Dakota language facts for kids

Dakota (also called Dakhótiyapi or Dakȟótiyapi) is a special language spoken by the Dakota people. They are part of the larger Sioux tribes. This language is very similar to the Lakota language, and people who speak one can usually understand the other.

Sadly, the Dakota language is in danger of disappearing. In 2016, only about 290 people spoke it fluently. This is a very small number compared to the nearly 20,000 Dakota people in total. Many people are working hard to keep the language alive!

How Dakota Words Are Built

Dakota is a language where you can combine many small parts (called morphemes) to make one long word. Think of it like building with LEGOs: you add different pieces together to create something new.

Nouns: Names for Things

In Dakota, nouns (words for people, places, or things) can be simple or built from other words.

• Simple nouns are words that stand alone, like make (earth), peta (fire), or ate (father).
• Built-up nouns are made by adding small parts to verbs, adjectives, or even other nouns.

Verbs: Action Words

Dakota verbs (action words) can also change a lot by adding small parts to them. These parts can show who is doing the action (like "I," "you," or "he/she").

Just like in English, Dakota verbs have three "persons":

• First person: "I" or "we"
• Second person: "you"
• Third person: "he," "she," "it," or "they"

You show the person by adding or removing small parts from the verb. If there are no special parts, it usually means the third person.

Dakota also has two ways to show when something happens:

• Aorist (or indefinite) tense: This is for actions happening now or generally. You don't add anything special to the verb.
• Future tense: This is for actions that will happen later. You add the words kta or kte after the verb.

Showing What You Own

To show that something belongs to someone in Dakota, you add a special small word (a possessive pronoun) to the beginning of the noun.

There are two main ways to show possession:

• Natural possession: This is for things that are a part of you and can't be given away, like body parts or thoughts. For example, mi- means "my." So, miista means "my eye," and mioie means "my words."
• Artificial possession: This is for things you own that can be transferred or traded, like property. For example, ta- or ti- means "his" or "her." So, tinazipe means "his bow," and takodaku means "her friend."

How Dakota Sentences Are Put Together

Dakota sentences usually follow a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. This means the person or thing doing the action (the subject) comes first, then the person or thing receiving the action (the object), and finally the action word itself (the verb).

For example, in English, we say "I eat apples" (Subject-Verb-Object). In Dakota, it would be more like "I apples eat."

If there are two nouns in a sentence, the subject usually comes first. Verbs also usually come after words that describe nouns (adjectives) or words that describe verbs (adverbs).

Different Ways to Speak Dakota

The Dakota language has two main ways of speaking, called dialects. Each of these has two smaller sub-dialects. Even though they are different, people who speak one dialect can usually understand the others.

• Eastern Dakota (also known as Santee-Sisseton or Dakhóta)

* Santee (Isáŋyáthi: Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ, Waȟpékhute) * Sisseton (Sisíthuŋwaŋ, Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ)

• Western Dakota (also known as Yankton-Yanktonai or Dakȟóta/Dakhóta)

* Yankton (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ) * Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna) ** Upper Yanktonai (Wičhíyena)

The two main dialects sound a bit different, use some different words, and have small differences in their grammar. Western Dakota is actually more similar in words to the Lakota language than it is to Eastern Dakota.

Writing Dakota

To learn more about how the Sioux languages, including Dakota, are written, you can check out the section on writing systems in the Sioux language article.

Sounds of Dakota

Dakota has different sounds for its vowels and consonants.

Vowels

Dakota has five regular vowel sounds (like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u') and three nasal vowel sounds (where air comes out of your nose, like the 'on' in French 'bon').

Consonants

Here are the consonant sounds in Dakota:

Comparing the Dakota Dialects

The different Dakota dialects have some interesting differences in their sounds and words.

Sound Differences

One main difference is how consonant clusters (groups of consonants) are used. The table below shows some of these differences.

Another sound difference is how they say the "diminutive suffix" (a small ending added to a word to mean "little" or "small"). In Santee, it's -daŋ, but in Yankton-Yanktonai and Sisseton, it's -na.

Here are some examples of words that sound different in the dialects:

Word Differences

The dialects also use different words for some things. Interestingly, Yankton-Yanktonai uses more words that are similar to the Lakota language than to Santee-Sisseton.

Here are some examples of different words:

Grammar Differences

There are also small differences in grammar. For example, Yankton-Yanktonai and Lakota have three ways that vowel sounds can change in words (called ablaut grades), while Santee-Sisseton only has two. This makes a big difference in how words sound, especially when people speak quickly. It's another reason why Yankton-Yanktonai is easier for Lakota speakers to understand.

Here are some examples of these grammatical differences:

Learning Dakota: Keeping the Language Alive!

Many people are working hard to help more people learn and speak Dakota. This is called language revitalization.

Apps and Software for Learning Dakota

There used to be a "Dakota 1" app for iPhones and iPads. The Association on American Indian Affairs website also has lots of ways to learn Dakota, like CDs, DVDs, flashcards, and computer programs.

Books and Materials for Teaching Dakota

You can find a textbook called "Level 1 Speak Dakota!" from the Dakhóta Iápi Okhódakičhiye. This book was created by Dakota speakers, teachers, and language experts. It's the first Dakota language textbook with pictures that follows good teaching methods. They also have other learning materials on their website.