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
20 core words in Osage
Water
ni
/ni/
Fire
péje
/péʒe/
Sun
mį́
/mĩ́/
Moon
mį́ hǫ́bre
/mĩ́ hṍbɾe/
Mother
iną́
/inã́/
Father
indáce
/indátse/
Eat
ðatʰé
/ðatʰé/
Drink
iðátʰǫ
/iðátʰũ/
Love
ðakʰíðe
/ðakʰíðe/
Heart
náⁿʒe
/nãʒe/
Tree
žą́
/ʒã́/
House
cí
/tsí/
Dog
šǫ́ke
/ʃṍke/
Cat
įgðǫíka
/ĩɡðũíka/
Hand
nǫbé
/nũbé/
Eye
ištá
/ɪʃtá/
Hello
Háwe
/háwe/
Thank you
Wíbthaxube
/wíbθaxube/
One
wį́xci
/wĩ́xtsi/
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 | Ingush | Chechen | Arapaho | Bats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ni /ni/ | mní /mní/ | mní /mní/ | хий /xij/ | хи /xi/ | nec /netʃ/ | ხი /xi/ |
| Fire | péje /péʒe/ | pȟéta /pˣéta/ | phéta /pʰéta/ | цӏе /tsʼe/ | цӏе /tsʼe/ | héétee' /héːteːʔ/ | ცʼე /tsʼe/ |
| Sun | mį́ /mĩ́/ | wí /wí/ | aŋpétuwí /aŋpétuwí/ | малх /malx/ | малх /malx/ | hiʼíísh /hiʔíːʃ/ | მაცხ /matsx/ |
| Moon | mį́ hǫ́bre /mĩ́ hṍbɾe/ | haŋhépi wí /haŋhépi wí/ | haŋyétuwí /haŋjétuwí/ | бутт /butː/ | бутт /butː/ | biikóusis /biːkóusis/ | ბუცʼ /butsʼ/ |
| Mother | iną́ /inã́/ | iná /iná/ | iná /iná/ | наьна /næna/ | нана /nana/ | neinó /neinó/ | ნანა /nana/ |
| Father | indáce /indátse/ | até /até/ | até /até/ | да /da/ | да /da/ | neisónoo /neisónoː/ | დადა /dada/ |
| Eat | ðatʰé /ðatʰé/ | yúta /júta/ | yúta /júta/ | даа /daː/ | даа /daː/ | betébí /betébí/ | ჲაა /jaː/ |
| Drink | iðátʰǫ /iðátʰũ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | yatkáŋ /jatkáŋ/ | мала /mala/ | мала /mala/ | bénee /bénéː/ | მალარ /malar/ |
| Love | ðakʰíðe /ðakʰíðe/ | thečhíȟila /tʰetʃʰíxila/ | thečhíȟida /tʰetʃʰíχida/ | безам /bezam/ | безам /bezam/ | héétébí /héːtébí/ | დაკარ /dakar/ |
| Heart | náⁿʒe /nãʒe/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | čhaŋté /tʃʰaŋté/ | дог /doɡ/ | дог /doɡ/ | betéé /betéː/ | კარტʼ /kʼartʼ/ |
| Tree | žą́ /ʒã́/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | čháŋ /tʃʰáŋ/ | га /ɡa/ | дитт /ditː/ | hooxéí /hoːxéí/ | დაჴ /daq/ |
| House | cí /tsí/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | thípi /tʰípi/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | цӏа /tsʼa/ | biito /biːto/ | ცʼა /tsʼa/ |
| Dog | šǫ́ke /ʃṍke/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | šúŋka /ʃúŋka/ | жӏали /ʒˤali/ | жӏала /ʒˤala/ | héʼ /héʔ/ | ფჰუ /pʰu/ |
| Cat | įgðǫíka /ĩɡðũíka/ | igmúŋke /iɡmúŋke/ | igmúŋ /iɡmúŋ/ | циск /tsisk/ | цициг /tsitsiɡ/ | cécee /tʃétʃéː/ | ციცა /tsitsa/ |
| Hand | nǫbé /nũbé/ | napé /napé/ | napé /napé/ | куьг /kyɡ/ | куьг /kyɡ/ | hooxóʼ /hoːxóʔ/ | კʼუჲ /kʼuj/ |
| Eye | ištá /ɪʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | ištá /iʃtá/ | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ | бӏаьрг /bˤæɾɡ/ | hisí /hisí/ | ბარკʼ /barkʼ/ |
| Hello | Háwe /háwe/ | háu /háu/ | háu /háu/ | моаршал /moaɾʃal/ | маршалла /maɾʃalːa/ | héébe /héːbe/ | ვუჲ /vuj/ |
| Thank you | Wíbthaxube /wíbθaxube/ | philámayaye /pʰilámajaje/ | pidámayaye /pidámajaje/ | баркал /baɾkal/ | баркалла /baɾkalːa/ | hohóu /hohóu/ | მადლობელ ვალ /madlobel val/ |
| One | wį́xci /wĩ́xtsi/ | waŋží /waŋʒí/ | waŋžidaŋ /waŋʒidaŋ/ | цаӀ /tsaʔ/ | цхьа /t͡sʜa/ | ceeséeʼ /tʃeːséːʔ/ | ცхʼა /tsʰa/ |
| Good | ðą́ /ðã́/ | wašté /waʃté/ | wašté /waʃté/ | дика /dika/ | дика /dika/ | hetééʼ /hetéːʔ/ | დიკʼა /dikʼa/ |
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