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
31 core words in Arapaho
Water
nec
/netʃ/
Fire
héétee'
/héːteːʔ/
Sun
hiʼíísh
/hiʔíːʃ/
Moon
biikóusis
/biːkóusis/
Star
ho3o'
/hoθoːʔ/
Mother
neinó
/neinó/
Father
neisónoo
/neisónoː/
I
nenee'
/nɛnɛːʔ/
You
nénen
/nénɛn/
Name
-íisi'
/íːsiʔ/
Eye
hisí
/hisí/
Hand
hooxóʼ
/hoːxóʔ/
Heart
betéé
/betéː/
Love
héétébí
/héːtébí/
Tree
hooxéí
/hoːxéí/
House
biito
/biːto/
Dog
héʼ
/héʔ/
Cat
cécee
/tʃétʃéː/
Eat
betébí
/betébí/
Drink
bénee
/bénéː/
One
ceeséeʼ
/tʃeːséːʔ/
Two
niis
/niːs/
Hello
héébe
/héːbe/
Thank you
hohóu
/hohóu/
Good
hetééʼ
/hetéːʔ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algonquian languages
| Meaning | Arapaho | Menominee | Navajo | Western Apache | Munsee | Kiowa | Plains Cree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | nec /netʃ/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | tó /tóː/ | tu /tu/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | tóñ /tʰṍ/ | ᓂᐱᕀ /nipiː/ |
| Fire | héétee' /héːteːʔ/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | kǫʼ /kṍʔ/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | phi̱ /pʰĩ/ | ᐃᐢᑯᑌᐤ /iskoteːw/ |
| Sun | hiʼíísh /hiʔíːʃ/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | shándaʼá /ʃándaːʔá/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | phî: /pʰîː/ | ᐲᓯᒼ /piːsim/ |
| Moon | biikóusis /biːkóusis/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | tłʼéʼsanaaʼái /tɬʔeʔsanaːʔai/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | phé: /pʰéː/ | ᑎᐱᐢᑳᐃᐧᐲᓯᒼ /tipiskaːwi piːsim/ |
| Star | ho3o' /hoθoːʔ/ | anaeq /anɛːʔ/ | sǫʼ /sṍʔ/ | sǫʼs /sṍːs/ | alaánkw /alaːŋkʷ/ | t'ǫ́ǫ̀y /tʼṍːj/ | ᐊᒑᐦᑯᐢ /acaːhkos/ |
| Mother | neinó /neinó/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | shimá /ʃima/ | nkáhees /ŋkaheːs/ | tsitda /tsitda/ | ᓂᑳᐃᐧ /nikaːwiː/ |
| Father | neisónoo /neisónoː/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | shitaa /ʃitaː/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | gò: /ɡòː/ | ᓅᐦᑖᐃᐧ /noːhtaːwiː/ |
| I | nenee' /nɛnɛːʔ/ | nenah /nɛnah/ | shí /ʃí/ | shí /ʃí/ | nii /niː/ | nɔ́ɔ /nɔ́ː/ | ᓂᔭ /niya/ |
| You | nénen /nénɛn/ | kenah /kɛnah/ | ni /ni/ | ni /ní/ | kii /kiː/ | ám /ám/ | ᑭᔭ /kiya/ |
| Name | -íisi' /íːsiʔ/ | -esian /ɛsian/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | wiinzuwaakan /wiːnzuwaːkan/ | k'ɔ́gyà /kʼɔ̃́ɡjà/ | ᐑᐦᐅᐏᐣ /wiːhowin/ |
| Eye | hisí /hisí/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | nadáá /nadaː/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | tô: /tôː/ | ᒥᐢᑮᓯᐠ /miskiːsik/ |
| Hand | hooxóʼ /hoːxóʔ/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | shílaʼ /ʃilaʔ/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | mò:tʼɔ̄ /mòːtʼɔ̄/ | ᒥᒋᒋᕀ /micicij/ |
| Heart | betéé /betéː/ | otēh /oteːh/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | bíjéí /bidʒeː/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | á:de /áːde/ | ᒥᑌᐦ /miteːh/ |
| Love | héétébí /héːtébí/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | ayóigóʼíí /ʔajoiɣoʔiː/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | gàum /ɡàum/ | ᓵᑭᐦᐃᐍᐃᐧᐣ /saːkihiweːwin/ |
| Tree | hooxéí /hoːxéí/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | tsin /tsin/ | tsin /tsin/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | á:du /áːdu/ | ᒥᐢᑎᐠ /mistik/ |
| House | biito /biːto/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | kį /kĩ/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | tóu: /tóuː/ | ᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ /waːskahikan/ |
| Dog | héʼ /héʔ/ | anēm /aneːm/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | łį́į́ʼ /ɬĩːʔ/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | tsê: /tsêː/ | ᐊᑎᒼ /atim/ |
| Cat | cécee /tʃétʃéː/ | — /—/ | mósí /mósí/ | mósí /mosi/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | mò:sò /mòːsò/ | ᒥᓅᐢ /minoːs/ |
| Eat | betébí /betébí/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | yiyąʼ /jijãʔ/ | mit /mit/ | gè: /ɡèː/ | ᒨᐍᐤ /moːweːw/ |
| Drink | bénee /bénéː/ | menew /menew/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | yidlą /jidlãˀ/ | mneew /mneew/ | kʰò: /kʰòː/ | ᒥᓂᐦᑴᐤ /minihkweːw/ |
| One | ceeséeʼ /tʃeːséːʔ/ | nekot /nekot/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | dááłeʼ /daːɬeʔ/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | páun /páun/ | ᐯᔭᐠ /peːjak/ |
| Two | niis /niːs/ | nīs /niːs/ | naaki /nɑːkɪ/ | naaki /naːki/ | niisha /niːʃa/ | yíí /jíː/ | ᓃᓱ /niːso/ |
| Hello | héébe /héːbe/ | posoh /posoh/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | dahgotʼe /dahɡotʔe/ | hé /heː/ | hâ:tô: /hâːtôː/ | ᑖᓂᓯ /taːnisi/ |
| Thank you | hohóu /hohóu/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | ahéheʼe /ʔaheːheʔe/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | gàu /ɡàu/ | ᐦᐊᕀ ᐦᐊᕀ /haj haj/ |
| Good | hetééʼ /hetéːʔ/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | nzhǫǫ /nʒõː/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | hôn /hôn/ | ᒥᔼᓯᐣ /mijwaːsin/ |
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