A Concise Dictionary of Nakoda (Assiniboine)

Alternate Language Names

Assiniboin, Hohe, Nakota, Nakoda, Nakon, Nakona, Stoney.

Region

Saskatchewan, Canada; Montana, United States.

Who

Vincent Collette (Compiler), Wilma Kennedy (Speaker and Elder).

Others Involved

Nancy Eashappie (Stories); Tim Thornes (Editor); Ira McArthur (Foreword); Karen Buseman (Software Assistance); Pheasant Rump Nakoda First Nation, Mosaic Company, TransCanada, Oakland Industries (Funding).

Publishing Information

Published 2023 by the University of Nebraska Press in cooperation with the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas.

How People are Cited

Wilma Kennedy is cited on the cover, in the Foreword, and in the Introduction. Other contributors and supporters are cited in the Foreword and Introduction.

How Information is Cited

Wilma Kennedy is cited on the cover, in the Foreword, and in the Introduction. Previously published materials utilized in creating this dictionary are highlighted in the Introduction and listed in the References section.

Where is Information Coming from

Information in this dictionary primarily came from a small corpus of previously published materials that were then cross-checked and reviewed by Wilma Kennedy. Kennedy also provided stories, expressions, derivatives, and phrases during her time participating in Collette’s fieldwork. Another member of Pheasant Rump Nakoda First Nation, Nancy Eashappie, shared stories as well.

Tools and Framework used

This dictionary is available as a physical and digital book.

Access

Both versions of this dictionary are accessible through libraries. They are also available for purchase from the publisher for $85 USD.

Included Languages and Directionality

Assiniboine to English; English to Assiniboine.

Dialects Included

Information in this dictionary is mainly from the western dialect as the only fluent speaker consulted, Wilma Kennedy, was a speaker of the western dialect. However, language information from all dialects of Assiniboine have occasionally been included from previously published materials and other fieldwork conducted by the compiler. These are marked by community abbreviations within entries where they are included

Type of Dictionary

This is a bilingual, bidirectional dictionary.

How are Entries Organised

Entries are organized alphabetically by Assiniboine (as determined by the alphabet on pg. xxxi) in the Nakoda/English section and alphabetically by English in the English/Nakoda section. Entries contain the headword (in either Assiniboine or English), the word class, and a gloss/translation. Most entries also contain example phrases. Entries with two or more distinct but related meanings are indicated with numbers. Many verb entries contain the inflected form for first person singular, second person singular, and first person plural. Some verb entries also include derivative forms and alternative endings.

Prior to the dictionary, in the Introduction, there is information on the history of Assiniboine peoples, dialectical information, the current state of the language, the process of creating this dictionary, and a description of the orthography and sound system. There is a fair amount of grammatical information contained in the Key to Entries section that follows, organized based on word class, which also function as a guide to use the dictionary.

Other Features