Siouan

Siouan is a family of Native American languages spoken by Indigenous peoples of the central United States and parts of Canada. The family includes a number of languages and dialects, by which linguists group the Sioux peoples and related groups under a common genetic lineage.

The Siouan languages are commonly divided into several branches. The Dakotan subgroup covers the Sioux languages, including Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota. The Dhegihan branch includes Omaha-Ponca, Osage, Kaw (Kansa), and Quapaw. The Chiwere languages comprise Iowa, Otoe, and Missouria. The Mandan and Hidatsa languages form a closely related pair, often grouped with Crow under a broader Missouri Valley Siouan complex.

Geographically, Siouan languages were historically spoken across the Great Plains and the upper Mississippi River valley and into the Plains-Oklahoma region. Today, most Siouan languages remain endangered, with small numbers of elder speakers and ongoing language revitalization efforts in some communities.

Terminology: "Siouan" is the scholarly term for this language family; it is not a single language. The peoples who speak these languages are diverse and identify by their own nations and communities.