Hopi Dictionary: Hopìikwa Lavàytutuveni facts for kids
| Author | Hopi Dictionary Project |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English and Hopi |
| Subject | Hopi language |
| Publisher | University of Arizona Press |
|
Publication date
|
1998 |
The Hopi Dictionary: Hopìikwa Lavàytutuveni is a special book. It helps people learn the Hopi language and understand it better. This dictionary was created by the Dictionary Project at the University of Arizona. It was published in 1998.
The Hopi language is spoken by the Hopi people, a Native American tribe. Some members of the Hopi community were worried about the dictionary. They felt their language was a very important part of their culture. They wanted to make sure it was used respectfully. After many talks and discussions, the dictionary was finally published.
Contents
What's Inside the Dictionary?
This dictionary is packed with useful information. It starts with an introduction and a guide on how to use it. There's also a list of abbreviations.
- The main part is a huge section that translates Hopi words into English. This part is almost 800 pages long!
- Next, there's an English-Hopi section. This helps you find Hopi words if you only know the English one.
- Finally, there's a short guide to Hopi grammar. This explains how the language works.
The dictionary has nearly 30,000 entries. This includes many main words and also cross-references. Cross-references help you find related words.
How the Dictionary Was Made
Before this dictionary, there wasn't a complete Hopi dictionary. Only smaller word lists existed. The Hopi Dictionary Project started in 1985 at the University of Arizona. At that time, fewer people were speaking Hopi. The project hoped the dictionary would help keep the language alive.
The Team Behind the Book
A linguist named Kenneth C. Hill led the project. A linguist is someone who studies languages. He helped get money for the project. Many people worked on the dictionary. These included:
- Emory Sekaquaptewa, a Hopi native speaker and teacher.
- Ekkehart Malotki, a professor who studied Hopi.
- Mary E. Black, a librarian and student of Hopi.
- Michael and Lorena Lomatuway'ma, who were also native Hopi speakers.
The team worked hard to make sure the dictionary was respectful. For example, they were careful about translating names of Kachinas. Kachinas are important spiritual figures in Hopi culture. They wanted to make sure the book was useful for everyone. This included both native speakers and language experts.
Community Support
To get help from the Hopi community, Emory Sekaquaptewa created a board of Hopi elders. These elders volunteered their time. They wanted to help make sure the Hopi language would continue to thrive.
The University of Arizona owned the copyright for the book. But all the money earned from sales went to the Hopi Foundation. This foundation helps improve education for the Hopi people. The dictionary took 10 years to create. It was finally ready for publishing in 1996.
What Happened After Publication
After the dictionary was published, it became very popular. Even the people who were worried at first started to value it. Many language experts also praised the book.
William Bright, an expert in languages, said it was one of the best dictionaries ever made for a Native American language. He even called it a model for future dictionaries. The Hopi Dictionary truly helped preserve and share the Hopi language.
