Wyandot language : Ask Biography

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Wyandot is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot, Wendat, or Huron. It was last spoken primarily in Oklahoma and Quebec. Wyandot essentially died out as a spoken language more than a century ago.

Contemporary Wyandot people are studying and promoting it as a second language. Anthropologist John Steckley was reported in 2007 as being "the sole speaker" (non-Native) of Wyandot.

In Wendake, the Yawenda language-revitalization project aims to keep the language alive with the help of linguists and anthropologists.

The language is written with the Latin alphabet, making use of two extra letters, θ for /tʰ/, and for /u/.

The Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf wrote his original lyrics for his Christmas hymn, "Huron Carol" in Wyandot in 1643.

Examples:

*Seten-Stop, used on road signs (with arrêt) in some Huron reserves, such as Wendake in Quebec.

*Skat-One

*Tindee-Two

*Shenk-Three

*Anduak-Four

*Weeish-Five

*Sandustee-Water