Hinónoʼeitíít
Arapaho
Algonquian
Arapaho (autonymously Hinónoʼeitíít, "our language") is an Algonquian language of the Plains branch, spoken by around 1,000 people on the Wind River Indian Reservation of Wyoming and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Reservation of Oklahoma. The Arapaho migrated to the Plains from the western Great Lakes region around 1700 along with the Cheyenne (chy), making them the westernmost Algonquian-speaking nations. Linguistically, Arapaho is famous for its highly innovative phonology relative to other Algonquian languages — Proto-Algonquian *p became Arapaho /h/ (so kalapay → ahawaa), creating distinctive sound patterns unlike Cheyenne or other relatives. The Northern Arapaho Tribe operates immersion schools and the Wyoming Indian Schools partnership to revitalize the language, but most remaining speakers are now over 60.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Arapaho
Water
nec
/netʃ/
Fire
héétee'
/héːteːʔ/
Sun
hiʼíísh
/hiʔíːʃ/
Moon
biikóusis
/biːkóusis/
Mother
neinó
/neinó/
Father
neisónoo
/neisónoː/
Eat
betébí
/betébí/
Drink
bénee
/bénéː/
Love
héétébí
/héːtébí/
Heart
betéé
/betéː/
Tree
hooxéí
/hoːxéí/
House
biito
/biːto/
Dog
héʼ
/héʔ/
Cat
cécee
/tʃétʃéː/
Hand
hooxóʼ
/hoːxóʔ/
Eye
hisí
/hisí/
Hello
héébe
/héːbe/
Thank you
hohóu
/hohóu/
One
ceeséeʼ
/tʃeːséːʔ/
Good
hetééʼ
/hetéːʔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algonquian languages
| Meaning | Arapaho | Navajo | Kiowa | Western Apache | Munsee | Old Frisian | Plains Cree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nec /netʃ/ | tó /tóː/ | ko̱: /kɔ̃ː/ | tu /tu/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | wetir /vetiɾ/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ |
| Fire | héétee' /héːteːʔ/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | phi̱ /pʰĩ/ | kǫʼ /kṍʔ/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | fiur /fjuːɾ/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ |
| Sun | hiʼíísh /hiʔíːʃ/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | phî: /pʰîː/ | shándaʼá /ʃándaːʔá/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | sunne /sunːe/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ |
| Moon | biikóusis /biːkóusis/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | phé: /pʰéː/ | tłʼéʼsanaaʼái /tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | mōna /moːnɑ/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ |
| Mother | neinó /neinó/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | gì: /ɡìː/ | shimá /ʃima/ | nkáhees /ŋkahees/ | moder /moːdeɾ/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ |
| Father | neisónoo /neisónoː/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | gò: /ɡòː/ | shitaa /ʃitaː/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | feder /fædeɾ/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ |
| Eat | betébí /betébí/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | gè: /ɡèː/ | yiyąʼ /jijãʔ/ | mit /mit/ | eta /etɑ/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ |
| Drink | bénee /bénéː/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | kʰò: /kʰòː/ | yidlą /jidlãˀ/ | mneew /mneew/ | drinka /dɾinkɑ/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ |
| Love | héétébí /héːtébí/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | gàum /ɡàum/ | ayóigóʼíí /ʔajoiɣoʔiː/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | minne /minːe/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ |
| Heart | betéé /betéː/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | á:de /áːde/ | bíjéí /bidʒeː/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | herte /heɾte/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ |
| Tree | hooxéí /hoːxéí/ | tsin /t͡sin/ | á:du /áːdu/ | tsin /tsin/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | bām /baːm/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ |
| House | biito /biːto/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | tóu: /tóuː/ | kį /kĩ/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | hūs /huːs/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ |
| Dog | héʼ /héʔ/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | tsê: /tsêː/ | łį́į́ʼ /ɬĩːʔ/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | hund /hund/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ |
| Cat | cécee /tʃétʃéː/ | mósí /mósí/ | mò:sò /mòːsò/ | mósí /mosi/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | katte /katːe/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ |
| Hand | hooxóʼ /hoːxóʔ/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | mò:tʼɔ̄ /mòːtʼɔ̄/ | shílaʼ /ʃilaʔ/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | hond /hond/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ |
| Eye | hisí /hisí/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | tô: /tôː/ | nadáá /nadaː/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | āge /aːɣe/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ |
| Hello | héébe /héːbe/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | hâ:tô: /hâːtôː/ | dahgotʼe /dahɡotʔe/ | hé /heː/ | heil /heil/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ |
| Thank you | hohóu /hohóu/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | gàu /ɡàu/ | ahéheʼe /ʔaheːheʔe/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | thank /θank/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ |
| One | ceeséeʼ /tʃeːséːʔ/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | páun /páun/ | dááłeʼ /daːɬeʔ/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | ān /aːn/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ |
| Good | hetééʼ /hetéːʔ/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | hôn /hôn/ | nzhǫǫ /nʒõː/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | gōd /ɡoːd/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ |
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