dakota

IPA/dəˈkəʊtə/
KK[dəkˈotə]IPA/dəˈkəʊtə/

dakota — noun

  • dakotasingular
  • dakotasplural

1. a group of Indigenous peoples whose traditional homeland lies across the norther

1.nounB2
Definition

a group of Indigenous peoples whose traditional homeland lies across the northern Great Plains, covering parts of the present-day US states and Canadian provinces in the upper Midwest, and who form one of the main divisions of the wider Sioux family.

Example

The Dakota were among the first nations to sign treaties with the US government.

collective: the Dakota + plural verb

Many Dakota families live today in communities across Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Manitoba.

collocation: Dakota communities

Common collocations
  • the Dakota
  • the Dakota people
  • Dakota nation
  • Dakota communities
  • Dakota culture
  • Dakota traditions
  • Dakota territory
Synonyms
  • Sioux

    broader term covering Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota; some Dakota consider this term outdated or inaccurate

  • Lakota

    a related but distinct group within the Sioux family; Lakota is the western division

  • Nakota

    another related division within the Sioux family, sometimes considered a dialect group

Grammar Patterns

the Dakota

the Dakota people / nation

Usage Note

When referring to the people as a whole, 'the Dakota' or 'the Dakota people' is preferred. Use a plural verb: 'the Dakota are…' Distinguish from sense 2 (a single individual) and sense 3 (the language). 'Sioux' is a broader term that includes the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota peoples, but many Dakota prefer their own name for their nation.

Common Mistakes

The Dakota has a rich history.
The Dakota have a rich history.
when talking about the people as a group, use a plural verb.
The Dakota tribe lives in one place.
The Dakota peoples have traditional territories across several states and provinces.
the Dakota are a nation with diverse communities, not a single small tribe.

2. a person who belongs to the Dakota group of Indigenous peoples.

2.nounB2
Definition

a person who belongs to the Dakota group of Indigenous peoples.

Example

Eli is a Dakota from the Sisseton Wahpeton community in South Dakota.

pattern: a Dakota + from [community]

The festival welcomed Dakota artists from reservations across the northern plains.

pattern: Dakota + [role noun]

Common collocations
  • a Dakota
  • Dakota elder
  • Dakota artist
  • Dakota writer
  • Dakota leader
  • Dakota family
Synonyms
  • Sioux

    broader term that includes Dakota people, but may not be preferred as a self-identifier

Grammar Patterns

a Dakota

Dakota + noun (person)

Usage Note

Can be used as a noun ('a Dakota', 'two Dakotas') or as an adjective before a role noun ('a Dakota artist', 'a Dakota elder'). The plural 'Dakotas' for individuals exists but is less common than 'Dakota people' for the group. Distinguish from sense 3 (the language): 'a Dakota' is a person; 'Dakota' alone is the language.

Common Mistakes

She is a Dakota person, she speaks Dakota.
She is Dakota, and she speaks the Dakota language.
to avoid confusion between person and language, use 'a Dakota' for the person and 'the Dakota language' for the speech.
He is a Dakota Indian.
He is Dakota.' or 'He is a Dakota person.
'Indian' can be inaccurate or offensive when referring to Indigenous peoples of North America; use 'Dakota', 'Dakota person', or 'member of the Dakota Nation'.

3. the Siouan language traditionally spoken by the Dakota people, now actively taug

3.nounC1
Definition

the Siouan language traditionally spoken by the Dakota people, now actively taught in community programmes and schools to keep it alive.

Example

Jin's grandmother still speaks Dakota fluently and helps write children's books in the language.

pattern: speak Dakota / in Dakota

The university now offers Dakota as a credit course for students interested in Indigenous languages.

collocation: offer / teach Dakota

Common collocations
  • speak Dakota
  • learn Dakota
  • teach Dakota
  • in Dakota
  • the Dakota language
  • Dakota speaker
  • Dakota word
Synonyms
  • Lakota

    a closely related Siouan language; Dakota and Lakota are dialects of a wider language continuum but are sometimes listed separately

Grammar Patterns

speak / learn Dakota

in Dakota

the Dakota language

Usage Note

Usually uncountable and used without an article: 'she speaks Dakota', not 'she speaks the Dakota'. However, 'the Dakota language' is common for clarity, especially in academic contexts. Dakota belongs to the Siouan language family and is closely related to Lakota.

Common Mistakes

She speaks a Dakota.
She speaks Dakota.
the language name does not take an article.
He is learning the Dakota.
He is learning Dakota.' or 'He is learning the Dakota language.
use 'Dakota' alone for the language, or 'the Dakota language' for clarity.

4. the former Dakota Territory (1861–1889) in the northwestern United States, which

4.nounB2
Definition

the former Dakota Territory (1861–1889) in the northwestern United States, which was divided in 1889 into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota.

Example

The Dakota Territory was created in 1861 from parts of the Nebraska and Minnesota territories.

proper noun: the Dakota Territory + singular verb

Thousands of European settlers moved into the Dakota Territory during the railroad boom of the 1870s.

Common collocations
  • the Dakota Territory
  • Dakota Territory was created
  • Dakota Territory was divided
  • Dakota Territory settlers

Grammar Patterns

the Dakota Territory

Dakota Territory (in titles)

Usage Note

Always capitalised as a proper noun. Use 'the Dakota Territory' with the definite article when referring to the historical entity. Distinguish from the modern states (North Dakota, South Dakota), which are separate political entities.

Common Mistakes

Dakota territory was formed in 1861.
The Dakota Territory was formed in 1861.
the historical territory takes a definite article and capital T.
South Dakota was part of the North Dakota Territory.
South Dakota was part of the Dakota Territory.
there was one Dakota Territory, not separate northern and southern territories.

Word family

  • Dakotan
    adjectiveC1
  • Dakotan
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four terms all relate to the same larger Indigenous family of the northern plains, but they differ in scope and preference. 'Dakota' is the name the people use for themselves, meaning 'ally' or 'friend' in their own language; it refers specifically to the eastern division of the Sioux peoples, whose traditional lands stretch from Minnesota into Manitoba. 'Sioux' is a broader term adopted from French (shortened from 'Nadouessioux') that covers the Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota together, but many Dakota people consider it inaccurate or prefer not to use it because of its colonial origin. 'Lakota' is the western division of the Sioux family, with a closely related but distinct dialect; Lakota and Dakota speakers can usually understand each other. 'Nakota' is a smaller division whose language is considered a dialect of the same continuum. So while a Lakota person and a Dakota person both belong to the larger Sioux family, referring to a Dakota person as 'Sioux' may miss the specific identity they value. A safe guide: use the name a community uses for itself.

Dakota ↗Sioux ↗Lakota ↗Nakota ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Dakota language
  • Dakota nation
  • Dakota people
  • Dakota culture
  • Dakota territory

Phrases

  • the Dakota Nation
  • Dakota language programme
  • Dakota cultural centre

Prepositions

  • among the Dakota
  • in Dakota
  • of the Dakota

Etymology

DakotaFrenchEnglish

The name 'Dakota' comes from the Dakota people's own word 'dakhóta', which means 'friend' or 'ally'. French explorers and traders adopted the name from the people themselves in the 17th and 18th centuries, and English speakers later took it from French. When the United States created the Dakota Territory in 1861, they named it after the people who had lived there for centuries. Later, the territory was split into two states, North Dakota and South Dakota, both carrying the same name.

First known use

1804

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1