Chiwere language facts for kids

Chiwere (also called Iowa-Otoe-Missouria or Báxoje-Jíwere-Ñút'achi) is a Siouan language. It was first spoken by the Missouria, Otoe, and Iowa peoples. These groups originally lived near the Great Lakes. Later, they moved across the Midwest and plains. Chiwere is very similar to the Ho-Chunk language, also known as Winnebago.

Christian missionaries from outside the Native American community first wrote down Chiwere words in the 1830s. However, not many books or materials have been published about the language since then. Chiwere started to decline after more European-Americans arrived in the 1850s. By 1940, almost no one spoke the language anymore.

The phrase "Tciwere itce" (in the Otoe way of speaking) and "Tcekiwere itce" (in the Iowa way) mean "To speak the home dialect." The name "Chiwere" is said to come from a story. Imagine someone meeting a stranger in the dark. If the stranger asked who they were, the person might say "I am Tci-we-re" (Otoe) or "I am Tce-ki-we-re" (Iowa). This means "I belong to the people of this land" or "I belong to those living here."

What are the Names for Chiwere?

The Iowa tribe calls their language Báxoje ich'é or Bah Kho Je. The Otoe-Missouria people call their dialect Jíwere ich'é. The name Chiwere is often used by language experts. It comes from how certain sounds are made in the language.

Some people thought Báxoje meant "dusty noses." This was a misunderstanding of the first part of the word. However, the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma says that Bah-Kho-Je means "grey snow." This name comes from their winter homes. These homes were covered with snow that turned grey from fire smoke.

Is Chiwere Language Still Spoken?

Sadly, the last two people who spoke Chiwere fluently passed away in 1996. Now, only a few people can still speak it a little. All of them are older. This means Chiwere is a critically endangered language.

In 2006, it was thought that about four members of the Otoe–Missouria Tribe of Indians still spoke the language. Around 30 members of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma spoke their language. The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma has held language workshops in the past. They hope to have more in the future. They have given recording devices to tribal elders. This helps them collect Chiwere words and songs.

A grant from the NSF in 2012 helped make old recordings of fluent speakers available online. The Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians is also starting a language program. They are working with the University of Oklahoma Native American Studies Department.

How Does Chiwere Sound?

The Chiwere language has many different sounds. It has about 33 consonant sounds. It also has five regular vowel sounds and three nasal vowel sounds. Nasal vowels are like when you say "ng" in English, but with a vowel sound. The length of a vowel also matters in Chiwere.

How Does Chiwere Grammar Work?

Chiwere grammar is agglutinative. This means words are built by adding many small parts (called affixes) to a main word. These small parts change the meaning of the word. They can show things like where something is, who is doing the action, or if something belongs to someone. Because of this, a single long word in Chiwere can be a whole sentence in English!

Chiwere is different from English in other ways too. For example, men and women use slightly different ways of speaking. To ask a question, people use a special word called je. However, in everyday talk, this word is often left out. Also, in Chiwere, the order of words in a sentence is usually Subject-Object-Verb. In English, it's usually Subject-Verb-Object.

Building Chiwere Verbs

Verbs in Chiwere are very important. They are made by adding parts before and after the main verb. The parts added before the verb can show location, who is doing the action, or what tool is used. The main verb itself can be one, two, or many syllables long.

What are Positional Prefixes?

These are small parts added to the beginning of a verb. They tell you about the location or direction of the action.

• a- means on, upon, or over
• i- means at, to, or by
• u- means in, within, or into

What are Pronominal Prefixes?

These prefixes show who is doing the action (the subject) or who the action is happening to (the object). Chiwere has forms for "I/we" (first person), "you" (second person), and an "inclusive" form for "we" that includes the person you are talking to. English doesn't directly mark "he," "she," or "they" in the same way.

The "Wa-" Prefix

This prefix can mean "something." It is often added to verbs to make them into nouns. For example, it can turn a verb like "to cut" into "a cut thing."

The Reflexive Prefix "Ki-"

When you add "ki-" to a verb, it means the action is done to oneself. For example, "Uhákigisa" means "I helped myself." If you repeat it, "kiki-", it means people are doing something to each other. "Ukikisa ke" means "They helped each other."

Directional Prefixes

These three prefixes show where the action is going.

• wa- means the action moves away from a third place.
• gi- means the action moves towards a third place, like "to" or "for."
• gla- means the action goes back towards the person doing it. This is used for showing possession.

Instrumental Prefixes

There are nine different prefixes that show what tool or method is used for an action. For example:

• wa- means by pushing with the hand.
• ru-/ri- means by hand.
• na- means by using feet or a machine.
• ba- means by cutting.

The Causative Suffix "-Hi"

This suffix is added to the end of a verb. It means that the subject causes or makes something else happen.

How Do You Show Time (Tense)?

In Chiwere, there isn't a special way to mark present or past tense on the verb itself. You know if something happened in the past or present by using words like "yesterday" or "today." To show something will happen in the future, you add the word hnye after the verb.

Personal Pronouns

Chiwere is a "pro-drop language." This means that once you know who the subject of the sentence is, you don't have to keep saying it.

• "I" or "me": mi'e (singular), hi'e (inclusive "we")
• "You": ri'e
• "He/She/It/They": alé

How Do You Say "No"?

To make a statement negative (say "no"), you add the word skunyi after the verb.

Giving Commands

To tell someone to do something, you use the simple form of the verb. Then you add a special word that depends on if the speaker is male or female.

• le is used by male speakers.
• lé is used by female speakers.

Where Can You Learn Chiwere?

The Otoe–Missouria Tribe of Indians has an Otoe Language Program. They teach weekly classes in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Red Rock, Oklahoma.

See also

In Spanish: Idioma chiwere para niños