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
20 core words in Lakota
Water
mní
/mní/
Fire
pȟéta
/pˣéta/
Sun
wí
/wí/
Moon
haŋhépi wí
/haŋhépi wí/
Mother
iná
/iná/
Father
até
/até/
Eat
yúta
/júta/
Drink
yatkáŋ
/jatkáŋ/
Love
thečhíȟila
/tʰetʃʰíxila/
Heart
čhaŋté
/tʃʰaŋté/
Tree
čháŋ
/tʃʰáŋ/
House
thípi
/tʰípi/
Dog
šúŋka
/ʃúŋka/
Cat
igmúŋke
/iɡmúŋke/
Hand
napé
/napé/
Eye
ištá
/iʃtá/
Hello
háu
/háu/
Thank you
philámayaye
/pʰilámajaje/
One
waŋží
/waŋʒí/
Good
wašté
/waʃté/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Siouan languages
| Meaning | Lakota | Dakota | Osage | Hurrian | Aguaruna | Guerrero Nahuatl | Juǀ'hoan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | mní /mní/ | mní /mní/ | ni /ni/ | 𒅆𒂊 /ʃie/ | yumi /jumi/ | atl /atɬ/ | gǃú /ᶢǃú/ |
| Fire | pȟéta /pˣéta/ | phéta /pʰéta/ | péje /péʒe/ | 𒋫𒌅 /tatu/ | úkam /úkam/ | tletl /tɬetɬ/ | dahm /dã̀m/ |
| Sun | wí /wí/ | aŋpétuwí /aŋpétuwí/ | mį́ /mĩ́/ | 𒅆𒈨𒄀 /ʃimeɡi/ | etsá /etsá/ | tonatih /tonatih/ | ǃhúí /ᵑǃʰúí/ |
| Moon | haŋhépi wí /haŋhépi wí/ | haŋyétuwí /haŋjétuwí/ | mį́ hǫ́bre /mĩ́ hṍbɾe/ | 𒆪𒋢𒄴 /kuʃuh/ | nántu /nántu/ | metztli /metstɬi/ | nǁháí /ᵑǁʰáí/ |
| Mother | iná /iná/ | iná /iná/ | iną́ /inã́/ | 𒂊𒈾 /ena/ | dukú /dukú/ | nanan /nanan/ | taqe /tàʔè/ |
| Father | até /até/ | até /até/ | indáce /indátse/ | 𒀜𒋫𒀀𒄿 /attai/ | apá /apá/ | tatah /tatah/ | ba /bà/ |
| Eat | yúta /júta/ | yúta /júta/ | ðatʰé /ðatʰé/ | 𒄠 /am/ | yuwámu /juwámu/ | tlakua /tɬakʷa/ | ǃʼám /ǃʼám/ |
| Drink | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | iðátʰǫ /iðátʰũ/ | 𒈾𒄴𒉿 /nahw/ | úmag /úmaɡ/ | atli /atɬi/ | kxʼáí /kxʼái/ |
| Love | thečhíȟila /tʰetʃʰíxila/ | thečhíȟida /tʰetʃʰíχida/ | ðakʰíðe /ðakʰíðe/ | 𒋫𒁺 /tadu/ | amaja /amaha/ | tlazohtla /tɬasoʔtɬa/ | ǀʼán /ǀʼán/ |
| Heart | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | náⁿʒe /nãʒe/ | 𒋾𒊭 /tiʃa/ | anéntai /anɛ́ntaj/ | yolotl /jolotɬ/ | ǂʼàn /ǂʼàn/ |
| Tree | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | žą́ /ʒã́/ | 𒋫𒁉 /tappi/ | númi /númi/ | kuauitl /kʷawitl/ | ǃaìh /ǃaìh/ |
| House | thípi /tʰípi/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | cí /tsí/ | 𒅁𒊑 /ipri/ | jegámu /heɡámu/ | kalli /kalːi/ | tjù /tʃù/ |
| Dog | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šǫ́ke /ʃṍke/ | 𒅕𒈠 /irma/ | yawá /jawá/ | itzcuintli /itskʷintli/ | ǂhòã /ᵑǂʰòã/ |
| Cat | igmúŋke /iɡmúŋke/ | igmúŋ /iɡmúŋ/ | įgðǫíka /ĩɡðũíka/ | 𒊭𒉿𒍣 /ʃawazi/ | micha /mitʃa/ | miston /miston/ | ǃhòè /ᵑǃʰòè/ |
| Hand | napé /napé/ | napé /napé/ | nǫbé /nũbé/ | 𒋗𒉌 /ʃuni/ | uwéj /uwéh/ | mahpi /mahpi/ | ǃʼau /ǃʼau/ |
| Eye | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /ɪʃtá/ | 𒅆𒉌 /ʃini/ | jíi /híː/ | ixtli /iʃtli/ | ǃʼàqè /ᶢǃʼàʔè/ |
| Hello | háu /háu/ | háu /háu/ | Háwe /háwe/ | 𒄭𒇻 /hilːu/ | pujámek /puhámɛk/ | niltze /niltse/ | mí kúrùwà /mí kúrùwà/ |
| Thank you | philámayaye /pʰilámajaje/ | pidámayaye /pidámajaje/ | Wíbthaxube /wíbθaxube/ | 𒀀𒅆 /aʃi/ | see /sɛː/ | tlazohcamati /tɬasoʔkamati/ | mí ǁʼàmà /mí ǁʼàmà/ |
| One | waŋží /waŋʒí/ | waŋžidaŋ /waŋʒidaŋ/ | wį́xci /wĩ́xtsi/ | 𒊭 /ʃa/ | makichik /makitʃik/ | ce /se/ | nǀèʼè /ᵑǀèʼè/ |
| Good | wašté /waʃté/ | wašté /waʃté/ | ðą́ /ðã́/ | 𒀀𒍣 /aʦi/ | ímia /ímia/ | kuajli /kʷahli/ | ǀʼàn /ǀʼàn/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.