Alternate Names: Sioux
Dialects: Dakota (Dakhota, Santee, Santee-Sisseton), Nakota (Nakoda, Yankton, Yankton-Yanktonais). Lexical similarity: 83%–86% with Stoney ,, 89%–94% with Assiniboine ,, 90%–95% with dialects.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 18,800 in United States (2010 census), decreasing. 25,000 L1 speakers of all Sioux dialects in a total population of 103,000 (Golla 2007). Population total all countries: 20,460. 31 monolinguals (1990 census). Ethnic population: 20,500 (2000 census).
Language Use: Most youth prefer English [eng] or do not speak the language. Teaching programs at every level, preschool through university (Golla 2007). Few children (1998).
Language Development: Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1879.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: United States