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Vocabulary
with some audio samples

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Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other

 

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In this section:

Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology
Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other

Language Section Index:

Spelling & Pronunciation  ||  Vocabulary  ||  Verbs
Interrogative words  ||  Commands  ||  Audio samples
A reservation conversation
 ||  Main page  ||  Español

Site index  ||  Main page  ||  Español

Please note that the audio samples are in mp3 format,
therefore you will need an mp3 player, such as
WinAmp.

Words without a visible accent are stressed on the second syllable.

Many thanks to Konstantin Hmelnitski for his kind collaboration.

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Man
Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other
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wichasha*
man
hokshila
boy
khoshkalaka
young man
wichah^cala
old man
wínyan*
woman
wichíncala
girl
wikhoshkalaka
young woman
winuh^cala
old woman
chincá
child
oyate
nation
thioshpaye
group that lives together
thiwáhe
family
até
father
ina
mother
thunkashila
grandfather
uncí
grandmother
chinkshi
son
chunkshi
daughter
mitháwichu ki
my wife
mihigna ki
my husband
chiyé
male's older brother
thibló
female's older brother
thanké
male's older sister
chuwé
female's older sister
thanhanshi
male to male cousin
hankashi
male to female cousin
shic'eshi
female to male cousin
céphanshi
female to female cousin
kholá**
male friend of a male
mashké**
female friend of a female
thóka****
enemy, stranger
hunka
adopted relative
wichasha wakhán
holy man
waphiye wichasha
medicine man
phejúta wichasha
male herbalist
phejúta winyela
medicine woman
lakhota
Indian, Sioux, Lakota
washichun
White man
ithanchan
chief
akichita
soldier
ohitika
brave
mitakuye oyas'in
all my relatives
olakhota, wólakhota
peace
ozuye, kichizapi
war, battle
iyokiphi
he is pleased
pilámaya ye
thank you
washté
good
lila washté
very good
hépela!
happy to see you!
washtélake niye
he/she likes it/her/him
chanté shicé
sorry (he is sad)
héchun shni ye!
don't do that!
Wakhán Thánka
The Great Spirit
wakhan***
energy, power
sichun
one's presence
naghí
soul

 

* Wichasha and winyan imply a position of honor. Winyan means a woman has achieved a good education, maturity and responsibility. The same is true for wichasha. A man is no longer hokshila (boy) and a woman is no longer wichincala (girl) when they exhibit these qualities. It also means that when you make a decision, you follow through with it. Traditionally, a young man or woman must reach this status before they marry or before they plan to start a family. The outcome of that marriage is the sole responsibility of these two individuals. They have no one to blame for failures but themselves because they are wichasha and winyan.

** The Elders say you are lucky to have one kholá in your lifetime. To acknowledge another man as a kholá is to commit to that individual for the rest of your life. Kholá and mashké commitments are just between the two people involved. These terms allow two people to share confidential information, and no one will pry into their personal matters. A kholá or a mashké will not reveal information about the other person, especially if it endangers the other.

*** Wakhan means "energy". It implies and teaches that Creation has the power to give life or to take it away. Christians understood this word to mean "something sacred". Anthropologists translated wakhan as "mystery".

— From "Reading and Writing the Lakota Language" by Albert White Hat Sr.

**** In the traditional form, before it became a biblical version, there was no word for enemy. In the biblical version of our language, there's a word that is said to mean enemy —thóka. But this word simply means a people who are different —that is, they have different ways.

— Gary Holy Bull, "Profiles of Healing - Lakota Yuwipi Man"

 

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Nature
Man  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other
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wétu
spring
bloketu
summer
ptanyetu
fall
waniyetu
winter
hínhanni
morning
anpétu
daytime
h^tayetu
evening
hanhepi
night
wiyohiyanpata
east
itokaghata
south
wiyoh^peyata
west
waziyata
north
makhá
soil, the earth
phéta
fire
thaté
wind
mni
water
mah^piya
sky, cloud
anpétu wi
sun
hanhepi wi
moon
wicháhpi
star
oblaye
prairie
pahá
hill
h^e
mountain
mágha
cultivated field
ble
lake
wakpa
river
ble tánka
ocean
wakpála
stream
ínyan
rock
ih^'e
stone
chan
tree, wood
hu
bush
magháju
rain
chu
dew
icamna
storm
wakinyan agli
thunderstorm
chágha
ice
wa
snow
wasú
hail
osní
cold weather
p'o
fog
shóta
smoke
omáshte
sunshine
okháta
hot weather

 

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Anatomy
Man  ||  Nature  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other
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thanchan
body
cheh^pi
flesh
ha
skin, hide
huhu
bone
we
blood
khan
sinew, nerve, vein
nasula
brain
pha
head, muzzle
nata
head
phehin
hair
hin
hair, fur
he
horn
ité
face
phóghe
nose
ishtá
eye(s)
núnghe
ear(s)
i
mouth
ho
voice
hi
tooth
wicháceji
tongue
istó
arm
ishpa
elbow
napé
hand
nab'okazunte
finger
hu
leg
chankpe
knee
si
foot
sipha
toe
chuwi
back
ikpi
belly
chanté
heart
chaghu
lungs
phi
liver
shupe
intestine
máma
breast
aze
teats
thamni
uterus
shan
vagina
susu, itka
testes
che
penis
asanpi
milk
phah^li
mucus
thaghe
saliva
hiyuye
semen
ishtamni
tears
unze
anus
léje
urine
chesli
feces
themni
sweat
khúje
sick
zan-níka
healthy
shíca
bad

 

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Botany
Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other
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wanah^ca
flower
wah^pe, ape
leaves
su
seed
huta
root
waptáye
weed
pheji
grass
wathó
vegetable
waskúyeca
fruit
blo
potato
wagmiza
corn
unjínjintka
tomato
pshin
onion
thaspán
apple
khánta
plum
chanpha
cherry
thaspán hinshmá
pear
wakhályapi
coffee
phejuta sápa
coffee beans
wah^pe khalyapi
tea
phejuta
medicine

 

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Zoology
Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers  ||  Other
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shúnka
dog
igmú
cat
shúnkawakhan
horse
shungmánitu thánka
wolf
shungmánitu
coyote
mathó
bear
shunghila
fox
phahin
porcupine
hokala
badger
mashtíncala
rabbit
chápa
beaver
maká
skunk
thathánka
buffalo
heh^aka
elk
tháh^ca
deer
thathokala
antelope, goat
igmú thánka
lion
hoghan
fish
zuzeca
snake
agléshka
lizard
pte
cow
khukhúshe
pig
cinshkáyapi
sheep
hithunkala
mouse
zintkala
bird
wanblí gleshka
spotted eagle
anunkhasan
bald eagle
h^uya
common eagle
hinhan
owl
chetán
hawk
khanghi
crow
magha
duck/goose
kimímila
butterfly
iktomi
spider
gnugnúshka
grasshopper
theh^mungha
bee
sinté
tail
bloká
male
wínyela
female
wamakhashkan
living being of the earth

 

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Activities
Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Numbers  ||  Other
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thípi
tipi, house
hóchoka
camp circle
othúnwahe
town
éyapaha
herald, crier
phahá
scalp
waphaha
warbonnet, headdress
wápaha
banner
chanwapaha
coup stick
itazipa
bow
wanhinkpe
arrow
wahachanka
shield
wahukheza
spear
máza
metal, iron
mázawakhan
gun
míla
knife
chanupa
pipe
chegnake
breechcloth
shina
robe, blanket
hunska
leggings
hánpa
moccasin
hayápi
garments
wíyaka
feather
wóska
quillwork
wakshupi
beadwork
janján
glass, bottle, jar
wakshica
dish
wíchaphe
fork
chinshka
spoon
chégha
kettle, pot, bucket
thaló
beef
pápa
dried meat
wasna
pemmican
wágnawotapi
table
oákan yanké
chair
oyúnke
bed
phetíjanjan
lamp
sni ognake
refrigerator
omás'ape
telephone
wakhangli
electricity
wóunspe omnaye
computer
ikhanchola
radio
wichiteowapi wóyaka
TV
iyéchinkínyanka
car
mázaska
money

 

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Numbers
Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Other
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wánci
one
núpa
two
yámni
three
tópa
four
záptan
five
shákpe
six
shakówin
seven
shaglóghan
eight
napcíyunka
nine
wikcémna
ten
aké wanji
eleven
aké núpa
twelve
aké yámni
thirteen
aké tópa
fourteen
aké záptan
fifteen
aké shákpe
sixteen
aké shakówin
seventeen
aké shaglóghan
eighteen
aké napcíyunka
nineteen
wikcémna núpa
twenty
wikcémna yámni
thirty
wikcémna tópa
fourty
wikcémna záptan
fifty
wikcémna shákpe
sixty
opáwinghe wanji
one hundred
opáwinghe núpa
two hundred
opáwinghe yámni
three hundred
opáwinghe tópa
four hundred
khoktópawínghe wanji
one thousand
khoktópawínghe núpa
two thousand
khoktópawínghe yámni
three thousand
wóyawa thánka
one million

 

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Other
Man  ||  Nature  ||  Anatomy  ||  Botany  ||  Zoology  ||  Activities  ||  Numbers
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han (w), hau (m)
yes
hiya
no
tanyán
well
ohan
ok, alright
kin
the
wan
a(n)
k'un
the aforesaid
líla
very
el
in, at, to (here)
ekta
in, at, to (there)
thima
inside, inside the house
thankal
outside
akanl
on, upon
le
this
he
that
héna
those
lel
here
hel
there
kal
over there
ka
yonder
h^tálehan
yesterday
anpetu kin le
today
hínhanni kin, hanhépi kin
tomorrow
ehánni
already, long ago
nahanh^ci
still
tóksha
later
óhinniyan
always
tóhanni shni
never
na
and
nainsh
or
cha
and consequently
k'éyash, tkhá
but
wanji
any
(k')eya
some, several
átaya
all
wanjini
none
tákuwe
why
ichin
that's why
yúnkhan
and lo
tóka he/hwo?
what's wrong?

 

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