Sioux Language (mini dictionary)

Lakota(Sioux) Lexicon of Words and Concepts Lexicon: A A-ah! Watch out. agles'ka Lizard. agli to return. aguipi browned meat or food. ahunka coyote. akeeya repeat. akewancinyankin kte (or ktelo) until I see you. amba goodbye (informal) anapo to count coup. Ate Father (also Uncle) awi they. Lexicon: B blotan hunka war leaders or chiefs. Lexicon: C cahotska frost Canapegi Wi September (moon when leaves turn brown.) Canapekasna Wi October (moon when leaves fall.) canh'a turtle Canku Wakan Holy Road (the Oregon Trail.) Cannanpopa Wi February (moon of popping trees.) cansasa tobacco cansiyo prairie chicken canska red legged hawk cante don't canupa pipe ce manhood (penis) cetan hawk cha without Chaka dee Wapka The Powder River champah or chapa beaver chante heart chante ista the one eye of the heart chante sica sad heart (cante chante sica yaun sai ye - don't have a sad heart.) chikala little or small chun tree chun humpi ska sugar (literally translated as tree juice.) cikala Lakota wowaglake? Do you speak Lakota? cola or kola friend (colapi - friends.) cunka shield Lexicon: E esnella a loner ey-hee! alas! Lexicon: H Hahawokpa River of Canoes (Mississippi river.) halhate magpie hanblecheyapi vision quest (crying for a vision.) hanhepi-wi moon (literal translation is night sun.) Hanskaska Wolf society hau, hou or hao hello hayhahkah elk (bull - hehaka; cow - unpan) hecheto aloe It is finished hecheto welo It is done well, it is good heech owl hechinshkayapi mountain sheep hehaka elk or mouse Hehaka Wakpa Elk River (Yellowstone River.) hehoka contraries (Homosexual if sarcastic, holy significance if reverent) Heska the Shining Mountains (the Bighorn Mountains.) hetukhasan weasel heyah no heyoka clown hin (or han) yes hinhan owl hohe enemy hoka badger hokagica heron hoppo let us go hunka chosen Hunkapi The Making of Relatives Ceremony hunkayapi chosen relatives hunkaschila young men hunkeshne slow hupacansakala swallow (the bird) hupakigulake bat Lexicon: I i-g-mutanka mountain lion igmuhota or ig muguleza lynx (also wildcat or bobcat.) Ihoka Badger Society iktomi spider ina mother (Referencing Mother Earth) inska excuse me inyan stone lotancila I love you Ishna Ta Awi Cha Lowan Buffalo Ceremony (Preparing for Womanhood.) ishta she, female, girl isnati bleeding (menstruation.) isn tipi the alone lodge (where women went during menstruation.) itaytkahlah or tashnahecha chipmunk iyotake sitting Lexicon: J jialepa meadowlark jigala little Lexicon: K kaga demon kangi crow kangi tanka raven Kangi yha Crow Owners Society kapi story kiksuyapi remember kimimila butterfly kin this kokipa fear ksape knows or sees kte dead, killed kuwapi is chased by Lexicon: L le mita mine le mita cola my friend le mita pila my thanks leksi uncle (his mother's brothers.) lela very lela oosni very cold lochicha mink lowan to sing (or singer.) lowan henica? are you a singer? luta red Lexicon: M ma or maki mother maga goose magaksica duck magaska swan mahhapahskaychah martin mahpiya sky Mahpiyato the Arapaho (Blue Clouds.) mahpyua cloud Mahpyua Luta Red Cloud mahstinchala snowshoe rabbit mahstinshkah jack rabbit mahto bear (grizzly - mahto-shahkay hanska) Maka Earth Maka Blu Wakpa Shifting Sands River (Powder River.) maka mani to walk makah skunk Kake Ska White Earth River (White River of South Dakota.) mato bear maya owicha paka fate (literal translation - he who pushes you off the cliff.) mayugo I'm tired maza metal maza canku iron maza ska silver, white metal meeyahslaychalah or ma shlecha coyote meeyah chah kit fox micaje my name is mieyobo I am minne (or mni) waters minne sota many waters minne wakan holy water (usually used to describe whiskey) mita mine Mita kuye ayasin We are relatives (also Miataku Oyasin) Miwatini Owl Society Mnilusa Running Water river ( Niobrara river) Mnisose Muddy Water river ( Missouri river) moksins moccasins Lexicon: N na and nacacijin loyal, faithful nacha great, noble Nahan rei ni wayon heon I am still alive najin standing nakun known napin necklace Natan uskay! Attackers are coming! niyaha feather nunpi (or nunpa) two Lexicon: O ocheti seven ohan wear this ohinyan forever ohitka brave, courageous ohunka false, untrue oiowan song Okaga the Spirit of the south onikare sweat lodge Onjinjintka Wakpa Red Flower Creek (Rosebud Creek) oo-oohey it is time oosni cold opawinge one hundred opiaon smoke vent optate to choose otonwanhe village, town owa wound Lexicon: O (Continued) owa sicha bad wound owatamla straight tongue owotonna honest, straight Oyatenupa the Omaha tribe (the Two Circle People) ozuye warrior Lexicon: P Paha Sapa (sometimes Pa Sapa) The Black Hills paha mountain, butte pah-hi porcupine palamo thanks Pani the Pawnee Pankeska Wakpa Shell River (Platte river) papa dried buffalo meat (jerky) pehan crane Pehingnunipi May (moon of shredding ponies) Peji Sluta Greasy Grass pejula medicine pejula sapa coffee (literal translation - black medicine) pejula wacasa medicine man (sometimes pejuta wicasa) pesla bald peta stone pezuta wicasa herbalist (healer) pi - to use for pila mita my thanks pispinza prairie dog (the n is almost silent) Psatoka Crows (Absaroka) ptan otter pte buffalo (cow) ptecila small buffalo pteyahpa cowbird Lexicon: S sahungka gelah or shoghila red fox sapa black schila old shakowan council fires shah-y-ela those who speak a different tongue (the Lakota name for the Tsististas) shaychatungka wolverine sheo sage hen shinte or sinte tail Shinte Galeska Spotted Tail shunkaha wolf (somtimes shunktokecha or Shunkahmahneetu) Shunke Canku Iron Horse (i.e. train) shunke (or s'unka) dog shunke wakan horse (literal translation - holy or sacred dog) shunke-kan pinto sicha bad sinkpaylah muskrat sipawicayaska beetle ska white s'kipipi chickadee slol yapi the people sni negative, not sosa muddy sosho snake sota many Susuni Shoshone (or snake tribe) Lexicon: T to his tah moose tshcha deer tah chasala or tahheencha antelope (pronghorn) tahheenchala white tailed deer tahhenchala mule deer tahunsa cousin tajuska ant taku-skan spirit, living force tanagila humming bird tanka great, big, or bull tanke sister tannicala tusweca dragonfly tashina robe tashina pte buffalo robe Tashunke Witko Crazy Horse (A literal translation is His Dog is Enchanted but in this case the "wakan" is dropped from "horse" and people would still know the meaning.) tasina shawl, blanket tashnahhayhotah ground squirrel tatanka buffalo bull Tatanka lyotake Sitting Bull (his name is really Buffalo Bull Sitting) Tatanka Wapahun Buffalo Bull Society tinza power, strength Tioheynuka Wi January (moon of frost in the lodge) tipsila prairie turnip tiyospaye family group (band) to blue to (toh) a vigorous affirmative like "damn right." Tokala Kit Fox Society tokalu fox toniktuka hwo? How are you? tonkalla mouse tonwan spirit, bad spirit toskala woodpecker tuka but tunkaschila grandfather tunkes hot stones Lexicon: U Umi or Yum Whirlwind unchi grandmother Unshimalam ye oyate Have mercy on me Lexicon: W wabluska insects wacca pella stream wacekiyayo pray wachin ksapa yo listen to me - be attentive wachpanne poor, needy wacipi dance wackikun or waschichin white man wagachun cottonwoods Waga Wakpa Swimming Bird river ( Laramie river) waglesksun turkey waglula woodgrub or maggot wahi I come, I am coming wahinhayya gopher wakan holy, sacred Wakan Tanka Great Spirit wakikunza camp leader wakina thunder Wakincuzas pipe owners (village headmen or councilors) wakinyan thunder powers or lightning Wakinyan Tanka Thunderbird Wakpa river wakon-ya springs (where water is born) Wamanuncha Prince of Thieves (especially applied to Custer) wan surprise wana one or now wanagi ghost, spirit Wanagi Tacaku Spirit Path wanagitakimimila moth Wanagi Yata Place of Souls wanbli or anunkasan eagle Wanbli Galeska Spotted Eagle Wanbli Luta Red Eagle wanichi no good Wanicokan Wi December (midwinter moon) Waniyetu Wi November (winter moon) waniyetula winter waniyetula wowapi winter count wapiye medicine man (a curer with herbs only - no spiritual power) washtay or washte good was'te (pronounced wash-tay) greetings! wasichu or washitu bad medicine, white man wasin here wa'sin frog wasiyuta el unpi those who live among the whites - the loaf around the fort people wasna pemmican Wasutan Wi August (moon when all things ripen) wayo true Waziah Giant God of the North weecha or wichitigulegha raccoon Whope earth principle wi sun wicasa man wicasha an important man wicasha wakan a holy man, a visionary wicasha yatapika a shirtman wichashita chief Wickmunke Rainbow God (also a trap) wicksemna ten Wicokannanji Wi July (middle moon) winkte half man Wipazuka Waste Wi June (moon when the chokecherries ripen) witko or whte enchanted, magical, crazy Wiwanyag Wachipi Sun Dance wochangi power wonamayin mistake Wotawe Oglala buffalo society woya story Lexicon: Y yamina three Yanpa the Spirit of the east yaspapi the time of the bitten moon (first half of new moon, last half of old moon) yata place Yata the Spirit of the west. yeosh palay clans, tribes yunke-lo death yuwipi medicine man or healer Lexicon: Z zeecha squirrel (red) zintka birds zunta honest zuya warpath