Documentation:RelLex/Omaha and Ponca Digital Dictionary
Omaha and Ponca Digital Dictionary
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Language Name
Omaha-Ponca.
Alternate Language Names
Umóⁿhoⁿ, Umonhon, Paⁿka.
Region
Nebraska and Oklahoma, United States.
Who
Mark Awakuni-Swetland, Catherine Rudin (Principal Investigators).
Others Involved
Katherine Walter, Brian Pytlik Zillig, Laura Weakly, Stacy Rickel, Karin Dalziel, Brent Baum (UNL Center for Digital Research in the Humanities Team); Justin Hathaway, David Nesheim, Jianguo Wang, Jacob Hilton (Student Workers); the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Institutional Support); Smithsonian Museum (Language Resources); National Endowment for the Humanities (Funding).
Publishing Information
This is an online dictionary and does not display a launch date. Initial research and funding for this project was from 2008 through 2011, so this dictionary was likely launched within or shortly after that time period. It does not display any update dates.
How People are Cited
People are cited in the Introduction and About pages of the website.
How Information is Cited
Previously documented language materials used to create this dictionary are cited in the Introduction and About pages of the website.
Where is Information Coming from
Information in this dictionary comes from the fieldwork notes by James Owen Dorsey, who collected the data in the late 1800s. The materials were handwritten index cards housed at the Smithsonian Institute which Awakuni-Swetland microfilmed in 1988. In 2008, the digitization of the microfilm began as well as the process of linguistic analysis, re-organization, and converting the data to a standard orthography. These digitized files are what creates this online dictionary.
Tools and Framework used
This dictionary is a website with a search function.
Access
This dictionary is open access.
Included Languages and Directionality
Omaha-Ponca to English; English to Omaha-Ponca. The search function operates in both directions.
Dialects Included
No dialect is specified for this dictionary.
Type of Dictionary
This is a bilingual, bidirectional word list.
How are Entries Organised
Entries can be accessed through two options: Browse or Search. Through the Browse function, entries are sorted by Omaha-Ponca word, by common English words, and by part of speech. Entries are alphabetized by Omaha-Ponca on the Browse by Omaha Word page according to the alphabet at the top of the page. Entries are alphabetized by English on the Browse by Common English Word page. Categories are alphabetized by English on the Browse by Part of Speech page. Categories include various word classes, such as active verb, adverb, conjunction, etc. Within each category, entries are alphabetized by Omaha-Ponca.
Entries include the head word in Omaha-Ponca, the English definition, the English gloss, and the image of the scanned index card from Dorsey's collection. Entries also include a hyperlink to the database view which shows users the word in Dorsey's orthography, the Macy Standard Orthography, the word class, information on the source, including a scanned image of the index card from Dorsey's collection, a note on when the entry was last modified, and comments on any problems that users have found/logged. The word class is not noted within entries, but it is marked on the entry before the head word is clicked on.
The dictionary can be searched by either English or Omaha-Ponca. The search function will find relevant information in any part of the entry, including both the Omaha-Ponca head word and the English definition and gloss. Entries found through the search function are listed alphabetically by Omaha-Ponca. Search results can be sorted by All Results, Words, Gloss, and Definitions.
Other Features
| Feature | Included | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Guide to use and understand | ❌ | |
| Audio | ❌ | However, the creators hope to include audio in later iterations of the project |
| Images | ❌ | However, photos of Dorsey's index cards are included in each entry |
| Example phrases | ❌ | As their own entries |
| Speakers marked | ❌ | |
| Dialects marked | ❌ | No dialect is specified |
Other Notes
The creators of the dictionary have designed the website so that new data can be uploaded as slips are processed. They also plan to add images, audio files, and supporting Omaha text for each entry, and they hope to work with Omaha and Ponca speakers to annotate and update the database. Users are invited to email the creators if they see any language or technological errors.
External Links
Access the open access Omaha and Ponca Digital Dictionary here: https://omahaponca.unl.edu/