Lakota Language

[Pohonasin Gentgeen]

does anyone out there either know the language and grammar or know where i can learn it???

[BPlenty]

Oglala Lakota College (OLC) in Kyle, SD put out a Lakota language course as did Sinte Gleska College in Rosebud. If you have specific questions on words, there are several of us here that may be able to help. Enit lngfthr?

[lngfthr]

Sure! What exactly are you lookin' for? There's some places on-line that have some basic words and phrases (of course, that don't tell you how to SAY them). Let us know what ya need!

[Mhiingan_kwe]

If you give me a day or two I could find you a dictionary or some help or something. The only thing I can tell you right now is there is a club of Lakhota Speakers that could help you at Yahoo. Go to clubs and search "Lakhota", it will bring up the club I'm talking about.

[Pohonasin Gentgeen]

thanks guys
im just looking for a basic dictionary-ish thingy (if that makes sense)
and a grammar thingy so i dont get the words in the wrong order

thanx again

[nik harvey]

i have also been interested in learning the launguage for some time now. one reason is tho help with my singing, and song knowlege, but mostly because i like the launguage. i need somethign that teaches phoneticly though, rather than gramaticly, i pick up on it better that way. help?

[Pohonasin Gentgeen]

the club site on yahoo has some really great stuff
i needed it for song writing
ive been writing in the delaware language (leni lenape) and decided to switch cause lakhota is more widely used and known

[BPlenty]

Originally posted by Pohonasin Gentgeen:
the club site on yahoo has some really great stuff
i needed it for song writing
ive been writing in the delaware language (leni lenape) and decided to switch cause lakhota is more widely used and known

I've got to say I would discourage you from writing songs in the Lakota language. Not necessarily because you're not Lakota, but because its a complex language and you need to understand it before you just start putting words together and making songs. I don't know how long you've been singing, but its a good idea to learn some songs before you start writing your own. Basically what I'm saying is, if you're gonna write songs, make them about something and not just the same old "dance, dance, dance" Wacipelo, potato chip, rock-n-roll songs many people are writing today because they don't know the language.

[Pohonasin Gentgeen]

welp, i know probably over 500 songs and have been singing for about 8 or 9 years (or thereabouts)
ive been writing songs in the leni lenape language for about a year, but so many people know absolutely none of it that i want to switch to lakhota- because its more used and understood

[WRen]

http://www.alliance2k.org/daklang/dakota9463.htm

...and this page will talk back to you too! It has lessons for Dakota, but the instructor also teaches Lakota at SDSU in Brookings. He may still have some Lakota lessons up if you look through the SDSU website.
-W
Found it: http://www.sdstate.edu/wdfl/http/lakota.html

[This message has been edited by WRen (edited November 16, 2000).]

[lngfthr]

I agree with BPlenty. It's one thing to want to learn a few phrases to say but it's completely another to write songs. Also, if you write and speak the Delaware language - don't stop! Teach others the translations instead. We need to see more diverse languages out there. The only reason everyone knows Lakota is because they've seen the translations somewhere or someone has taught them. You can teach others, too. I'm Lakota so I guess I can say this without flinching - don't just jump on the Lakota bandwagon! Promote the Delaware language and songs!!