Tsêhésenêstsestôtse
Cheyenne
Algic (Algonquian)
Cheyenne (Tsêhésenêstsestôtse) is an Algonquian language of the Algic family, spoken by ~2K members of the Northern Cheyenne (Montana) and Southern Cheyenne (Oklahoma) tribes. Severely endangered. The Cheyenne split into two branches following 19th-century US government relocations. Cheyenne has a 4-tone pitch system (high, mid, low, voiceless) — unusual for Algonquian, which is typically non-tonal. Words are typically very long due to polysynthesis with abundant prefixes and suffixes (a single word may translate as a full English sentence). Latin orthography uses ė and ô for high pitches, ʼ for glottal stop. Active language-revitalization efforts with school programs.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Cheyenne
Water
mahpe
/mahpe/
Fire
ho'ėstá
/hoʔɛsta/
Sun
éšeʼhe
/éʃeʔhe/
Moon
ame'háo'o
/ameʔhaʔoʔo/
Mother
néhe'e
/néheʔe/
Father
néhyo
/néhjo/
Eat
mésehe
/mésehe/
Drink
mane
/mane/
Love
méhotó'o
/meʔhotoʔo/
Heart
ohtsé
/ohtse/
Tree
hohtsestse
/hohtsestse/
House
vee'e
/veːʔe/
Dog
oeškeso
/oːʃkeso/
Cat
pó'po
/poʔpo/
Hand
ma'kahko
/maʔkahko/
Eye
vóome
/voːme/
Hello
Haaahe
/haːhe/
Thank you
néá'eše
/néáʔeʃe/
One
no'ka
/noʔka/
Good
pevohto
/pevohto/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Algic (Algonquian) languages
| Meaning | Cheyenne | Munsee | Menominee | Yurok | Mohawk | Old Aramaic | Maliseet-Passamaquoddy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mahpe /mahpe/ | mpíi /mbiː/ | nepāew /nəpaːew/ | paaʼ /paːʔ/ | ohnekanos /ohnekanos/ | מין /majin/ | samaqan /samakʷan/ |
| Fire | ho'ėstá /hoʔɛsta/ | lúhsuw /luhsuw/ | eskotēw /eskoteːw/ | meʼlonok /meʔlonok/ | o'kara /oʔkara/ | אש /ʔɛʃ/ | skwut /skʷut/ |
| Sun | éšeʼhe /éʃeʔhe/ | kíishux /kiːʃux/ | kēsoq /keːsoʔ/ | woygey /wojɡej/ | karahkwa /karahkwa/ | שמש /ʃamʃ/ | kisuhs /kisuhs/ |
| Moon | ame'háo'o /ameʔhaʔoʔo/ | nipáhum /nipahum/ | tepāhkēsoq /tepaːhkeːsoʔ/ | tepoo /tepoː/ | ahsonthenhne /ahsontʰenhne/ | שהר /sahr/ | nipawset /nipawset/ |
| Mother | néhe'e /néheʔe/ | nkáhees /ŋkahees/ | nekīah /nekiːah/ | nepuy /nepuj/ | iste /iste/ | אמ /ʔem/ | nikuwoss /nikuwoss/ |
| Father | néhyo /néhjo/ | nóoxw /noːxw/ | nōhnāeh /noːhnaːeh/ | nopew /nopew/ | ranihá /raniha/ | אב /ʔab/ | mihtaqs /mihtaqs/ |
| Eat | mésehe /mésehe/ | mit /mit/ | mīcew /miːtʃew/ | kepoyi /kepoji/ | kekhwa /kekʰwa/ | אכל /ʔakal/ | mititi /mititi/ |
| Drink | mane /mane/ | mneew /mneew/ | menew /menew/ | kewolepi /kewolepi/ | kahnek /kahnek/ | שתה /ʃataː/ | mun /mun/ |
| Love | méhotó'o /meʔhotoʔo/ | ahóoluw /ahoːluw/ | kesāenemāew /kesaːenemaːew/ | choʼomi /tʃoʔomi/ | aknoronhkwa /aknoronhkʷa/ | רחם /raħem/ | kosi /kosi/ |
| Heart | ohtsé /ohtse/ | ulehyii /ulehjiː/ | otēh /oteːh/ | skoʼol /skoʔol/ | awèrià /awɛriã/ | לב /leb/ | utʼine /utinə/ |
| Tree | hohtsestse /hohtsestse/ | hìttuk /hitːuk/ | metekoh /metekoh/ | kʼepoy /kʼepoj/ | okwire /okʷire/ | עץ /ʕeːsˤ/ | ʼsupi /supi/ |
| House | vee'e /veːʔe/ | wíikwam /wiːkwam/ | wīkewam /wiːkewam/ | kerwer /kerwer/ | kanonhsa /kanonhsa/ | בית /beːt/ | wikkihtit /wikːihtit/ |
| Dog | oeškeso /oːʃkeso/ | mwáakaneew /mwaːkaneːw/ | anēm /aneːm/ | chishʼah /tʃiʃʔah/ | érhar /erhar/ | כלב /kalb/ | ʼmuʼs /muʔs/ |
| Cat | pó'po /poʔpo/ | póshiis /poʃiːs/ | — /—/ | putuy /putuj/ | takós /takos/ | — /—/ | mihtukomuhs /mihtukomuhs/ |
| Hand | ma'kahko /maʔkahko/ | mléelii /mleːliː/ | onehkeh /onehkeh/ | mehl /mehl/ | o'nentsha /oʔnentsha/ | יד /jad/ | lukikʼn /lukikən/ |
| Eye | vóome /voːme/ | wíikšiit /wiːkʃiːt/ | oskēsek /oskeːsek/ | lekwsh /lekwʃ/ | kakahre /kakahre/ | עין /ʕajn/ | ʼskinekekutu /skinekekutu/ |
| Hello | Haaahe /haːhe/ | hé /heː/ | posoh /posoh/ | aiy-yue-kwee /aj-juːkweː/ | she:kon /ʃeːkon/ | שלם /ʃəlaːm/ | kʼulasuwiyat /kulasuwijat/ |
| Thank you | néá'eše /néáʔeʃe/ | wanìshi /waniʃi/ | wāēwāēnen /wɛːwɛːnen/ | wokhlew /wokʰlew/ | niáwen /niawen/ | — /—/ | woliwon /woliwon/ |
| One | no'ka /noʔka/ | ngwútii /ŋɡwutiː/ | nekot /nekot/ | kohchew /kohtʃew/ | enska /enska/ | חד /ħad/ | pesokul /pesokul/ |
| Good | pevohto /pevohto/ | weltóok /weltoːk/ | menwāewen /menwaːewen/ | skuyahl /skujahl/ | ió /jo/ | טב /tˤab/ | woli /woli/ |
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