Request to suggest some texts I could analyze

[LilianBo]

Dear All. I am trying to learn the Lakota language for myself because I love it, but also I am a linguist, and I would like to do some text analysis for a paper. Could anyone kindly suggest some text, or story, a narrative with dialogue that is rich in all the forms and cultural references that I could work on. Thank you very much. Any help will be of much importance. And appreciated. I speak basic Lakota but I would like an advanced text to analyze, at the same time learning the language.

[GnaskaGleska1]

Dear All. I am trying to learn the Lakota language for myself because I love it, but also I am a linguist, and I would like to do some text analysis for a paper. Could anyone kindly suggest some text, or story, a narrative with dialogue that is rich in all the forms and cultural references that I could work on. Thank you very much. Any help will be of much importance. And appreciated. I speak basic Lakota but I would like an advanced text to analyze, at the same time learning the language.

Hi Lilian

Although there is not much material available out there in Lakota language, the Dakota Texts by Ella Deloria should be exactly what you're looking for. It's a collection of 64 Lakota stories and legends, each of them written in Lakota alphabet, with a word after word analysis, and a final translation by Ella Deloria.
You can find it on Amazon :
https://www.amazon.fr/Dakota-Texts-Ella ... 080326660X

Hope this will help.
Caroline

[LilianBo]

Thank you. That will be a great pleasure. However, I think I need some texts in Lakota. Perhaps some study materials, textbooks with advanced language, and authentic dialogue could be found. If you have any further suggestions, I will really appreciate it. Thank you, Caroline. I have the Albert White Hat textbook, and another one, plus two dictionaries, and some short stories for children.

[GnaskaGleska1]

Thank you. That will be a great pleasure. However, I think I need some texts in Lakota. Perhaps some study materials, textbooks with advanced language, and authentic dialogue could be found. If you have any further suggestions, I will really appreciate it. Thank you, Caroline. I have the Albert White Hat textbook, and another one, plus two dictionaries, and some short stories for children.

Lilian, I believe you're thinking - because the Deloria's book I suggested to you is called "Dakota texts" - that they are written in Dakota, but they're not. They're all in pure Lakota language. I frankly, I think it quite fits your request.

Otherwise, like I said, you won't find much material yet. I could also propose for fun the videos of the Berenstain Bears in Lakota on youTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLWe ... xCHht4X2Kc
or here where you get the texts of the dialogues in Lakota and their translation: https://lakhotiyapi.wordpress.com/

But what I would highly recommend is the Lakota Grammar Handbook published by the Lakota Language Consortium and conceived by Ian Ullrich, the creator of this forum. It is a great book, very thorough and well organized. Each grammar topic is fully explained and followed by numerous exercises. Plus it's beautifully illustrated and all that makes it a wonderful learning device.

I had also started with Albert White Hat's book, but although you learn interesting facts about the culture, it's incomplete and Lekší Albert is not using the official Lakota orthography.
As for dictionaries, same thing. If you have the Buechel or the little Everyday Lakota, they contain mistakes and inaccuracies.
A good thing would be to acquire NLD-Pro that you can download on your computer.

Beside all that, I don't see what else I could suggest.
Good luck with your quest!
Caroline

[LilianBo]

Thank you so much. I will check all.

[LilianBo]

Hi. I bought the book. It is wonderful but the spelling system is older, I think. I also started watching the Berenstain Bears. Thank you again.

[GnaskaGleska1]

Hi. I bought the book. It is wonderful but the spelling system is older, I think. I also started watching the Berenstain Bears. Thank you again.

When you say "I bought the book", I suppose you're talking about the Dakota Texts. Well, yeah, you got the real thing there, with the original orthography. But you'll get used to it quite fast.
I'm glad I could be of some help.

Caroline