Dakota Language - Dialects

Dialects

Dakota has two major dialects with two sub-dialects each (and minor variants, too):

1. Eastern Dakota (AKA Santee-Sisseton or Dakhóta)
   • Santee (Isáŋyáthi: Bdewákhatuŋwaŋ, Waȟpékhute)
   • Sisseton (Sisítuŋwaŋ, Waȟpétuŋwaŋ)
2. Western Dakota (AKA Yankton-Yanktonai or Dakȟóta, and erroneously classified, for a very long time, as “Nakota”)
   • Yankton (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋ)
   • Yanktonai (Iháŋktȟuŋwaŋna)
     • Upper Yanktonai (Wičhíyena)

The two dialects differ phonologically, grammatically, and to a large extent, also lexically. They are mutually intelligible to a high extent, although Western Dakota is lexically closer to the Lakota language with which it has higher mutual intelligibility.