Alphabet

 

A single letter can be a word.

 

Some Dak’ota vowels (a, e, i, o, u) are also words.  

“A” means “armpit.”

“I” means “mouth” as well as “to have gone to” or “to have been at.”

“O” means “to shoot.”

“U” means “come” or “coming.”

a

"a"

bother

a

b

same as english "b"

boy

b

c

"ch"

chocolate

c

c̣’

expolded "ch"

not in english

c’

d

same as english "d"

disk

d

e

 "ay"

prey

e

g

same as english "g"

get

g

ġ

gutteral "g"

not in english

g’

h

same as english "h"

happy

h

soft "hh"

Bach

h’

i

 "ee"

machine

i

k

soft "k"

sky

k

aspirated "k"

kite

k’

ḳ’

exploded "k"

not in english

k’

m

same as english "m"

mad

m

n

same as english "n"

note

n

ƞ

signifies a nasal sound

only with vowels the a, i and u

n’

o

"o"

toe

o

p

soft "p"

spool

p

aspirated "p"

pop

p’

p̣'

exploded "p"

not in english

p’

s

same as english "s"

song

s

"sh"

shirt

s’

t

soft "t"

stay

t

aspirated "t"

tape

t’

ṭ’

exploded "t"

not in english

t’

u

"oo"

school 

u

w

same as english "w"

water

w

y

"y"

yes

y

z

"z"

zebra

z

ż

"z"

azure

z’