Dictionary of Wyandot, a Northern Iroquois Language

FAIN: FN-255576-17

Craig Alexander Kopris
Unaffiliated Independent Scholar (Takoma Park, MD 20912-7123)

Research and analysis to produce a dictionary of Wyandot, a language of the Northern Iroquois.

Wyandot (Iroquoian) has both historical and linguistic significance in the United States. Historically, Wyandot speakers played important roles in the conflicts with the British in the Old Northwest, built settlements in Michigan, Ohio, Kansas, and Oklahoma, left place-names in those states and beyond, and founded the basis of Kansas City, Kansas. Linguistically, Wyandot is the dormant heritage language of three communities and of thousands living elsewhere. A dearth of quality accessible material impedes linguistic work and hinders community members in their active grassroots revival effort. The language is difficult to analyze, being strongly polysynthetic, fusional, incorporating, and rife with morphophonemic alternations. The objective of this project is to produce a modern Wyandot dictionary based on the PI's existing morpheme, vocabulary, and interlinear text databases, in development since the mid-1990s.