Lakȟótiyapi
Lakota
Siouan
Lakota (Lakȟótiyapi) is the language of the Teton Sioux, with ~2K mostly elderly fluent speakers across the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Standing Rock, and Cheyenne River reservations. Severely endangered. The standard orthography developed in the 1970s uses ȟ for /ʁ/, č for /tʃ/, and aspirated/unaspirated stops distinguished by an apostrophe. Known to popular culture through the 1990 film Dances with Wolves. Major revitalization initiatives since the 2000s through the Lakota Language Consortium and Tatuye Topa school.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Lakota
Water
mní
/mní/
Fire
pȟéta
/pˣéta/
Sun
wí
/wí/
Moon
haŋhépi wí
/haŋhépi wí/
Star
wičháȟpi
/witʃʰaχpi/
Mother
iná
/iná/
Father
até
/até/
I
miyé
/mijé/
You
niyé
/nijé/
Name
čhažé
/tʃʰaʒé/
Eye
ištá
/iʃtá/
Hand
napé
/napé/
Heart
čhaŋté
/tʃʰaŋté/
Love
thečhíȟila
/tʰetʃʰíxila/
Tree
čháŋ
/tʃʰáŋ/
House
thípi
/tʰípi/
Dog
šúŋka
/ʃúŋka/
Cat
igmúŋke
/iɡmúŋke/
Eat
yúta
/júta/
Drink
yatkáŋ
/jatkáŋ/
One
waŋží
/waŋʒí/
Two
núŋpa
/nṹpa/
Hello
háu
/háu/
Thank you
philámayaye
/pʰilámajaje/
Good
wašté
/waʃté/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Siouan languages
| Meaning | Lakota | Dakota | Osage | Juǀ'hoan | Navajo | Coyutla Totonac | Nias |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mní /mní/ | mní /mní/ | ni /ni/ | gǃú /ᶢǃú/ | tó /tóː/ | xkán /ʃkán/ | idanö /idanø/ |
| Fire | pȟéta /pˣéta/ | phéta /pʰéta/ | péje /péʒe/ | dahm /dã̀m/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | lhk'uyat /ɬkʼujat/ | alitö /aˈlitɤ/ |
| Sun | wí /wí/ | aŋpétuwí /aŋpétuwí/ | mį́ /mĩ́/ | ǃhúí /ᵑǃʰúí/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | chichiní /tʃitʃiní/ | luo /luo/ |
| Moon | haŋhépi wí /haŋhépi wí/ | haŋyétuwí /haŋjétuwí/ | mį́ hǫ́bre /mĩ́ hṍbɾe/ | nǁháí /ᵑǁʰáí/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | papá /papá/ | bawa /bawa/ |
| Star | wičháȟpi /witʃʰaχpi/ | wičaȟpi /witʃaχpi/ | mikák'e /mikakʔe/ | ǀqhùbi /ǀqʰùbí/ | sǫʼ /sṍʔ/ | staku /staku/ | döfi /døfi/ |
| Mother | iná /iná/ | iná /iná/ | iną́ /inã́/ | taqe /tàʔè/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | tsé /tsé/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | até /até/ | até /até/ | indáce /indátse/ | ba /bà/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | tlat /tɬat/ | amada /amada/ |
| I | miyé /mijé/ | miyé /mijé/ | wíe /wie/ | mi /mí/ | shí /ʃí/ | kit /kit/ | ya'o /jaʔo/ |
| You | niyé /nijé/ | niyé /nijé/ | ðíe /ðie/ | a /à/ | ni /ni/ | wix /wiʃ/ | ya'ugö /jaʔugø/ |
| Name | čhažé /tʃʰaʒé/ | čažé /tʃaʒé/ | žáže /ʒaʒe/ | ǀ'hòà /ǀʼhòà/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | tuwán /tuwan/ | döi /døi/ |
| Eye | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /ɪʃtá/ | ǃʼàqè /ᶢǃʼàʔè/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | lakgastapu /lakɡastapu/ | hörö /høɾø/ |
| Hand | napé /napé/ | napé /naˈpe/ | nǫbé /nũbé/ | ǃʼau /ǃʼau/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | maka /maka/ | tanga /taŋa/ |
| Heart | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | náⁿʒe /nãʒe/ | ǂʼàn /ǂʼàn/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | naku /naku/ | tödö /tødø/ |
| Love | thečhíȟila /tʰetʃʰíxila/ | thečhíȟida /tʰetʃʰíχida/ | ðakʰíðe /ðakʰíðe/ | ǀʼán /ǀʼán/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | pa'ksuu /paʔksuː/ | fa'omasi /faʔomasi/ |
| Tree | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | žą́ /ʒã́/ | ǃaìh /ǃaìh/ | tsin /tsin/ | k'iwi /kʼiwi/ | eu /eu/ |
| House | thípi /tʰípi/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | cí /tsí/ | tjù /tʃù/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | chiki /tʃiki/ | omo /omo/ |
| Dog | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šǫ́ke /ʃṍke/ | ǂhòã /ᵑǂʰòã/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | chichi /tʃitʃi/ | asu /asu/ |
| Cat | igmúŋke /iɡmúŋke/ | igmúŋ /iɡmúŋ/ | įgðǫíka /ĩɡðũíka/ | ǃhòè /ᵑǃʰòè/ | mósí /mósí/ | mishtu /miʃtu/ | mao /mao/ |
| Eat | yúta /júta/ | yúta /júta/ | ðatʰé /ðatʰé/ | ǃʼám /ǃʼám/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | waan /waːn/ | manga /maŋa/ |
| Drink | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | iðátʰǫ /iðátʰũ/ | kxʼáí /kxʼái/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | oqoo /oqoː/ | badu /badu/ |
| One | waŋží /waŋʒí/ | waŋžidaŋ /waŋʒidaŋ/ | wį́xci /wĩ́xtsi/ | nǀèʼè /ᵑǀèʼè/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | aktum /aktum/ | sara /saɾa/ |
| Two | núŋpa /nṹpa/ | nųpa /nũpa/ | ðóⁿba /ðṍba/ | tsàn /tsã̀/ | naaki /nɑːkɪ/ | aktuy /aktuj/ | dua /dua/ |
| Hello | háu /háu/ | háu /háu/ | Háwe /háwe/ | mí kúrùwà /mí kúrùwà/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | tlen lhítat /tɬen ɬítat/ | ya'ahowu /jaʔahowu/ |
| Thank you | philámayaye /pʰilámajaje/ | pidámayaye /pidámajaje/ | Wíbthaxube /wíbθaxube/ | mí ǁʼàmà /mí ǁʼàmà/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | pa'xkatkatsiniyán /paʔʃkatkatsiniján/ | saohagölö /saohaɡølø/ |
| Good | wašté /waʃté/ | wašté /waʃté/ | ðą́ /ðã́/ | ǀʼàn /ǀʼàn/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | tlen /tɬen/ | sökhi /søkʰi/ |
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