Macro-Siouan languages

The Macro-Siouan languages are a proposed language family that includes the Siouan, Iroquoian, and Caddoan families. Most linguists remain unconvinced that these languages share a genetic relationship, and the existence of a Macro-Siouan language family remains a subject of debate.

Macro-Siouan
(controversial)
Geographic distribution	eastern North America
Linguistic classification	Proposed language family
Subdivisions	Siouan Yuchi Caddoan Iroquoian
Language codes
Glottolog	None
Pre-contact distribution of the proposed Macro-Siouan language family

In the 19th century, Robert Latham suggested that the Siouan languages are related to the Caddoan and Iroquoian languages. In 1931, Louis Allen presented the first list of systematic correspondences between a set of 25 lexical items in Siouan and Iroquoian. In the 1960s and 1970s, Wallace Chafe further explored the link between Siouan and Caddoan languages. In the 1990s, Marianne Mithun compared the morphology and syntax of all the three families. At present, the Macro-Siouan hypothesis based on relations among Siouan, Caddoan, and Iroquoian is not universally accepted as proven.^[1]

Vocabulary

Below is a comparison of selected basic vocabulary items in Proto-Siouan, Proto-Iroquoian, and Pawnee (a Caddoan language).

Abbreviations

• N = Proto-Northern Iroquoian

gloss	Proto-Siouan[2]	Proto-Iroquoian[3]	Pawnee[4]
head	*rą-išú·	*-hskʷ-	páksuʔ
hair	*rą·tų́	*-kiɁɹh-	úːsuʔ
eye	*ištá	N *-kahɹ-	kiríːkuʔ
ear	*rą́·tpa; *rąxu·-	N *-(a)hõht-
nose	*hpa-sú·	*-Ɂnjõːhs-	icúːsuʔ
tooth	*i-hí·; *í·h-Sa (?)	N *-noɁts-, *-noɁtsj-	áːruʔ
tongue	*i-ré·ši		háːtuʔ
mouth	*ʔí·he		háːkauʔ
hand	*rąpé > *i-rąpe; *ų́·ke (?)	*-oɁnj-	íksuʔ
foot	*i-sí	*-aːhs-, *-aːhsiɁt-	ásuʔ
breast	*á·si	*-nõɁt-	éːtuʔ
meat	*i-yó·		kísacki
blood	*(wa-)ʔí·(-re)	N *-nkõ-, *-nkʷẽhs-	páːtuʔ
bone	*wa-hú·(-re)	N *-Ɂnẽj-; *-hskẽɁɹ-	kíːsuʔ
person	*wą́·ke	N *-õkʷeh, *-õkʷehsɹ-, *-õkʷeɁt- (v.)	cáhriks
name	*yá·še	N *-hsẽn-
dog	*wašų́ke, *wi-šų́·ke	*kiːɹ	ásaːki
fish	*wi-hó·	*-tsjõɁt-	kacíːki
louse	*(w-)hé· < **(wa-)hé·
tree		N *kaɹhit, *keɹhit, *keɹhiɁ, *kɹaheːt, *kɹahit	rahaːpe
leaf	*á·pe	N *-nɹaht-	kuːtik
flower	*xyá; *xyéhe	N *-ẽh- (Iroquoia)
water	*yo; *wa-rį́·	*awẽɁ	kíːcuʔ
fire	*(wa-)hpé·te	*-tsiːɹ	keːkauʔ ‘flame’
stone	*(wa-)ʔį́·(-re); *rį́·sV; *į́-xʔe	*-nẽːj-	karítki
earth	*awą́·-	N *-õhwẽtsj-	huráːruʔ
salt		N *-tsikheɁt-
road	*yą́·ku	N *-ah-, *-(a)hah-	hatúːruʔ
eat	*rú·tE	*-k-	waːwa-a
die	*tʔé·(-re)	N *-ihej-	hurahac
I	*w-	*hskʷi (2:1.SG)	-t-
you	*yi·- ~ *yį·-	*kõː (1:2.SG); N *iːts	-s-