Amerindian languages
First Nations of North America
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Assiniboine Indian Language (Nakota, Assiniboin)
Language: Assiniboine (known to its own speakers as Nakota or Nakoda) is a
Siouan language of the Northern Plains.
It is an agglutinative language
with SOV word order.
A second language, Stoney, is also known as
Nakoda and is closely related to Assiniboine, but people speaking the languages cannot understand each other
well, so despite their similarities, most linguists consider them separate languages, like French and Spanish.
Assiniboine is spoken today by about 200 people in Montana, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
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Names: The name Assiniboine comes from the tribe's name in the language of their Ojibwe neighbors,
Asiniibwaan, meaning "Stone Sioux." (This was probably a reference to their style of cooking food with
heated stones. The English name Stoney has the same origin.)
The people call themselves Nakota,
which means "the allies" in their own language. They have also been known by their name in the Dakota and Lakota
languages, Hohe, or by the English name
Fish-Eaters.
Alternate spellings of these names include Assiniboin, Assinaboin, Assinipwan, Assiniboins, Assinipwat, Asinepoet, Osinipoilles;
Nakoda, Nakona, Nakon, Nakhoda, Nakhóda, Nakhota, Nakhóta, Nakhona, Nakhóna; Stony or Stone Indians; and Hóhe.
Assiniboine Language
Assiniboine language samples and resources.
Assiniboine Tribe Culture and History
Information and links about the Assiniboine Indian community past and present.
Assiniboine Legends
Introduction to the mythology of the Assiniboines.
Assiniboine Indians Fact Sheet
Our answers for frequently asked questions about the Assiniboines, their language and culture.
Our Assiniboine Language Materials
Assiniboine Vocabulary:
Our list of vocabulary words in the Assiniboine language, with comparison to words in other Sioux languages.
Assiniboine Pronunciation Guide:
How to pronounce Assiniboine words.
Assiniboine Animal Words:
Illustrated glossary of animal words in Assiniboine/Nakota.
Assiniboine Body Parts:
Online and printable worksheets showing parts of the body in Assiniboine/Nakota.
Assiniboine Colors:
Worksheet showing color words in Assiniboine/Nakota.
Assiniboine Numbers:
Worksheet showing how to count in Assiniboine.
North Dakota Language Map: 
Montana Language Map
Tribal maps showing the areas where Assiniboine was traditionally spoken.
Assiniboine Dictionaries and Language Books for Sale
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Wiyuta Assiniboine Storytelling:
Wonderful CD-ROM of stories told in Nakota and Plains Indian Sign Talk, with English translation.
Beginning Nakoda:
A good language learning textbook for students of Nakoda.
Aaniiih and Nakoda Speeches:
Interesting book about Gros Ventre and Assiniboine oratory and ceremonial language.
Assiniboine Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions
Fort Belknap Nakota Greetings:
Audio greetings from the Montana reservation in male and female Assiniboine and Gros Ventre.
Northern Plains Dictionary Portal:
Online word lookups for the Assiniboine, Sioux, Pawnee, and Arikara languages.
Assiniboine/Nakota Language:
Assiniboine orthography and text example.
Assiniboine (Nakoda):
Profile of the Assiniboine language including a phonological inventory, orthography and a text.
A grammar of Assiniboine:
Linguistics thesis on Assiniboine syntax, which can be downloaded in PDF format.
Nakona Assiniboine:
Language learning video teaching Assiniboine words and also the Plains Sign Language gesture for each.
Curtis' Dakota Vocabulary:
1908 text comparing vocabulary in Teton (Lakota), Yanktonai (Dakota), and Assiniboine (Nakota.)
Assiniboine Language Tree:
Theories about Assiniboine's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota Sioux:
Article on the relationships between the different Siouan languages.
Literature and Texts in the Assiniboine Language
Assiniboine Narratives:
Collection of folklore and oral history in Assiniboine and English.
Wiyuta: Assiniboine Storytelling with Signs:
Assiniboine elder narrating a traditional story in Nakota.
Language Museum: Assiniboine: Assiniboine Prayers:
The Lord's Prayer translated into the Assiniboine language.
Assiniboin Words of Life:
Audio clips of Christian hymns and Bible passages in Assiniboine and English.
Assiniboine Language Preservation and Usage
Nakona and Dakota Revitalization:
Homepage of the Fort Peck language department, working to preserve the Sioux and Assiniboine languages.
Preserving and promoting Nakoda language in Saskatchewan High School:
Article about Nakoda language revival efforts in Canada.
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Links, References, and Additional Information
Assiniboine Bibliography: Endangered Languages Project: Assiniboine: Learning Assiniboine:
Reference lists of Assiniboine language resources.
Wikipedia: Assiniboine:
Wikipedia article on the Nakota Indian language.
Lengua Assiniboine: Langue Assiniboine:
Information about the Nakota language in Spanish and French.
Aaniiih and Nakoda Language Resources:
Language learning links from the Assiniboine-Gros Ventre tribal college.
Assiniboine Language:
Assiniboine links.
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