kȟaŋǧí
The English word crow is translated into Lakota as kȟaŋǧí.
In Lakota, kȟaŋǧí refers to any bird belonging to the genus Corvus.
Meaning: any bird of the genus Corvus (noun)
Did you know?
- The phonetic roots of kȟaŋǧí suggest the word has been carried across the North American plains for millennia, evolving from the Proto-Mississippi-Valley root *hká·ɣi.
- The Lakota word kȟaŋǧí includes the character ǧ, which produces a sound like the 'g' in 'beige'. This soft, voiced sound is entirely absent from the standard English 'g' in 'go' or 'game'.
- The pronunciation of kȟaŋǧí involves a voiceless velar fricative, a sound that requires air to pass through the throat in a way that 'crow' does not.
Examples in context
- kȟaŋǧí tȟáŋka ye.The crow is big.
- kȟaŋǧí oká.The crow is black.
- kȟaŋǧí kwayu lila okȟá.The crow is very loud.
Example conversation
Glenda and Ronald are walking outside in the countryside.
- GlendaKȟaŋǧí waunčila waŋgláka.I see a crow over there.
- RonaldHóčha, kȟaŋǧí waunčila waŋgláka.Yes, I see a crow too.
- GlendaKȟaŋǧí waunčila waunčila waunčila!The crow is making a lot of noise!
- RonaldKȟaŋǧí waunčila wašté.The crow is interesting.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kȟaŋǧí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
