These languages are spoken in North America mainly in the area called “The Great Plains” in central Canada (in the provinces of Alberta and Saskachewan) and in the U.S. (in the states of Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin).<\/p>\n
Siouan language speakers are members of “First Nations” in North America who inhabited the region long before Europeans arrived and before the creation of the United States and Canada. The Siouan language family is the second largest family of Amerindian languages in North America after the Algonquian family.<\/p>\n
Approximately 32,000 according to UNESCO (UN)<\/p>\n
Approximately 31,000 according to the site ethnologue.com (SIL)<\/p>\n
The Siouan language family currently has 8 living languages.<\/p>\n
Siouan Sub-family<\/span><\/p>\n Missouri Branch<\/p>\n Crow<\/strong> (alternate names: Apsaloka; Apsaroka; Upsaroka): 3500 speakers according to UNESCO and 4280 according to SIL<\/p>\n Hidatsa<\/strong> (alternate names: Minitari): 200 speakers according to UNESCO and 100 according to SIL<\/p>\n Mandan<\/strong>: less than 10 speakers according to UNESCO and SIL<\/p>\n Mississippi Branch<\/p>\n Dakotan Languages<\/p>\n Assiniboine <\/strong>(e): 250 speakers according to UNESCO and SIL<\/p>\n Siouan<\/strong>: 25,000 speakers according to UNESCO and SIL<\/p>\n Stoney <\/strong>(alternate name: Alberta Assiniboine): 2765 speakers according to UNESCO and from 1000 to 1500 according to SIL<\/p>\n Winnebago-Chiwere<\/p>\n Chiwere<\/strong>: extinct<\/p>\n Winnebago <\/strong>(alternate names: Hoc\u00e0k; Hochunk; Hocangara): 250 speakers according to UNESCO and SIL<\/p>\n Dheghiha Languages<\/p>\n Kansa<\/strong> (alternate names: Kaw, Osage): extinct<\/p>\n Omaha-Ponca<\/strong>: 50 speakers according to UNESCO and 80 according to SIL<\/p>\n Quapaw<\/strong> (alternate name: Arkansas): extinct<\/p>\n Southern Branch<\/p>\n Tulelo<\/strong> (alternate name: Saponey): extinct<\/p>\n Ofo-Biloxy Languages: extinct<\/p>\n Biloxi<\/strong><\/p>\n Ofog<\/strong> (alternate name: Ofogoula)<\/p>\n Catawban Sub-family<\/span>: extinct<\/p>\n Catawba<\/strong><\/p>\n Woccon<\/strong> (alternate names: Waccon; Wacon)<\/p>\n Here we follow the classification of Mithun (1999).<\/p>\n The three branches of the Siouan sub-family were identified long ago, but within these branches classifications vary depending on the author and the source.<\/p>\n The position of Mandan is uncertain. Because of many loans to Hidatsa and other languages of the Siouan sub-family, it is sometimes classified as a Missouri language. It is also sometimes classified as a language of the Mississippi branch. But given the absence of clear evidence, others consider it to simply be an isolate within the Siouan sub-family.<\/p>\n Within the Mississippi branch the three Dakotan languages were long regarded as dialects of one language, but this is no longer the case today. Finally, the Winnebago and Deghiha languages are close and are sometimes classified under a single group.<\/p>\n The two languages of the Catawbane sub-family were probably very close and some sources believe they were two dialects of one language.<\/p>\n There have been proposals to consolidate the Siouan languages together with Caddoan and Iroquoian languages under the name “Macro-Siouan\u201d. Such a combination is regarded today as purely hypothetical by the majority of the linguistic community and is therefore not utilized here. The Yuchi language isolate has sometimes been linked to the Siouan languages, and although viewed as promising the link it is not yet considered to be proven.<\/p>\n Yes. All languages of the Siouan Southern Branch and the Catawbane sub-family are extinct as well the Chiwere language (according to UNESCO). The Omaha-Ponca dialect group is the last surviving representative of the Dheghiha languages, but will also probably be extinct within a decade as there are only a few dozen elderly speakers remaining. Mandan is also very close to extinction, if not already extinct. Assiniboine is considered “Critically Endangered” by UNESCO, as are Hidatsa and Winnebago.<\/p>\n Stoney, Sioux, and Crow seem to be a little less at risk in the near future, but their long-term future is not assured.<\/p>\n Mithun, Marianne The languages of Native North America<\/em>. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. (1999).<\/p>\n Campbell, Lyle. American Indian languages: the historical linguistics of Native America<\/em>. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (1997)<\/p>\n Site devoted to American Indian languages:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.native-languages.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n Website of the Crow tribe<\/p>\nComments on the classification of Siouan languages:<\/h5>\n
Are Siouan languages in danger?<\/h5>\n
Sources:<\/h5>\n