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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Onondaga

We have included twenty basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

You can find a broader selection of Onondaga words in our online picture glossaries. If you would like to know a word that is not included in any of these wordlists, you can take part in our Native American words fundraiser, buy an Onondaga dictionary, or visit our main Onondaga site for more free resources.

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Onondaga Word Set

(Click here for pronunciation guide)

English (Français)	Onondaga
One (Un)	Sgá:dah
Two (Deux)	Dégnih
Three (Trois)	Áhsęh
Four (Quatre)	Gayí:h
Five (Cinq)	Hwíks
Man (Homme)	Hę:gweh
Woman (Femme)	Gųnų:gweh
Dog (Chien)	Jí:hah
Sun (Soleil)	Gáähgwa:'
Moon (Lune)	Ęhní'da'
Water (Eau)	Ohnéganos
White (Blanc)	Owähé'sda'
Yellow (Jaune)	Ojí'tgwa:'
Red (Rouge)	Otgwęhda:'
Black (Noir)	Oshwę'da'

Click here to see Onondaga vocabulary words compared to words in related Iroquoian languages: Iroquoian Indian Words

Onondaga Picture Dictionaries

Here are some themed Onondaga word lists we have put together and illustrated for language learners. Feel free to print them out for classroom purposes!

Onondaga animal words

Onondaga body parts

Onondaga color words

Additional Resources

   New York tribes
   American Indian myths
   Native American names
   Iroquoian languages

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