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Blackfoot

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Oki!

 

Blackfoot is an Algonquian language spoken in Southern Alberta and Northern Montana.

 

Blackfoot language hasn't been "updated" to Siksika (sik(s)- 'black' + -ika 'foot') because the latter term is used only for the Blackfoot Reserve, while the language is of course also spoken by the more southernly Kainaa (Blood) and Peigan/Piegan.

Today the main dialects are S This site will provide a little information on its phonetics (physical aspects of Blackfoot speech), phonology (basic phonic units and how they are put together to create natural-sounding utterances in Blackfoot), morphology (internal structure of words), syntax (how sentences are formed), sociohistorical aspects, and a short lexicon.

For the most part this site was prepared by students of LING 505 at the University of Calgary in the Fall term of 2002, with the assistance of Mrs. Rachel Ermineskin, who is a fluent speaker of Blackfoot (Siksiká dialect).

The pages are currently under revision, and will be made available probably around April 2003.

Questions regarding this site should be addressed to the instructor for LING 505, Darin Howe (click "Home" above for contact information).

 

Phonetics

This refers to the physical aspects of Blackfoot speech.

Phonology

This refers to the part of grammar that determines what its basic phonic units are and how they are put together to create natural-sounding utterances in Blackfoot.

Morphology

This refers to the internal structure of words that can be broken down further into meaningful parts.

Syntax

This refers to the part of the grammar that determines how sentences are put together out of words.

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