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Glite Dictionary
Dakota language

Dakota language

9.1
A Native American language spoken by the Dakota people in parts of North and South Dakota and nearby areas
  • noun
translation icon : idioma dakota
  • In the Dakota language, the plant was called pejehata zeze watapan—the spelling varies tremendously from one authority to another—which means "yellow medicine."

Examples

  • In Deloria's command of Dakota language and cultural behaviors, Franz Boas had found yet another female anthropologist, perhaps not one with academic degrees but one who offered a unique and emic explanation of Indian people.

    Academic text (2018)

  • She learned to speak Dakota language to better connect with her heritage and family.

  • The Dakota language is rich in history and is spoken by many Native American communities in the Midwest.

  • Many words in the Dakota language are difficult to translate into English due to their cultural significance.

Synonyms

Dakota
vsDakota language
9.3

A language spoken by the Dakota people in the United States Midwest

is described as centered in two specific states and nearby regions

Surface Forms

Dakota language singular
Dakota languages plural

Morphology

Dakota + language

The phrase simply combines a proper name 'Dakota' (the people/language name) with 'language' (a system of speech), so its meaning — the language of the Dakota people — is directly derivable from the constituents. This proper-noun + language compositional pattern is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.

Etymology

Dakota language comes from the name Dakota, which in the people's own speech means 'friends' or 'allies'. So it refers to the language spoken by the Dakota people.