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Pawnee Language

Spoken by the Pawnee Nation
Thanks to Gus Palmer, Jr. for helping me with this language.


Náwah Oklahoma!

[ˈnawah oklahoma]          (NAH-wahh Oklahoma!)

 


©2006 Benjamin Bruce. Some Rights Reserved.

 

 

Keeci ahriirikataa’iiwaatiusuuku cahrikspakuhtu tiruksuriiwaawikuuki rawa rihuksu atkuksu raku’u.  Rawa tiraturaa’iiwaatistarit cuski’it werikuciksuruuwaahac keeci ruraahe istu cuski’it tiratiiraciksuwitaksu.

The old people, those who were living before, they used to tell stories—now (it is) to be only a listener. Now this story I'm going to tell, I've forgotten a little (of it), but it's good again a little what I remember of it.


Source: Parks, Douglas R. 1976. A Grammar of Pawnee. New York/London: Garland Publishing. Accessed at the Rosetta Project.

Pawnee alphabet

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Velar Glottal
Stop p t k (’)
Affricate c
Fricative s h
Tap r
Approximant w

Vowels

Front Back
Close i u
Open-mid e a

Notes

  • Although not phonemic, the glottal stop (’) is included in the standard orthography.
  • Stress is indicated by an acute accent (´), e.g. útkasis [ˈutkʌsis], "quail".
  • Vocalic length is indicated by doubling the vowel, e.g. aáwit [ˈaːwi̘t], "east".
  • c is phonetically apico-alveaolar or lamino-palatal, and is always voiceless and unaspirated.
  • i, e, and u vary between tense and lax forms.
  • a is open-mid to low, back to central, and unrounded.

 


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