Winnebago / Ho-Chunk (Hoocąk / Hocąk)
Winnebago, or Ho-Chunk, is a Siouan language spoken in parts of
Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Illinois and Minnesota in
the USA. According to the 2000 census there are 1,650 Ho-chunk people,
and there are thought to be 100 speakers of Ho-chunk. The language
is also known as Hocak Wazijaci, Hochank or Hochunk.
The Ho-Chunk speakers call themselves Hotcągara.
Speakers of this language in Nebraska call themselves Winnebago and
are recognised as a separate tribe. The name Winnebago comes from
the Sauk and Fox word Oinepegi and means something like
"filthy/fetid water" [source].
The Ho-Chunk alphabet
The Ho-Chunk, or Winnebago, alphabet was adapted from the Fox
syllabary, which was invented in the 1870s. The first row of Latin
letters are those used by the Hocąk Wazijaci Haci Language and
Culture Program, those in the second row are used by Paul Radin.
Latin alphabet for Ho-Chunk (Hocąk Wowagaz)
This alphabet was adopted as the official writing system of the Ho-Chunk
Nation in July 1994.
Source: http://www.hocak.info
Download an alphabet chart for Ho-Chunk (Excel)
Sample text in Ho-Chunk (The Lord's Prayer)
- Egi deshesge gikarajra wawiaje: Hianjniwira wangregi shanagre
rash hashinira wakanjank-ningigirekjena.
- Hungma hashinira hiraijikjawina, woshga hashinira manegi uinekjena
wangregi jasge hinankhi shesge manegi hirekjena.
- Hamb de-e waisgabduj harniwira hunkuwianje ningikarajwina.
- Egi washa woishana warniwira waigit´unawire, washa hingishana
warniwira wagit´untawira shesge.
- Egi inke washa woishana uwahieja hunutiwinina, eshi wowonkjega
eja hingijirawige khishibwiwine. Hungmara Ne-hashinigaja egi homashjara
Ne-hashinigaja, egi hoishagra Ne-hashinigaja manegusra, Amen.
Source: http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-hocak.html
Information about Ho-Chunk / Winnebago |
Tower of Babel
Links
Information about the Winnebago language
http://hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.GatschetHotchankHit'e.html
The Encyclopedia of Hotcąk Mythology - information about the Hotcąk
people and language: http://hotcakencyclopedia.com
Websites of the Ho-chunk (Hotcąk) Nation
http://www.ho-chunk.com
http://www.ho-chunknation.com
Hocak Worak - Newsletter of the Ho-Chunk Nation (in English)
http://www.hocakworak.com
Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
http://www.winnebagotribe.com
Siouan languages
Assiniboine,
Biloxi,
Chiwere,
Crow,
Dakota,
Hidatsa,
Lakota,
Mandan,
Omaha,
Osage,
Quapaw,
Stoney,
Tutelo,
Winnebago / Ho-Chunk
Other languages written with the Latin alphabet
If you need to type in many different languages, the Q International Keyboard can help. It enables you to type almost any language that uses the Latin, Cyrillic or Greek alphabets, and is free.
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