Cáuijògà

Kiowa

Kiowa-Tanoan

FamilyKiowa-Tanoan Speakers~50 (critically endangered) ScriptLatin CountriesUSA (Oklahoma) Official inNo (Kiowa Tribe federally recognized; Oklahoma recognizes 39 Indigenous languages) Vitalitycritically endangered ISO 639-3kio

Kiowa (Cáuijògà, "Kiowa speech") is the ancestral language of the Kiowa Nation, originally Plains-buffalo nomads who migrated south from western Montana to Oklahoma in the 18th century, becoming part of the southern Plains horse-warrior culture alongside Comanche and Cheyenne. The Kiowa-Tanoan language family is one of the most fascinating in North America: Kiowa is connected by genealogical relationship to the Tanoan Pueblo languages (Tewa, Tiwa, Towa) of the southwestern US, despite vast geographic separation. Linguistically, Kiowa has classic Tanoan features: tonal (3 tones), nasal vowels, complex verb morphology marking person-number-tense. The language is critically endangered with active revitalization through the Kiowa Tribal Cultural Department.

Where it is spoken

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87 core words in Kiowa

Water

thǫ́

tʰṍ

Fire

phí:

pʰíː

Sun

pái

pái

Moon

pʼɔ́:

pʼɔ́ː

Star

tą́:

tã́ː

Night

gį́dè:gyà

ɡĩ́dèːɡjà

Rain

sép

sép

Snow

tʼól

tʼól

Wind

gómgyá

ɡómɡjá

Earth

dɔ́m

dɔ́m

Mountain

kʼóp

kʼóp

Mother

tsɔ́:

tsɔ́ː

Father

tɔ́l

tɔ́l

I

nɔ́

nɔ́

You

ám

ám

We

nɔ́

nɔ́

Name

khɔ̨́:gyà

kʰɔ̃́ːɡjà

Eye

tá:dè

táːdè

Ear

tʼɔ́:dé

tʼɔ́ːdé

Nose

mɔ̀:kʼɔ̀n

mɔ̀ːkʼɔ̀n

Tooth

zǫ́:

zṍː

Tongue

dén

dén

Hand

mɔ́n

mɔ́n

Foot

ɔ̀nsôi

ɔ̀nsôi

Heart

thén

tʰén

Bone

thêm

tʰêm

Blood

ôm

ôm

Love

—

—

Tree

á:dɔ̀

áːdɔ̀

Dog

tségùn

tséɡùn

Cat

báò:

báòː

Fish

ɔ́:pį́

ɔ́ːpĩ́

Bird

tʼę̀:né

tʼẽ̀ːné

Egg

tʼą́y

tʼã́j

Bear

ɔ̀nhá:dè

ɔ̀nháːdè

House

tó:

tóː

Eat

pɔ́ttɔ̀

pɔ́ttɔ̀

Drink

thónmɔ̀

tʰónmɔ̀

One

pá:

páː

Two

yí:

jíː

Three

phą́:ò

pʰã́ːò

Four

yí:kyá

jíːkjá

Five

ɔ́ntʼɔ̀

ɔ́ntʼɔ̀

Hello

wé:

wéː

Thank you

àhô

àhô

Good

tʼá:gyà

tʼáːɡjà

Red

gúl

ɡúl

Sources

Words compared

Compared with languages in the same classification: Kiowa-Tanoan

Meaning KiowaAncient GreekNez PerceNavajoSukhothai ThaiTai DamVedic Sanskrit
Water thǫ́ /tʰṍ/ ὕδωρ /hýdɔːr/ kúus /kúːs/ tó /tʰó/ น้ำ /naːm/ ꪙꪾꫂ /nam˧˩ˀ/ आपः /áːpɐɦ/
Fire phí: /pʰíː/ πῦρ /pŷːr/ ʼáala /ʔáːla/ kǫʼ /kʰõ̀ʔ/ ไฟ /vaj/ ꪼꪡ /faj˥/ अग्निः /ɐɡníɦ/
Sun pái /pái/ ἥλιος /hɛ́ːlios/ híisemtuks /híːsemtuks/ jóhonaaʼéí /tʃóhònàːʔéí/ ตะวัน /tawan/ ꪔꪱꪹꪫꪸꪙ /taː˨ven˥/ सूर्यः /súːrjɐɦ/
Moon pʼɔ́: /pʼɔ́ː/ σελήνη /selɛ́ːnɛː/ cikʼetpemeyéeye híisemtuks /tsikʼetpemejéːje híːsemtuks/ tłʼéhonaaʼéí /tɬʼéhònɑ̀ːʔéí/ เดือน /ʔdɯːan/ ꪹꪚꪙ /bɯən˨/ चन्द्रमाः /tɕɐndrɐ́maːɦ/
Star tą́: /tã́ː/ ἀστήρ /astɛ̌ːr/ x̣icíyu /χitsíju/ sǫʼ /sõ̀ʔ/ ดาว /ʔdaːw/ ꪒꪱꪫ /daːw˨/ नक्षत्रम् /nɐ́kʂɐtrɐm/
Night gį́dè:gyà /ɡĩ́dèːɡjà/ νύξ /nýks/ cikʼéetin /tsikʼéːtin/ tłʼééʼ /tɬʼéːʔ/ คืน /kʰɯːn/ ꪁꪳꪙ /kɯn˥/ रात्री /ráːtriː/
Rain sép /sép/ ὑετός /hyetós/ — níłtsą́ /níɬtsã́/ — ꪶꪠꪙ /fon˨/ वृष्टि /ʋr̩ʂʈí/
Snow tʼól /tʼól/ χιών /kʰiɔ̌ːn/ méeqeʼ /méːqeʔ/ yas /jɑ̀s/ — — हिम /ɦímɐ/
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