Onoñdaʼgegáʼ nigaweñoʼdeñʼ
Onondaga
Iroquoian (Northern, Five Nations)
Onondaga (Onoñda’gegá’; ISO 639-3: ono) is a Northern Iroquoian language of the Onondaga Nation, one of the nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and is used in central New York and at Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario. Around 50 fluent speakers remain, most of them elders, so the language is critically endangered, although community members are learning it as a second language. Onondaga is polysynthetic and verb-centered: verbs carry pronominal prefixes and aspect suffixes and may incorporate noun roots, while constituent order is comparatively flexible. Community Latin orthographies use apostrophes for glottal stops, ñ for nasalization, middle dots for vowel length, and acute accents for stress. The language remains central to ceremony, law, and public life; the Onondaga Nation opened a dedicated Language Center in 2011, and classes, recordings, dictionaries, and immersion work strengthen transmission.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Onondaga
Sources
- Woodbury, Hanni (2003), Onondaga-English/English-Onondaga Dictionary, University of Toronto Press; Woodbury, Hanni (2018), A Reference Grammar of the Onondaga Language, University of Toronto Press (both via en.wiktionary Onondaga lemmas)
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Iroquoian (Northern, Five Nations)
| Meaning | Onondaga | Cayuga | Mohawk | Oneida | Tuscarora | Koyukon | Wichita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ohnéganos /ohnéɡanos/ | ohneganóhs /ohneɡanóhs/ | ohné:kanos /ohnéːɡanos/ | one:kánus /oneːkánũs/ | awę: /awɛ̃ː/ | too /toː/ | kicʔa /kitsʔa/ |
| Fire | odékhaʼ /odékʰaʔ/ | odé:kaʼ /odéːkaʔ/ | otsénhaʼ /odzʌ̃́haʔ/ | o:tsísteʼ /oːdʒísteʔ/ | ujihst /udʒihst/ | kkonʼ /kːonʔ/ | heːcʔa /heːtsʔa/ |
| Sun | gaehʼkwa /ɡaehʔkwa/ | gá:gwa:ʼ /ɡáːɡwaːʔ/ | karáhkwa /karáhkwa/ | kalahkwaʼ /kalahkwaʔ/ | hęhts /hɛ̃hts/ | so /so/ | saːkhirʔa /saːkʰiɾʔa/ |
| Moon | gaehʼkwa enitha /ɡaehʔkwa enitha/ | ęhníʼda:ʼ /ẽhníʔdaːʔ/ | ehníta /ehˈniːta/ | wʌhní:taleʼ /wʌ̃hníːtaleʔ/ | hęhts uri:węh /hɛ̃hts uɾiːwɛ̃h/ | dołtʼolee /doɬtʼoliː/ | waːh /waːh/ |
| Star | otsistoʼgwaʼ /odʒistoʔɡwaʔ/ | ojihsǫ́:da:ʼ /odʒihsṍːdaːʔ/ | otsistohkwaʼ /otsistohkwaʔ/ | otsistóhkwaʼ /odʒistóhkwaʔ/ | utsíhstaʼ /utsíhstaʔ/ | tłoonʼ /tɬoːnʔ/ | hiːkwirikʔa /hiːkʷiɾikʔa/ |
| Night | ahsų́t /ahsṹt/ | ahsǫheh /ahsõheh/ | ahsútha /ahsṹtʰa/ | wahsutáti /wahsũtáti/ | ahthathu /ahθaθu/ | łida /ɬida/ | ckhaːrʔa /tskʰaːɾʔa/ |
| Snow | óʼgęʼ /óʔɡɛ̃ːʔ/ | oʼgraʼ /oʔɡraʔ/ | óniehte /ónjehte/ | onyʌ́hteʼ /onjʌ̃́hteʔ/ | — | tseetl /tsʰiːtɬʰ/ | hiraːʔa /hiɾaːʔa/ |
| Wind | ó·wæʼ /óːwæʔ/ | owá:deʼ /owáːdeʔ/ | óweraʼ /óweraʔ/ | owe:lá /oweːlá/ | — | — | niweʔeːrʔa /niweʔeːɾʔa/ |
| Mother | ekno:haʼ /eknoːhaʔ/ | knó:haʼ /knóːhaʔ/ | istá /istá/ | aknulha /aknulha/ | raknų:hak /ɾaknũːhak/ | eenaa /iːnaː/ | eciyeːh /etsijeːh/ |
| Father | hakʼno:haʼ /hakʔnoːhaʔ/ | haʼnih /haʔnih/ | rakeʼníha /rakeʔníha/ | — /—/ | rakhnih /ɾakhnih/ | eetaa /iːtaː/ | taːtah /taːtah/ |
| Daughter | khehá·wah /kʰeháːwah/ | kehá:wahk /keháːwahk/ | kheién:ʼa /kʰejẽ́ːʔa/ | kheyʌ́:ha /kʰejʌ̃́ːha/ | — | — | — |
| I | iʼ /iʔ/ | i:ʼ /iːʔ/ | í:ʼi /íːʔi/ | iʼí /iʔí/ | í:ʼ /iːʔ/ | see /siː/ | nacʔih /natsʔih/ |
| You | is /is/ | i:s /iːs/ | í:seʼ /íːseʔ/ | isé /isé/ | í:saʼ /iːsaʔ/ | nee /niː/ | nasʔih /nasʔih/ |
| We | iʼ /iʔ/ | i:ʼ /iːʔ/ | í:ʼi /íːʔi/ | iʼí /iʔí/ | í:ʼ /iːʔ/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Name | yaʼts /jaʔts/ | ga̱hsę́:naʼ /ɡḁhsɛ̃́ːnaʔ/ | kahsén:na /kahsʌ̃́ːna/ | ohsʌ:ná: /ohsʌ̃ːnáː/ | utshe:naʼ /utsʰeːnaʔ/ | oos /oːs/ | hissaːrʔa /hissaːɾʔa/ |
| Person | ų́·gweh /ṹːɡweh/ | ǫ́:gweh /ṍːɡweh/ | ón:kwe /ṹːɡwe/ | ukwé /ũkwé/ | — | dinaa /dinaː/ | ihaas /ihaas/ |
| Eye | oga:thaʼ /oɡaːtʰaʔ/ | ogáhaʼ /oɡáhaʔ/ | okà:raʼ /okaːraʔ/ | oká:laʼ /okáːlaʔ/ | ka:tæk /kaːtæk/ | -noghaʼ /noɣaʔ/ | kirikʔa /kiɾikʔa/ |
| Ear | ohų́hdaʼ /ohṹhdaʔ/ | — | ohónhtaʼ /ohṹhtaʔ/ | ohúhtaʼ /ohṹhtaʔ/ | — | — | — |
| Tooth | onóʼjaʼ /onóʔdʒaʔ/ | onóʼjaʼ /onóʔdʒaʔ/ | onáwiraʼ /onáwiraʔ/ | onawi:lá: /onawiːláː/ | uʼtuʼth /əʔtuʔθ/ | aghoʼ /axoʔ/ | aːkʔa /aːkʔa/ |
| Tongue | oʼnahsaʼ /oʔnahsaʔ/ | awę́ʼno̱hsaʼ /awɛ̃́ʔno̥hsaʔ/ | oʼnáhsaʼ /oʔnã́hsaʔ/ | oʼnáhsaʼ /oʔnáhsaʔ/ | uʼtahs /əʔtahs/ | łolaʼ /ɬolaʔ/ | hacʼa /hatsʔa/ |
| Hand | onénǫhsaʼ /onénõhsaʔ/ | ohsóhdaʼ /ohsóhdaʔ/ | ohtsà:na /ohtsaːna/ | osnúhsaʼ /osnṹhsaʔ/ | kéhskweh /kehskweh/ | -loʼ /loʔ/ | iskʔa /iskʔa/ |
| Foot | ohsiʼtaʼ /ohsiʔtaʔ/ | ohsiʼdaʼ /ohsiʔdaʔ/ | ohsì:taʼ /ohsìːtaʔ/ | ohsí:taʼ /ohsíːtaʔ/ | káhseh /kahseh/ | -kkaaʼ /kːaːʔ/ | asʔa /asʔa/ |
| Heart | awé:ri /awéːri/ | awę́yǫ̱hsaʼ /awɛ̃́jõ̥hsaʔ/ | awerì:ʼa /aweɾìːʔa/ | awelyá:ne /aweljáːne/ | kęhsaʼ /kɛ̃hsaʔ/ | -dzaayaʼ /tsæːjəʔ/ | sikicʔa /sikitsʔa/ |
| Bone | ostyęʼtaʼ /ostjɛ̃ʔtaʔ/ | ohsgyę́ʼda:ʼ /ohskjɛ̃́ʔdaːʔ/ | ohstyenʼ /ohstjʌ̃ʔ/ | ostyʌ́ʼtaʼ /ostjʌ̃́ʔtaʔ/ | uhskęʼręh /əhskə̃ʔrəh/ | tlʼin /tɬʼin/ | kiːsʔa /kiːsʔa/ |
| Blood | otkwęhsaʼ /otkwɛ̃hsaʔ/ | tkwęhsæʼ /tkwɛ̃hsaʔ/ | onekwénhsaʼ /oneɡwʌ̃́hsaʔ/ | onekwʌ́hsaʼ /onekwʌ̃́hsaʔ/ | tkwarhaʼ /tkwarhaʔ/ | lakona /lakona/ | waːckicʔa /waːtskitsʔa/ |
| Love | gaonihsdá:wę /ɡaonihsdáːwɛ̃/ | ganǫ́hkwahsraʼ /ɡanṍhkwahsraʔ/ | khenorónhkhwa /kʰenorṹhkʰwa/ | kanolukhwásla /kanolũkʰwásla/ | krunyę:tas /kɾuɲɛ̃ːtas/ | kʼoonejee /kʼooneʒeː/ | — /—/ |
| Tree | ga:endaʼ /ɡaːendaʔ/ | gra̱he:t /ɡrḁheːt/ | ó:kwire /óːkʷire/ | kalu:tóteʼ /kaluːtóteʔ/ | nyęt /ɲɛ̃t/ | kʼeyh /kʼejh/ | tiyaːhkw /tijaːhkʷ/ |
| Dog | só:wa:s /sóːwaːs/ | só:wa:s /sóːwaːs/ | érhar /érhar/ | é:lhal /éːlhal/ | čerʼ /tʃeɾʔ/ | łeek /ɬeːk/ | kiciyeːh /kitsijeːh/ |
| Cat | takó:s /takóːs/ | dagu:s /daɡuːs/ | takò:s /takoːs/ | takóhs /takóhs/ | takʼo:s /takʔoːs/ | dotonh /dotonh/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | ojoʼt /odʒoʔt/ | ojǫ́ʼdaʼ /odʒṍʔdaʔ/ | kéntsion /kʌ̃́tsjũ/ | kʌ́tsiʼ /kʌ̃́tsiʔ/ | itsh /itʃ/ | tookkʼa /toːkʼa/ | kaːcʔa /kaːtsʔa/ |
| Bird | ga·yoʼáh /ɡaːjoʔáh/ | jidę́:ʼęh /dʒidɛ̃́ːʔɛ̃h/ | otsiʼtén:ʼa /otsiʔtʌ̃́ːʔa/ | otsiʼtʌ́haʼ /odʒiʔtʌ̃́haʔ/ | — | — | ichir /itsʰiɾ/ |
| Egg | oʼnhų́hsaʼ /oʔnhṹhsaʔ/ | oʼnhǫ́hsaʼ /oʔnhṍhsaʔ/ | oʼnhónhsa /oʔnhṹhsa/ | oʼnhúhsaʼ /oʔnhṹhsaʔ/ | — | — | nikwiːkʔa /nikʷiːkʔa/ |
| Horse | gohsádę·s /ɡohsádɛ̃ːs/ | — | akohsá:tens /akohsáːtʌ̃s/ | kohsa:tʌ́s /kohsaːtʌ̃́s/ | — | — | — |
| House | ganǫhsoht /ɡanõhsoht/ | ganǫ́hsaʼ /ɡanṍhsaʔ/ | kanónhsaʼ /kanṹhsaʔ/ | kanúhsote /kanúhsote/ | kanéhseʼę /kanehseʔɛ̃/ | yah /jah/ | akhaːrʔa /akʰaːɾʔa/ |
| Eat | ekho:neʼ /ekʰoːneʔ/ | í:ge:s /íːɡeːs/ | kekhwa /kekʰwa/ | — /—/ | kré:nuʼ /kɾeːnuʔ/ | kʼahonh /kʼahonh/ | kaʔac /kaʔats/ |
| Drink | ehnega:iʼron /ehneɡaːiʔron/ | ga̱hnége̱haʼ /ɡḁhnéɡḁhaʔ/ | kahnek /kahnek/ | — /—/ | kré:hwiʼ /kɾeːhwiʔ/ | kʼisinoonh /kʼisinoːnh/ | kikʔa /kikʔa/ |
| One | sgá:da /skáːda/ | sgá:t /skáːt/ | énska /ʌ̃́ska/ | úskah /ṹskah/ | ę:cæ /ɛ̃ːtsæ/ | kʼeetakkʼee /kʼiːtakʼiː/ | chiʔass /tsʰiʔass/ |
| Two | dégni /déɡni/ | dekní: /dekníː/ | tékeni /téːɡeni/ | tékni /tékni/ | néʼkti /neʔkti/ | niteekkʼee /nitiːkʼiː/ | wic /wits/ |
| Three | áhsę /áhsɛ̃/ | ahsę́h /ahsɛ̃́h/ | áhsen /áhsʌ̃/ | áhsʌ /áhsʌ̃/ | áhsę /ahsɛ̃/ | tokkʼee /tokʼiː/ | taw /taw/ |
| Four | gayéi /ɡajéi/ | géi /ɡéi/ | kaié:ri /ɡajéːɾi/ | kayé /kajéː/ | hę́ʼtahk /hɛ̃ʔtahk/ | — | taːkwic /taːkʷits/ |
| Five | hwíks /hwíks/ | hwíhs /hwíhs/ | wísk /wísk/ | wísk /wísk/ | wísk /wisk/ | — | — |
| Hello | sgë:nǫʼ /skẽːnõʔ/ | sgę́:nǫʼ /skɛ̃́ːnõʔ/ | shé:kon /ʃéːkon/ | she:kú /sheːkú/ | skę:nu /skɛ̃ːnu/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | nya:węʼ /njaːwɛ̃ʔ/ | nya:węh /ɲaːwɛ̃h/ | niá:wen /niáːwen/ | ya:wʌ́ /jaːwʌ̃́/ | nyaʼwę: /ɲaʔwɛ̃ː/ | baaseeʼ /baːseːʔ/ | — /—/ |
| Good | oyá:nre /ojáːnre/ | oyá:nreʼ /ojáːnreʔ/ | ioiánere /jojánere/ | skʌ:nʌ́ /skʌ̃ːnʌ̃́/ | unę:tsweht /unɛ̃ːtsweht/ | nizoonh /nizoːnh/ | acs /atss/ |
| Red | otkwę́ʼtaʼ /otkwɛ̃́ʔtaʔ/ | otgwę́hji̱ʼa:ʼ /otɡwɛ̃́hdʒi̥ʔaːʔ/ | onekwènhtara /oneɡwʌ̃̀htara/ | onikwʌ́htalaʼ /onikwʌ̃́htalaʔ/ | utkwatar /utkwatar/ | nełtseeyh /neɬtseːjh/ | kwhaːc /kʷʰaːts/ |
| White | owę:héʼsdaʼ /owɛ̃ːhéʔstaʔ/ | gę́ʼgę: /ɡɛ̃́ʔɡɛ̃ː/ | karà:ken /kaɾaːken/ | owísklaʼ /owísklaʔ/ | — | — | — |
Page 1/6
Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.
Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home