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The Arapaho language (also Arapahoe) language is a Plains Algonquian language (an areal rather than genetic grouping) spoken almost entirely by elders in Wyoming. The language, which is in great danger of becoming extinct, has diverged very significantly phonologically from its posited proto-language, Proto-Algonquian (Proto-Algonquian ', "bear," became Arapaho wox, and Proto-Algonquian ', "her husband," became Arapaho ííx).
Sounds
As mentioned above, the Plains Algonquian languages are phonologically very distinct from other Algonquian languages and from Proto-Algoquian.
Vowels
Arapaho has a series of four short vowels and four long vowels . It also contains three diphthongs, /ei/, , and /ie/.Consonants
The consonant inventory of Arapaho is given in the table below. /j/ is normally transcribed as| Labial | Dental | Alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | b | t | k | |||
| Affricate | ||||||
| Fricative | θ | s | x | h | ||
| Nasal | n | |||||
| Semivowel | w | j |
Gros Ventre (also known as Atsina), a divergent dialect of Arapaho, has three additional phonemes, , , and , and lacks the velar fricative /x/.
Prosody
Arapaho is a tonal language. Vowels can have a mid tone (unmarked), high tone (marked with an acute accent), or falling tone (marked with a circumflex).Grammar
External links
- Ethnologue Report for Arapaho
- The Arapaho Language
- Arapaho Language Archives, with many dialogues and narratives in Arapaho with glosses
- A Guide to Learning the Northern Arapaho Alphabet
- Heebe Boo'oobe'! - How to say "hello" in Arapaho
References
- Goddard, Ives. 1974. "An Outline of the Historical Phonology of Arapaho and Atsina." International Journal of American Linguistics 40:102-16.
- Mithun, Marianne. 1999. The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Indigenous languages of the North American Plains | Algonquian languages
"Arapaho language"