languages 6). (Online version: https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/handle/1808/441).
- Eastman, M. H. (1995). Dahcotah or, life and legends of the Sioux around Fort Snelling. Afton: Afton Historical Society Press.
- Howard, J. H. (1966). Anthropological papers number 2: the Dakota or Sioux Indians: a study in human ecology. Vermillion: Dakota Museum.
- Hunhoff, B. (2005, November 30). “It’s safely recorded in a book at last”. South Dakota Magazine: Editor’s Notebook. Retrieved November 30, 2008, from [2]
- McCrady, D.G. (2006). Living with strangers: the nineteenth-century Sioux and the Canadian-American borderlands. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
- Palmer, J.D. (2008). The Dakota peoples: a history of the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota through 1863. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.
- Parks, D.R. & DeMallie, R.J. (1992). “Sioux, Assiniboine, and Stoney Dialects: A Classification”. Anthropological Linguistics vol. 34, nos. 1-4
- Parks, Douglas R.; & Rankin, Robert L. (2001). “The Siouan languages”. In Handbook of North American Indians: Plains (Vol. 13, Part 1, pp. 94–114). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
- Riggs, S.R., & Dorsey, J.O. (Ed.). (1973). Dakota grammar, texts, and ethnography. Minneapolis: Ross & Haines, Inc.
- Robinson, D. (1956). A history of the Dakota or Sioux Indians: from their earliest traditions and first contact with white men to the final settlement of the last of them upon reservations and the consequent abandonment of the old tribal life. Minneapolis: Ross & Haines, Inc.
- Rood, David S.; & Taylor, Allan R. (1996). “Sketch of Lakhota, a Siouan language”. In Handbook of North American Indians: Languages (Vol. 17, pp. 440–482). Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution.
- Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Center. Our languages: Dakota Lakota Nakota. Retrieved November 30, 2008. Web site: [3]
- Shaw, P.A. (1980). Theoretical issues in Dakota phonology and morphology. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc.
- Utley, R.M. (1963). The last days of the Sioux nation. New Haven: Yale University Press.
External links
- Lakota Language Reclamation Project – “Open sourcing the People’s language for all Lakota and Dakota people and our allies”
- Our Languages: Dakota, Nakota, Lakota (Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre)
- Red Cloud Indian School Lakota Language Project
Dakota Sioux (Dakhótiyapi / Dakȟótiyapi)
Dakota is a Siouan language spoken by about 100 people in the USA, and 190 people in Canada. In the USA it is spoken in Upper Sioux, Lower Sioux, Prior Lake and Prairie Island in Minnesota; Fort Peck reservation, Montana; in Santee, Nebraska; in Devils Lake, Standing Rock reservation and Sisseton-Lakota Traverse reservation, North Dakota, and in Crow Creek, Sisseton-Lakota Traverse reservation, Yankton reservation and Flandreau, South Dakota.
In Canada Dakota is spoken in southern Manitoba; and in Oak River and Oak Lake, Long Plain, Standing Buffalo, Birdtail, Stony Wahpeton, and Moose Woods, Saskatchewan.
The majority of Dakota speakers are older adults. Few younger people speak it, preferring English, however efforts are being made to revitalize it, including classes at all levels of education.
There are two main dialects of Dakota: Western Dakota and Eastern Dakota. The dialects differ in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar, but are mostly mutually intelligible.
Western Dakota (Yankton-Yanktonai / Dakȟóta / Dakhóta) has two sub-dialects: Yankton (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ) and Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna).
Eastern Dakota (Santee-Sisseton / Dakhóta) also has two sub-dialects: Santee (Isáŋyáthi) and Sisseton (Sisíthuŋwaŋ).
The name “Sioux” is a French version of the Ojibwa word nadewisou, which means “treacherous snakes”. The native names for the Sioux mean “An Alliance of Friends”, which is Dakhota in the Santee dialect. There are a number of different spellings of these names.
Written Sioux
The first alphabet for Sioux, known as Riggs, was devised by the missionaries Samuel and Gideon Pond, Stephen Return Riggs and Dr Thomas S. Williamson in 1834. They based their spelling system on the Santee dialect of Dakota, and used it to translate biblical texts.
A revised version of this system was used in Riggs’ Dakota Grammar, published in 1852, and in his Dakota-English dictionary, published in 1890. Since then a number of other Dakota spelling systems have been devised.
Dakota Sioux pronunciation
There are several ways to write Dakota Sioux. This chart shows two methods: Albert White Hat’s / Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC) orthography of 1973, and Jan Ullrich’s 1992 orthography. Where they differ, the former is shown on the left, and the latter on the right.
More details about Dakota orthographies
http://www.languagegeek.com/siouan/y_dakota.html
Download an alphabet chart for Dakota (Excel)
Sample text in Dakota (The Deer Woman)
White Hat orthography
Wic̀as̀a waƞ wayei k’a taḣc̄a num wic̀ao k̄eyap̄i’. T̄aƞyena wic̀apat̄e c̀’a tado k̄iƞ tas̀uƞk̄e k’iƞkiye c̀’a wana wi kuc̄iyena c̀aƞke t̄iyat̄ak̄iya k̄uyaƞk̄a k̄eyap̄i’. Maya waƞ apajejeyena asnik̄iya-iyot̄ak̄a uƞkaƞ akot̄aƞhaƞ wiƞyaƞ waƞ maya-akdakda tahenak̄iya uyaƞk̄a e waƞyak̄ yaƞk̄a keyap̄i’. Wana hihuƞni k’a wic̀as̀a kiƞ isakip̄ hinajiƞ k’eyas̀ inina yaƞk̄a uƞkaƞ haƞk̄eya kic̀i iyot̄ak̄e c’a – T̄oke iyemayak̄iyes̀ni se? T̄oka uƞkaƞ inina naƞk̄a ha? – eye c̀’a is̀ iya maya k̄iƞ ed hu ġeġeya iyot̄ak̄a k̄eyap̄i’.
Ullrich orthography
Wičháša waƞ wayéi k’a tháȟča núm wičháo kéyápi’. Taƞyéna wičháphate č’a thadó kiƞ thašúƞke k’iƞkhíye č’a waná wí khúčiyena čhaƞkhé tiyátakiya kúyaƞka kéyápi’. Mayá waƞ aphážežeyena asníkiya-iyotaka uƞkháƞ akhótaƞhaƞ wíƞyaƞ waƞ mayá-akdákda thahénakiya úyaƞka e waƞyák yaƞká kéyápi’. Waná hihúƞni k’a wičháša kiƞ isákhip hinážiƞ k’éyaš inína yaƞká uƞkháƞ haƞkéya kičhí íyotake č’a – Tokhe iyémayakiyešni se? Tókha uƞkháƞ inína naƞká he? – eyé č’a íš iyá mayá kiƞ éd hú ǧéǧeya íyotaka kéyápi’.
Part of a story called “The Deer Woman” written down by Ella Deloria
Hear a recording of this text by Jared Lanz
Source: http://www.languagegeek.com/siouan/y_dakotastory.html – shows the same text in a number of different spelling systems
Sample videos in and about Dakota
Information about Dakota | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Dakota and Lakota learning materials
Links
Information about Sioux languages
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakota_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/dak/23
http://www.native-languages.org/dakota.htm
Online Sioux language lessons
http://www.beginningdakota.org/
http://www.nativeshop.org/learn-dakota.html
Online Sioux dicionaries
https://fmp.cla.umn.edu/dakota/
https://archive.org/details/adakotaenglishd00rigggoog
Siouan languages
Assiniboine, Biloxi, Chiwere, Crow, Dakota, Hidatsa, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Lakota, Mandan, Omaha, Osage, Quapaw, Stoney, Tutelo
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 08.04.22
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American Indian language index American Indian cultures
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Dakota-Lakota Sioux Language
Dakota and Lakota are Siouan languages of the Great Plains. They are so closely related that most linguists consider them dialects of the same language, similar to the difference between British and American English. There are some differences in pronunciation, but they are very regular, and Dakota and Lakota Indians can almost always understand each other. The Nakota languages–Stoney and Assiniboine–are also closely related languages but a Dakota or Lakota Sioux speaker cannot easily understand them without language lessons, similar to the difference between Spanish and Portuguese. There are a combined 26,000 speakers of Lakota and Dakota Sioux in the western United States and southern Canada, especially in their namesake states of North and South Dakota.
Sponsored Links
Sioux LanguageDakota and Lakota language samples and resources.
Sioux Culture and HistoryRelated links about the Sioux tribe past and present.
Sioux Indians Fact SheetOur answers to common questions about the lifestyle of the Sioux Indian tribe.
Sioux Indian LegendsIntroduction to the mythology of the Lakotas and Dakotas.
Dakota and Lakota Sioux Language Resources
Our Online Dakota-Lakota Language Materials
Dakota Sioux Vocabulary:
List of vocabulary words in the Dakota language, with comparison to words in other Siouan languages.
Lakota Sioux Vocabulary:
List of vocabulary words in the Lakota language, with comparison to words in other Siouan languages.
Sioux Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Lakota and Dakota Indian words.
Lakota Sioux Animal Words:
Picture dictionary of animal words in the Lakota Sioux language, with audio files. Dakota Sioux version also available.
Lakota Body Parts:
Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in the Lakota language. Dakota Sioux version also available.
Lakota Numbers:
Worksheet showing how to count in the Lakota language. Dakota Sioux version also available.
Lakota Colors:
Pictures showing color words in the Lakota language. Dakota Sioux version also available.
One Fish, Two Fish:
Translation of part of the Dr. Seuss children’s book in Lakota Sioux.
Dakota-Lakota Language Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
New Lakota Dictionary
English-Lakota and Lakota-English Dictionary:
Lakota dictionaries for sale.
English-Dakota Dictionary
Dakota-English Dictionary
Dakota Sioux dictionary for sale (two-volume set.)
Introductory Lakota:
Comprehensive audio language learning course from the Oglala Lakota College.
Reading and Writing the Lakota Language
Audio CD Version
Lakota Sioux language textbook and accompanying CD for sale.
Lakhotiya Woglaka Po!:
Simple Lakota language-learning CD for sale online.
Beginning Dakota:
Sisseton Dakota language learning textbook.
Lakota Language Products:
Audio workbook sets for practicing Lakota pronunciation.
Native American Language Dictionaries:
Sioux and other American Indian dictionaries and language materials for sale.
Dakota-Lakota Language Community and Tools
Lakota Language Consortium:
Organization working on Lakota language revitalization, with background and language teaching materials.
Oceti Wakan:
A Pine Ridge organization dedicated to preserving Lakota language and culture. Lakota workbook and CDs for sale.
Dakota-Lakota Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions
Dakoteyah Wogdaka/Talk Dakota!:
Yankton Dakota vocabulary and audio files online.
Lakhota Language Resources:
A collection of online texts in Lakhota and Dakota Sioux, with dialect maps and other language materials.
Lakota (Teton):
Lakota Sioux orthography and text example.
Sioux Alphabet:
Phonological inventory of the Dakota Sioux language, with a sample text.
Freelang Lakota Dictionary:
Free downloadable wordlist of the Lakota language.
Dakota The Silent Way:
Online Dakota Sioux language games based on an experimental theory of language learning.
Lakxota Language:
Rotating language lessons in Lakota Sioux.
Dakota Language:
Dakota Sioux Bible Translation:
Dakota Sioux Text
Lakota Sioux Text
Sioux Indian Texts:
Scanned-in Dakota and Lakota language materials from the Rosetta Project.
Dakota Language Tree
Lakota Language Tree
Yankton-Yanktonai Language Tree
Santee Language Tree Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Language Tree:
Theories about Sioux language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Dakota Language Structures
L:akhota Language Structures:
Dakota and Lakota Sioux linguistic profiles and academic bibliographies.
Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota Sioux:
Article on the relationships between the different Siouan languages.
Lakota Sioux Language:
Encyclopedia article on the Lakota language, including phonology, grammar, and phrases.
Literature and Texts in the Dakota-Lakota Language
Dakota Prayers
Lord’s Prayer in Lakota
Christian prayers translated into Dakota and Lakota Sioux.
Language Museum: Dakota:
Bible passage in the Dakota Sioux language.
Children Singing Peace Around the World:
Lakota translation of a children’s peace song.
Dakota Language Plaque:
Canadian human rights tribute written in the Dakota language.
Dakota-Lakota Language Preservation and Usage
Nakona and Dakota Revitalization:
Homepage of the Fort Peck language department, working to preserve the Sioux and Assiniboine languages.
College Uses Rap Music to Preserve Dakotah Language:
Article on language preservation efforts on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Reservation.
Dakota and Lakota Sioux Proper Names
Sioux Indian Placenames:
Chart of place names in Lakota-Dakota and Omaha-Ponca.
American Indian Names for Pets:
Our new fundraiser offering names for dogs and other animals in Native American languages (including Lakota and Dakota Sioux).
Additional Resources, Links, and References
La Lengua Dakota La Lengua Lakota-Teton:
Articles on the Souix language in Spanish. With language maps.
Lakota and Dakota Resources:
Sioux language bibliography.
Dakota Language: Lakota Language:
Sioux links.
Learning Lakota and Dakota:
Bibliography of Sioux language learning resources.
Sponsored Links
Back to the index of North American Indian tribes
Back to our American Indian website for kids
Contemporary Native American art Cheyenne Nation
Tribal tattoo symbols
Sioux languages include the Lakota (or Lakhota), Dakota, and …
Sioux – Endangered Languages Project
Why Is The Language Of The Sioux In Danger? – Dictionary.com
Standing Rock Sioux and Dakota Access Pipeline
Sioux Tribe | Facts, Culture & History – Study.com
Why the Sioux Are Refusing $1.3 Billion – YouTube
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes
The Sioux | OER Commons
http://www.oercommons.org › 25991-the-sioux › view
Rosebud Sioux Tribe: Creating a Model for PREA … http://www.prearesourcecenter.org › resource › rosebud-sioux-t…
The Sioux Indians – YouTube http://www.youtube.com › watch
https://youtu.be/J2cV4bw5yZY?list=RDFf-0pHwyQ1g
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