Dakhótiyapi
Dakota
Siouan
Dakota is an Eastern Siouan language closely related to Lakota — the same lexeme often differs only in /d/ (Dakota) vs /l/ (Lakota), e.g. dakhóta/lakhóta. Comprises four divisions (Santee, Sisseton, Wahpeton, Yankton-Yanktonai) with ~290 fluent L1 speakers. Severely endangered after 19th-century US assimilation policy and the 1862 Dakota War. Active revitalization through Dakota Wicohan (Minnesota) and bilingual schools. Written in Riggs orthography (Latin) since the 1830s.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Dakota
Water
mní
/mní/
Fire
phéta
/pʰéta/
Sun
aŋpétuwí
/aŋpétuwí/
Moon
haŋyétuwí
/haŋjétuwí/
Star
wičaȟpi
/witʃaχpi/
Mother
iná
/iná/
Father
até
/até/
I
miyé
/mijé/
You
niyé
/nijé/
Name
čažé
/tʃaʒé/
Eye
ištá
/iʃtá/
Hand
napé
/naˈpe/
Heart
čhaŋté
/tʃʰaŋté/
Love
thečhíȟida
/tʰetʃʰíχida/
Tree
čháŋ
/tʃʰáŋ/
House
thípi
/tʰípi/
Dog
šúŋka
/ʃúŋka/
Cat
igmúŋ
/iɡmúŋ/
Eat
yúta
/júta/
Drink
yatkáŋ
/jatkáŋ/
One
waŋžidaŋ
/waŋʒidaŋ/
Two
nųpa
/nũpa/
Hello
háu
/háu/
Thank you
pidámayaye
/pidámajaje/
Good
wašté
/waʃté/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Siouan languages
| Meaning | Dakota | Lakota | Osage | Mandar | Juǀ'hoan | Navajo | Crow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mní /mní/ | mní /mní/ | ni /ni/ | uai /uai/ | gǃú /ᶢǃú/ | tó /tóː/ | baxúa /baχua/ |
| Fire | phéta /pʰéta/ | pȟéta /pˣéta/ | péje /péʒe/ | api /api/ | dahm /dã̀m/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | asxé /asχe/ |
| Sun | aŋpétuwí /aŋpétuwí/ | wí /wí/ | mį́ /mĩ́/ | mata allo /mata alːo/ | ǃhúí /ᵑǃʰúí/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | isaaxé /isaaxe/ |
| Moon | haŋyétuwí /haŋjétuwí/ | haŋhépi wí /haŋhépi wí/ | mį́ hǫ́bre /mĩ́ hṍbɾe/ | bulang /bulaŋ/ | nǁháí /ᵑǁʰáí/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | šuúa /ʃua/ |
| Star | wičaȟpi /witʃaχpi/ | wičháȟpi /witʃʰaχpi/ | mikák'e /mikakʔe/ | bittoeng /bittoeŋ/ | ǀqhùbi /ǀqʰùbí/ | sǫʼ /sṍʔ/ | ihké /ihkéː/ |
| Mother | iná /iná/ | iná /iná/ | iną́ /inã́/ | indo /indo/ | taqe /tàʔè/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | immé /imme/ |
| Father | até /até/ | até /até/ | indáce /indátse/ | ama /ama/ | ba /bà/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | appé /appe/ |
| I | miyé /mijé/ | miyé /mijé/ | wíe /wie/ | iyau /ijau/ | mi /mí/ | shí /ʃí/ | bíi /biː/ |
| You | niyé /nijé/ | niyé /nijé/ | ðíe /ðie/ | io /iʔo/ | a /à/ | ni /ni/ | díi /tiː/ |
| Name | čažé /tʃaʒé/ | čhažé /tʃʰaʒé/ | žáže /ʒaʒe/ | sanga /saŋa/ | ǀ'hòà /ǀʼhòà/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | iláshe /iláʃe/ |
| Eye | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /ɪʃtá/ | mata /mata/ | ǃʼàqè /ᶢǃʼàʔè/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | isúua /isua/ |
| Hand | napé /naˈpe/ | napé /napé/ | nǫbé /nũbé/ | lima /lima/ | ǃʼau /ǃʼau/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | basúa /basua/ |
| Heart | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | náⁿʒe /nãʒe/ | ate /ate/ | ǂʼàn /ǂʼàn/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | búua /bua/ |
| Love | thečhíȟida /tʰetʃʰíχida/ | thečhíȟila /tʰetʃʰíxila/ | ðakʰíðe /ðakʰíðe/ | mappinawa /mapːinawa/ | ǀʼán /ǀʼán/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | žą́ /ʒã́/ | kaju /kaju/ | ǃaìh /ǃaìh/ | tsin /tsin/ | bashée /baʃe/ |
| House | thípi /tʰípi/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | cí /tsí/ | boyang /bojaŋ/ | tjù /tʃù/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | tipí /tipi/ |
| Dog | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šǫ́ke /ʃṍke/ | asu /asu/ | ǂhòã /ᵑǂʰòã/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | šixé /ʃixe/ |
| Cat | igmúŋ /iɡmúŋ/ | igmúŋke /iɡmúŋke/ | įgðǫíka /ĩɡðũíka/ | mio /mio/ | ǃhòè /ᵑǃʰòè/ | mósí /mósí/ | — /—/ |
| Eat | yúta /júta/ | yúta /júta/ | ðatʰé /ðatʰé/ | ma'ande /maʔande/ | ǃʼám /ǃʼám/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | bua /bua/ |
| Drink | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | iðátʰǫ /iðátʰũ/ | minung /minuŋ/ | kxʼáí /kxʼái/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | — /—/ |
| One | waŋžidaŋ /waŋʒidaŋ/ | waŋží /waŋʒí/ | wį́xci /wĩ́xtsi/ | mesa /mesa/ | nǀèʼè /ᵑǀèʼè/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | asxuúa /asχua/ |
| Two | nųpa /nũpa/ | núŋpa /nṹpa/ | ðóⁿba /ðṍba/ | dua /dua/ | tsàn /tsã̀/ | naaki /nɑːkɪ/ | dúupe /duːpe/ |
| Hello | háu /háu/ | háu /háu/ | Háwe /háwe/ | salama' ma'ondong /salamaʔ maʔondoŋ/ | mí kúrùwà /mí kúrùwà/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | áaxua /aaxua/ |
| Thank you | pidámayaye /pidámajaje/ | philámayaye /pʰilámajaje/ | Wíbthaxube /wíbθaxube/ | kuru' sumanga' /kuɾuʔ sumaŋaʔ/ | mí ǁʼàmà /mí ǁʼàmà/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | — /—/ |
| Good | wašté /waʃté/ | wašté /waʃté/ | ðą́ /ðã́/ | macoa /matʃoa/ | ǀʼàn /ǀʼàn/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | aleé /ale/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.