Chiwere is a Siouan language formerly spoken in parts of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas in the USA. It is also known as or Iowa-Otoe-Missouria and is closely related to Ho-Chunk (Winnebago).
Chiwere was first documented in the 1830s by Christian missionaries. Since then little has been written about the language.
The last two fluent speakers of Chiwere died in 1996, and only four elderly semi-fluent speakers remained by 2006. Efforts are being made to record and revive the language.
Hán we thréje chin dóiñe náhùje gigéjeñe ke. Ñík^é hédan pi ^un ñe ke. Chí aháda^iñe iyán ki ^un ñe ke. Máwagik^e ída jína hán we thréje wawágaxe ^un ke. Ná-gíxe hédan náhùje hédan bróge dasénawahiñe ke. Máhak^òje k^áñe ke. Madhéiñe ristójeñe ke. Nóbrahge th^ídawère madhéiñe arás^ogeñe ke. Bímàsi hin wárujewi ke. Chí é^san bróge rujígeñe ke. Bígùn dhe thátan gi hin gúwi ke. Gasún wá^un bróge rustán ñe hñe ke. Úta han wegi wá^un ñe ke.
MañíHú. Mejíraje. 1936.
All day long, the boys have been digging stumps. They also fixed the well. They built an outhouse. The government farmer came over there and wrote all day long. They have also been burning the brushwood and stumps. They have been digging a pit. They have been pulling nails. The old boards, had a lot of
nails in (them). At noon we ate. They raked all around the house/hall. At five o’clock we started back (home). They are about all finished working. Some (of them) worked today.
Comes Walking (From Creation), Robert Small. Wolf Clan. Near Perkins, Okla. 1936.
Alphabet and sample text supplied by Michael Peter Füstumum
Information about the Chiwere language
Page last modified: 23.04.21
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