Osage is a Western Siouan language spoken in northern Oklahoma in the USA. The last native speaker of Osage, Lucille Roubedeaux, died in 2005, however since 2003 The Osage Nation has been working to revive and revitalise the language. There are a small number of elderly second languge speakers of Osage, and about 300 people who are learning the language.
Historically Osage was spoken in parts of Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas. The Osage tribe was moved to Oklahoma in 1872. The number of Osage declined significantly during the 20th century.
Osage is written mainly with the Latin alphabet. A new alphabet for Osage was created in 2006 (more details) .
Download an alphabet chart for Osage (Excel)
Iciko tąka wį aðe apa—kaxa kši aðe apa, opxa. wec’a wį iðape. wac’a akxa “Kotaha maðį,” akxa. Iciko tąka apa, “ðie ðie kotaha maðį winąsta tə̨ mįkše,” Iciko tąka aoa ekie apa. wec’a apa, “Ąðanąsta aha wibraɣtake tə̨ mikše.” Iciko tąka apa, “Ąðaɣtake etą apa tą nąstape.” wanąstape aha ðe, wec’a apa ðaɣtakape siðece. ðaɣtakape aha, Iciko tąka apa aðape tą, žą į eci ce eci siðįkape. Lį akɣa tą, si ce broka ipa akɣa. Iciko tąka akɣa, “Oo ąšį wali mįkše!” akɣa. Lį šǫ akɣa c’e hįkše apa tą c’ape iciko tąka apa. Broka žuika broka ipape tą c’ape.
See this text in the Osage script
An Old Man was going - he was going following a creek. He saw a Snake. The Snake said, "Walk over there." The Old Man said, "You, you walk over there. I'm going to kick you," the Old Man told him. The Snake said, "When you kick me, I will bite you." The Old Man said, "Then bite me," and he kicked him. When he kicked, this snake bit him on the heel. When he bit him, the Old Man went on, and at a tree, he sat down there. As he sat, his whole foot was swelling. The Old Man said, "Oo, I'm getting fat!" As he kept sitting, they say he was dying, and the Old Man died. His whole body was swelled up and he was dead.
Source: Final proposal to encode the Osage script in the UCS
Information about the Osage language | Osage script | Numbers
Information about the Osage language and alphabet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osage_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osage_(langue)
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/osa
http://www.native-languages.org/osage_guide.htm
https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/who-we-are/language-department
Osage dictionaies
https://www.osageculture.com/language/dictionary
https://www.webonary.org/osage/
Assiniboine, Biloxi, Chiwere, Crow, Dakota, Hidatsa, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Lakota, Mandan, Omaha, Osage, Quapaw, Stoney, Tutelo
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 11.06.25
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