Oto

Oto, also spelled Otoe in historical references, can refer to several different topics in anthropology, linguistics, and medicine. The most prominent use is geographic and cultural, relating to a Native American people of the central Great Plains.

The Otoe are a Dhegihan-speaking group traditionally located along the Missouri River in areas that are now Missouri and Nebraska. They formed a loose confederacy with related groups, including the Missouria. In the 19th century many Otoe were relocated to present-day Nebraska. Today they are represented by the federally recognized Otoe-Missouria Tribe, based in Macy, Nebraska, which maintains cultural, educational, and economic programs for its members.

The Oto language refers to the language historically spoken by the Otoe people. It is part of the Siouan language family and was used in daily life and ceremonial contexts before widespread language shift to English. Like many Indigenous languages, it experienced decline after European contact, but language preservation efforts, documentation, and education programs aim to sustain cultural heritage and knowledge.

In medicine, oto- is a combining form derived from the Greek otos, meaning ear. It is used in terms such as otology (the study of the ear), otoscope (an instrument for examining the ear), otitis (ear inflammation), and otoplasty (ear surgery). This prefix appears in many anatomical and clinical terms related to the ear.

Outside these areas, oto may appear as a surname or part of place names in various languages. If you meant a specific sense of oto, please specify for a more focused entry.