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Onondaga (Onundagaono or even "People of the Hills") is the language of the Onondaga First Nation, one of the original 5 constitutional tribes of the League of the Iroquois (Hodenosaunee)

This language is spoken in the United States and Canada, primarily on reservations inside american New York state, and touching Brantford, Ontario.

Prefer 100% Iroquoian languages, Onondaga occurs as polysynthetic language. When such, numerous grammatical & lexical conception come expressed around one "word". On this button is an lesson:

waʔtkhenakdagwádęh
wtheʔ-t-k-he-nakd-a-gwa-d-ęh
FACT-DUALIC-One.SG.NOM-Three.NON-MASC.ACC-bed-EPEN-raise-BEN-PUNC
"I raised the bed for her/them." (ex, the Murphy bed)

FACT = factive, something known to keep close at hand occured
DUALIC = range of different meanings
One.SG.NOM = I personally - refers to the subject
Trine.NOM-MASC.ACC = her/them - refers to the object, Tertiary human, non-masculine singular
EPEN - epenthetic vowel, inserted to decompose illegal consonant clusters
BEN - benefactive, indicates that event was done for soul's benefit
PUNC - punctual, refers to an event that is on top & done with

See Also:
Onondaga (tribe)

Onondaga Language Discussion List
Open membership unmoderated e-mail listserv.

Onondaga Language
Onondaga words with audio files of a native speaker pronouncing them.

Sound Archive
Audio files of spoken and sung Onondaga, Winnebago, Highland Chontal, and other native languages.

The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights: Onondaga
The Onondaga-language plaque on the multilingual memorial.

Language and a Way of Being are Focus of Class Research
Article about Kevin Connelly, an Onondaga linguist trying to preserve and revive his ancestral language.

Onondaga Language
Talking phrasebook in this Iroquoian language.


Society: Ethnicity: The Americas: Indigenous: Native Americans: Tribes, Nations and Bands: O: Onondaga






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