Documentation:RelLex/Dakota Online Dictionary - Beta
Dakota Online Dictionary - Beta
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Language Name
Dakota
Alternate Language Names
Dakhota, Dakhótiyapi, Dakȟótiyapi, Dakotah.
Region
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Montana, United States; Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Canada.
Who
The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute.
Others Involved
Jeff Ondich (Software Development).
Those involved with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute: Everett BlackThunder (Director); Janet Brown (Office Manager); Amanda Quinn, Leslie Neconish (Graphic Design); Kendra Hofland (Document/Recording Specialist); Spencer Wanna, Solomon "Harvey" Quinn, Gerald Thompson, Sr., Vine T. Marks, Sr., Beatrice Biddell, Patricia Gill-Eagle (Elders).
Publishing Information
This is a digital dictionary that does not display any launch or update dates. It is hosted by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute and was made in collaboration with Ultralingua, Inc.
How People are Cited
The software developer and publishing organizations are cited on the Info tab of the dictionary. A list of staff, including Elders, is given on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute's website. It is unclear whether those identified here worked specifically on this resource.
How Information is Cited
The previously published materials used to create this dictionary are listed on the Info tab. A list of Elders is given on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute's website. It is unclear whether these Elders worked specifically on this resource.
Where is Information Coming from
Information in this dictionary seems to come primarily from two previously published resources: John P. Williamson's An English-Dakota Dictionary (1902, reprinted in 1992) and the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute's English to Dakotah Dictionary (2015) compiled by Eric L. DuMarce.
A list of Elders is given on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute's website. It is unclear whether these Elders worked specifically on this resource.
Tools and Framework used
This dictionary is a website with a search function.
Access
This dictionary is open access.
Included Languages and Directionality
Dakota to English; English to Dakota. The search function operates in both directions.
Dialects Included
Information in this dictionary comes from Lake Traverse Reservation (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) and includes information from the eastern dialect of Dakota (i.e., Santee-Sisseton/Dakhóta).
One of the previously published works included in the dictionary's database, Williamson (1902), includes entries from the Yankton dialect as well as from Lakota (i.e., Teton). It is unclear whether these have been included in this digital database or if they have been marked.
Type of Dictionary
This is a bilingual, bidirectional web-based word list.
How are Entries Organised
The landing page of the dictionary is very minimal, containing only a search bar, a Home tab (which is the landing page), and an Info tab (which takes users to information about the dictionary's creation and search use). When users search for a word, entries are listed by relevance. If a user searches in English, entries are listed English to Dakota. If a user searches in Dakota, entries are listed Dakota to English. Entries are sorted into two categories based on which previously published material (Williamson 1902 or the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute 2015) the information was collected from.
Entries include the headword (in either English or Dakota) and the translation. If there is more than one word associated with the headword, they are numbered as subentries below the headword. All words, both headwords and translations, are hyperlinked. When clicked on, that word becomes the headword and all related translations are listed below. Clicking on a word that is already in a headword position moves that word to the most relevant position and reorganizes related entries accordingly.
Users can also search for numbers. Numerical entries only give the English and Dakota terms. These entries are not hyperlinked in any way nor are they sorted by publication as these haven't been added based on one of the previous publications.
Users can search in either English or Dakota, and the website will automatically detect which language the word is from. If it has detected the incorrect language, users can change the direction of their search using the button beside the search bar. Users also do not need to search the entire word or use the correct orthography. The search function has been programmed to provide the closest match possible with the least amount of information.
Other Features
| Feature | Included | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Guide to use and understand | ✅ | Under the Info tab, including a description of the search function |
| Audio | ❌ | |
| Images | ❌ | |
| Example phrases | ❌ | |
| Speakers marked | ❌ | |
| Dialects marked | Unknown | Mainly includes only one dialect, but multiple dialects are included in one of the previously published materials; unable to confirm whether these are marked in this digital database |
Other Notes
The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute focuses on creating language learning materials for their community. These materials include dictionaries/word lists, children's books, flash cards, and posters. These can be found on their website in the Mazopiya (Shop) sections.
This online dictionary is described as an early prototype, and the developer welcomes feedback and ideas for improvement.
External Links
Access the open access Dakota Online Dictionary - Beta hosted by the Sissteon-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute here: https://dictionary.swodli.com/index.html
Reference the English to Dakotah Dictionary (2015) on WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/title/936704504
Purchase the English to Dakotah Dictionary (2015) from the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute for $20 USD: https://www.swodli.com/shop/dakota-to-english-dictionary
The Sissteon-Wahpeton Oyate Dakotah Language Institute's home page: https://www.swodli.com/
Reference the 1992 version of An English-Dakota Dictionary on WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/title/26397355
Access the open access PDF of the 1902 version of An English-Dakota Dictionary from Hathi Trust: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.tz12ih&seq=2