𐓏𐓘𐓻𐓘𐓻𐓟 𐒻𐓟
Osage
Siouan (Dhegihan)
Dhegihan Siouan language closely related to Kansa, Quapaw, and Omaha-Ponca. Uniquely among Indigenous North American languages, Osage uses its own purpose-built alphabet (the Osage script, 𐓏𐓘𐓻𐓘𐓻𐓟) created by Herman Mongrain Lookout in 2006 and officially adopted by the Osage Nation in 2014.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Osage
Water
ni
/ni/
Fire
péje
/péʒe/
Sun
mį́
/mĩ́/
Moon
mį́ hǫ́bre
/mĩ́ hṍbɾe/
Star
mikák'e
/mikakʔe/
Mother
iną́
/inã́/
Father
indáce
/indátse/
I
wíe
/wie/
You
ðíe
/ðie/
Name
žáže
/ʒaʒe/
Eye
ištá
/ɪʃtá/
Hand
nǫbé
/nũbé/
Heart
náⁿʒe
/nãʒe/
Love
ðakʰíðe
/ðakʰíðe/
Tree
žą́
/ʒã́/
House
cí
/tsí/
Dog
šǫ́ke
/ʃṍke/
Cat
įgðǫíka
/ĩɡðũíka/
Eat
ðatʰé
/ðatʰé/
Drink
iðátʰǫ
/iðátʰũ/
One
wį́xci
/wĩ́xtsi/
Two
ðóⁿba
/ðṍba/
Hello
Háwe
/háwe/
Thank you
Wíbthaxube
/wíbθaxube/
Good
ðą́
/ðã́/
Sources
- Quintero, Carolyn (2004) Osage Grammar. University of Nebraska Press.
- Quintero, Carolyn (2009) Osage Dictionary. University of Oklahoma Press.
- LaFlesche, Francis (1932) A Dictionary of the Osage Language. Smithsonian BAE Bulletin 109.
- Glottolog: Osage
Words compared
Compared with related Siouan (Dhegihan) languages
| Meaning | Osage | Lakota | Dakota | Aguaruna | Bats | Navajo | Chechen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ni /ni/ | mní /mní/ | mní /mní/ | yumi /jumi/ | ხი /xi/ | tó /tóː/ | хи /xi/ |
| Fire | péje /péʒe/ | pȟéta /pˣéta/ | phéta /pʰéta/ | jii /hiː/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ | kǫʼ /kõːʔ/ | цӏе /tsʼe/ |
| Sun | mį́ /mĩ́/ | wí /wí/ | aŋpétuwí /aŋpétuwí/ | etsá /etsá/ | მაცხ /matsx/ | jóhonaaʼéí /dʒóhonɑːʔéːí/ | малх /malx/ |
| Moon | mį́ hǫ́bre /mĩ́ hṍbɾe/ | haŋhépi wí /haŋhépi wí/ | haŋyétuwí /haŋjétuwí/ | nántu /nántu/ | ბუცʼ /butsʼ/ | tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhonɑːʔéːí/ | бутт /butː/ |
| Star | mikák'e /mikakʔe/ | wičháȟpi /witʃʰaχpi/ | wičaȟpi /witʃaχpi/ | yaya /jaja/ | სედა /seda/ | sǫʼ /sṍʔ/ | седа /seda/ |
| Mother | iną́ /inã́/ | iná /iná/ | iná /iná/ | dukú /dukú/ | ნანა /nana/ | shimá /ʃimáː/ | нана /nana/ |
| Father | indáce /indátse/ | até /até/ | até /até/ | apá /apá/ | დადა /dada/ | shizhéʼé /ʃiʒéːʔéː/ | да /da/ |
| I | wíe /wie/ | miyé /mijé/ | miyé /mijé/ | wi /wi/ | სო /so/ | shí /ʃí/ | со /sʷo/ |
| You | ðíe /ðie/ | niyé /nijé/ | niyé /nijé/ | amé /ame/ | ჰო /ħo/ | ni /ni/ | хьо /ʜʷo/ |
| Name | žáže /ʒaʒe/ | čhažé /tʃʰaʒé/ | čažé /tʃaʒé/ | daaji /daːhi/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ | -zhiʼ /ʒìʔ/ | цӀе /tsʼe/ |
| Eye | ištá /ɪʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | jíi /híː/ | ბარკʼ /barkʼ/ | anááʼ /ʔanáːʔ/ | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ |
| Hand | nǫbé /nũbé/ | napé /napé/ | napé /naˈpe/ | uwéj /uwéh/ | კʼუჲ /kʼuj/ | álaʼ /ʔálaʔ/ | куьг /kyɡ/ |
| Heart | náⁿʒe /nãʒe/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | anéntai /anɛ́ntaj/ | დოკ /dokʼ/ | ajéí /ɑdʒéːí/ | дог /doɡ/ |
| Love | ðakʰíðe /ðakʰíðe/ | thečhíȟila /tʰetʃʰíxila/ | thečhíȟida /tʰetʃʰíχida/ | amaja /amaha/ | დაკარ /dakar/ | ayóóʼánóshní /ɑjóːʔɑ́nóʃníː/ | безам /bezam/ |
| Tree | žą́ /ʒã́/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | númi /númi/ | დაჴ /daq/ | tsin /tsin/ | дитт /ditː/ |
| House | cí /tsí/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | jegámu /heɡámu/ | ცʼა /tsʼa/ | hooghan /hoːɣɑn/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ |
| Dog | šǫ́ke /ʃṍke/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | yawá /jawá/ | ფჰუ /pʰu/ | łééchąąʼí /ɬéːtʃãːʔí/ | жӏала /ʒˤala/ |
| Cat | įgðǫíka /ĩɡðũíka/ | igmúŋke /iɡmúŋke/ | igmúŋ /iɡmúŋ/ | micha /mitʃa/ | ციცა /tsitsa/ | mósí /mósí/ | цициг /tsitsiɡ/ |
| Eat | ðatʰé /ðatʰé/ | yúta /júta/ | yúta /júta/ | yuwámu /juwámu/ | ჲაა /jaː/ | yishą́ /jiʃã́ː/ | даа /daː/ |
| Drink | iðátʰǫ /iðátʰũ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | úmag /úmaɡ/ | მალარ /malar/ | yishdlą́ /jiʃtɬã́ː/ | мала /mala/ |
| One | wį́xci /wĩ́xtsi/ | waŋží /waŋʒí/ | waŋžidaŋ /waŋʒidaŋ/ | makichik /makitʃik/ | ცхʼა /tsʰa/ | tʼááłáʼí /tʼɑ́ːɬɑ́ːʔí/ | цхьа /tsʜa/ |
| Two | ðóⁿba /ðṍba/ | núŋpa /nṹpa/ | nųpa /nũpa/ | jimag /himaɡ/ | შინ /ʃin/ | naaki /nɑːkɪ/ | шиъ /ʃiʔ/ |
| Hello | Háwe /háwe/ | háu /háu/ | háu /háu/ | pujámek /puhámɛk/ | ვუჲ /vuj/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | маршалла /maɾʃalːa/ |
| Thank you | Wíbthaxube /wíbθaxube/ | philámayaye /pʰilámajaje/ | pidámayaye /pidámajaje/ | see /sɛː/ | მადლობელ ვალ /madlobel val/ | ahéheeʼ /ɑhéːheːʔ/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ |
| Good | ðą́ /ðã́/ | wašté /waʃté/ | wašté /waʃté/ | ímia /ímia/ | დიკʼა /dikʼa/ | yáʼátʼééh /jɑ́ːʔɑ́tʼéːh/ | дика /dika/ |
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