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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Seneca

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 Seneca 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 Indian translations fundraiser, buy a Seneca dictionary, or visit our main Seneca language site for more free resources.

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Seneca Word Set

(Click here for pronunciation guide)

English (Français)	Seneca
One (Un)	Ska:t
Two (Deux)	Tekhni:h
Three (Trois)	Sëh
Four (Quatre)	Ke:ih
Five (Cinq)	Wis
Man (Homme)	Hökwe
Woman (Femme)	Yakökwe
Dog (Chien)	Ji:yäh (loanword from French)
Sun (Soleil)	Kä:hkwa:'
Moon (Lune)	Ë:ní'ta:'
Water (Eau)	O:ne:ka'
White (Blanc)	Kakë:'ët
Yellow (Jaune)	Jitkwä:'ë:'
Red (Rouge)	Tkwëhtä:'ë:'
Black (Noir)	Jë:sta'ë:'

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

Seneca Picture Dictionaries

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

Seneca animal words

Seneca color words

Additional Resources

   New York Native languages
   North American Indian myths and legends
   Native American names
   Iroquoian languages

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