iná
The Lakota word for mother is iná.
The term iná refers to a female human who has given birth to or is parenting a child.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Did you know?
- Lakota uses an 'evidential' system in its grammar, meaning the way a speaker talks about iná can change depending on whether they saw her or heard about her from someone else.
- Lakota kinship terms are 'classificatory', meaning a child might call their mother's sister iná as well.
- In Lakota, the concept of 'mother' extends to 'Earth Mother', reflecting a spiritual belief that the land itself is a maternal provider.
Example sentences for Lakota are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Joyce is introducing her family to Wayne.
- JoyceIná wašté.This is my mother.
- WayneHáu, tȟuñkšila.Hello, ma'am.
- JoyceIná wašté kti.She is my mother.
- WayneTȟuñkšila wašté.She is a good woman.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries iná, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
