Editing Sioux language (section)

==Structure==

=== Phonology ===

See [[Lakota language#Phonology|Lakota language – Phonology]] and [[Dakota language#Phonology|Dakota language – Phonology]].

===Morphology===
Dakota is an agglutinating language. It features suffixes, prefixes, and infixes. Each affix has a specific rule in Dakota. For example, the suffix –pi is added to the verb to mark the plurality of an animate subject.<ref name="Shaw1980">{{cite book |last1=Shaw |first1=P.A. |title=Theoretical issues in Dakota phonology and morphology |date=1980 |publisher=Garland Publishing, Inc. |location=New York |page=10}}</ref> "With respect to number agreement for objects, only animate objects are marked, and these by the verbal prefix wicha-."{{Sfn|Shaw|1980|p=11}} Also, there is no gender agreement in Dakota.

Example of the use of ''–pi'':{{Sfn|Shaw|1980|p=12}}

{{interlinear|indent=3
|ma-khata
|I-hot
|"I am hot"}}

{{interlinear|indent=3
|khata-pi
|{{no gloss|0}}-hot-PL
|"they are hot"}}

Example of the use of ''wicha-''

{{interlinear|indent=3
|wa-kte
|{{no gloss|0}}-I-kill
|"I kill him"}}

{{interlinear|indent=3
|wicha-wa-kte
|them-I-kill
|"I kill them"}}

Infixes are rare in Dakota, but do exist when a statement features predicates requiring two "patients".

Example of infixing:

{{interlinear|indent=3
|iye-checa → iye-ni-ma-checa
|{to resemble} {} {I resemble you}
|"you resemble me"}}

{{interlinear|indent=3
|iskola → i-ni-ma-skola
|{be as small as} {} {I am as small as you}
|"you are as small as I"}}

===Syntax===
Dakota has subject/object/ verb (SOV) word order. Along the same line, the language also has postpositions.
Examples of word order:<ref name="Shaw1980"/>

{{interlinear|indent=3
|wichasta-g {wax aksica-g} kte
|man-DET bear-DET kill
|"the man killed the bear"}}

{{interlinear|indent=3
|{wax aksicas-g} wichasta-g kte
|bear-DET man-DET kill
|"the bear killed the man"}}

According to Shaw, word order exemplifies grammatical relations.

In Dakota, the verb is the most important part of the sentence. There are many verb forms in Dakota, although they are "dichotomized into a stative-active classification, with the active verbs being further subcategorized as transitive or intransitive."{{Sfn|Shaw|1980|p=11}} Some examples of this are:{{Sfn|Shaw|1980|pp=11-12}}

# stative:
#*ma-khata	"I am hot" (I-hot)
#*ni-khata	"you are hot" (you-hot)
#*khata		"he/she/it is hot" (0-hot)
#*u-khata		"we (you and I) are hot" (we-hot)
#*u-khata-pi	"we (excl. or pl) are hot" (we-hot-pl.)
#*ni-khata-pi	"you (pl.) are hot" (you-hot-pl.)
#*khata-pi	"they are hot" (0-hot-pl.)
# active intransitive
#*wa-hi		"I arrive (coming)" (I-arrive)
#*ya-hi		"you arrive" (you-arrive)
#*hi		"he arrives"
#*u-hi		"we (you and I) arrive"
#*u-hi-pi		"we (excl. or pl.) arrive"
#*ya-hi-pi	"you (pl.) arrive"
#*hi-pi		they arrive"
# active transitive
#*wa-kte		"I kill him" (0-I-kill)
#*wicha-wa-kte	"I kill them" (them-I-kill)
#*chi-kte	"I kill you" (I-you (portmanteau)- kill)
#*ya-kte		"you kill him" (0-you-kill)
#*wicha-ya-kte	"you kill them" (them- you-kill)
#*wicha-ya-kte-pi	"you (pl.) kill them"
#*ma-ya-kte	"you kill me" (me-you-kill)
#*u-ya-kte-pi	"you kill us" (we-you-kill-pl.)
#*ma-ktea	"he kills me" (0-me-kill-pl.)
#*ni-kte-pi	"they kill you" (0-you-kill-pl.)
#*u-ni-kte-pi	"we kill you" (we-you-kill-pl.)
#*wicha-u-kte	"we (you and I) kill them" (them-we-kill)

The phonology, morphology, and syntax of Dakota are very complex. There are a number of broad rules that become more and more specific as they are more closely examined. The components of the language become somewhat confusing and more difficult to study as more sources are examined, as each scholar has a somewhat different opinion on the basic characteristics of the language.