Pawnee language facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pawnee
Native to	United States
Region	North-central Oklahoma
Ethnicity	2,500 Pawnee (2007)
Native speakers	10  (2007)e18
Language family	Caddoan Northern Pawnee–Kitsai Pawnee languages Pawnee
Linguasphere	64-BAB-b
Pre-contact distribution of Pawnee
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The Pawnee language is a special language spoken by the Pawnee Native Americans. Today, most Pawnee people live in north-central Oklahoma. A long time ago, the Pawnee people lived along the Platte River in what is now Nebraska. The Pawnee language is part of the Caddoan language family.

Pawnee Language Dialects

The Pawnee language has two main ways of speaking, called dialects. These are the South Band dialect and the Skiri dialect. The main differences between them are in the sounds they use and the words they have. Think of it like different accents or word choices in English!

Saving the Pawnee Language

Before European settlers came to America, everyone in the Pawnee Nation spoke the Pawnee language. But today, only a small number of older people can speak it fluently. Many young people now speak English as their first language. This means the Pawnee language is in danger of disappearing. It is called an endangered language.

But there's good news! The Pawnee Nation is working hard to keep their language alive. As of 2007, they were creating special learning materials for high school students and adults. There are also many important documents about the language saved at the American Indian Studies Research Institute.

You can even hear the Pawnee language in the 2015 movie The Revenant. Also, in 2019 and 2020, the Pawnee Nation started posting videos online to teach the language. This helps more people learn and use Pawnee.

Pawnee Sounds (Phonology)

Every language has its own set of sounds. The Pawnee language has different sounds for its consonants and vowels.

Pawnee Consonants

The Pawnee language has eight main consonant sounds. Sometimes, there might be a ninth sound called a glottal stop, which is like the sound in the middle of "uh-oh."

Pawnee Vowels

Pawnee has four short vowel sounds and four long vowel sounds. This means some vowels are held for a shorter time, and others for a longer time, which can change the meaning of a word.

Pawnee Alphabet

The Pawnee alphabet helps people write and read the language. It has 9 consonant letters and 8 vowel letters. Many of these letters sound similar to their English counterparts, which can make it easier to learn!

Consonant Letters

Vowel Letters

Images for kids

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  Pre-contact distribution of Pawnee