Cheyenne language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cheyenne |
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| Tsėhésenėstsestȯtse | ||||
| Native to | United States | |||
| Region | Montana and Oklahoma | |||
| Ethnicity | Cheyenne | |||
| Native speakers | 380 (2020)e21 | |||
| Language family |
Algic
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The Cheyenne language (Tsėhésenėstsestȯtse) is a special Native American language. It is spoken by the Cheyenne people in the United States. Most speakers live in Montana and Oklahoma.
Cheyenne is part of the Algonquian language family. It has a very complex way of building words. This means many parts are added to words to change their meaning. Sadly, this language is currently in danger of disappearing.
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What is the Cheyenne language?
The Cheyenne language is one of the Algonquian languages. This is a big group of related languages. It's also called a Plains Algonquian language. Other languages in this group include Arapaho and Blackfoot.
Where is Cheyenne spoken today?
Cheyenne is spoken on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in Montana. It is also spoken in parts of Oklahoma. In 2013, about 4,939 Cheyenne people lived on the reservation. A small number of them spoke Cheyenne.
How many people speak Cheyenne?
The Cheyenne language is in danger. UNESCO says it is "definitely endangered" in Montana. It is "critically endangered" in Oklahoma. In 2012, about 1,700 people spoke Cheyenne in Montana. By 2021, this number dropped to about 300, mostly older people. In Oklahoma, fewer than 20 elderly people spoke it in 2021.
The 2017 movie Hostiles used a lot of Cheyenne language. The filmmakers hired experts to make sure it was real.
How are people saving the Cheyenne language?
Many people are working hard to save the Cheyenne language. In 1997, Chief Dull Knife College started a project. They wanted to find out how many people spoke Cheyenne. They also wanted to create a language center.
In 2015, the college held a special Language Immersion Camp. This camp taught young people their ancestral language. It had two week-long sessions. One session was for kids aged 5-10. The other was for teens aged 11-18. Certified Cheyenne teachers led daily classes. This camp also created jobs for fluent speakers.
Montana has a law to help tribes save their languages. You can take Cheyenne language classes at Chief Dull Knife College in Lame Deer, Montana. Classes are also offered at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Watonga High School in Watonga, Oklahoma also teaches Cheyenne.
People are also trying to save the language in other ways. They connect the language with games, crafts, and ceremonies. This helps make learning fun for young people. It helps them learn the language and culture together.
How does Cheyenne sound?
Cheyenne has three main vowel sounds. These are like the "e" in "bed," the "a" in "father," and the "o" in "go." These vowels can have different tones. Tones are like musical notes for words. They can be high, low, mid, or rising. Sometimes, vowels can also be spoken without sound, like a whisper.
Cheyenne also has consonants, like "m," "n," "p," "t," "k," "s," and "h." Some sounds change depending on the letters around them. For example, the "t" sound can become "ts" before an "e."
The Cheyenne writing system has 14 letters. It helps people say words correctly. It shows some of the special ways sounds are made.
How does Cheyenne grammar work?
Cheyenne verbs are very important. They can be very long and complex. One Cheyenne verb can mean a whole sentence in English! This is because many small parts are added to the verb. These parts tell you who is doing the action. They also say when the action happened.
Verb Building Blocks
Cheyenne verbs are built in a specific order. They start with who is doing the action. Then they might add parts for time (like past or future). Next, they add parts for direction (like "toward" or "away"). Then comes the main verb part. Finally, other parts are added to give more details.
- Who is doing it? Cheyenne uses prefixes for "I," "you," and "he/she/it." For example, "ná-" means "I," "né-" means "you," and "é-" means "he/she/it."
- When did it happen? Cheyenne can show past or future tense. If there's no special part, it can mean "now" or "recently."
- Direction: Some parts show if the action is moving "toward" or "away from" someone.
- Extra Details: Many small parts can be added to verbs. These can mean things like "secretly," "suddenly," "well," or "a lot." They can also describe body parts. For example, a verb part might mean "mouth" or "hand."
Nouns in Cheyenne
Cheyenne nouns are grouped into two types: living things (animate) and non-living things (inanimate). Nouns change if they are singular (one) or plural (more than one). They do not have male or female forms.
- Plurals: Nouns become plural by adding different endings. These endings can change depending on the word.
- Possession: To show who owns something, special prefixes are added to nouns. For example, "na-" means "my," "ne-" means "your," and "he-" means "his/her/its."
How did Cheyenne develop?
The Cheyenne language grew from a very old language called Proto-Algonquian. Over many years, the sounds and words changed. For example, the old word for "man" was *erenyiwa. In Cheyenne, it became hetane. This shows how much languages can change over time.
Cheyenne Words
Here are some Cheyenne words:
Learning and Translating Cheyenne
Early work on the Cheyenne language was done by Rodolphe Charles Petter. He was a missionary in Montana. In 1915, he published a huge Cheyenne dictionary.
Cheyenne Today
Today, you can find many online tools to help you learn Cheyenne. There are vocabulary lists, guides to pronunciation, and dictionaries. You can also find books about the language's history and grammar. These resources help new speakers learn and keep the language alive.
Images for kids
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Map showing where Cheyenne is spoken
See also
In Spanish: Idioma cheyene para niños
