View source for Blackfoot language

{{Short description|Algonquian language spoken in North America}}
{{For|the various bands of the Blackfoot or Blackfeet people|Blackfoot (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Siksika
| nativename       = {{ubl
  | {{Transliteration|bla|Niitsíʼpowahsin}} ({{lang|bla| ᖹᒧᐧᑲᖷᐦᓱᐡ}})
  | {{Transliteration|bla|Siksiká}} ({{lang|bla|ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}})
  | {{Transliteration|bla|Siksikáíʼpowahsin}} ({{lang|bla|ᓱᖽᐧᖼᐟᑲᖷᐦᓱᐡ}})
  }}
| states           = Canada, United States
| region           = [[Piikani Nation]], [[Siksika Nation]], and [[Kainai Nation]] in southern [[Alberta]]; [[Blackfeet Nation]] in [[Montana]]
| ethnicity        = [[Blackfoot Confederacy|Blackfoot]]
| speakers         = {{sigfig|2,920|2}}
| date             = 2016
| ref              = e25
| familycolor      = Algic
| fam1             = [[Algic languages|Algic]]
| fam2             = [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]
| script           = {{ubl
  | Blackfoot Syllabics
  | [[Latin script|Latin]]
  }}
| nation           = 
| iso2             = bla
| iso3             = bla
| notice           = IPA
| glotto           = siks1238
| glottorefname    = Siksika
| image            = File:Frances Densmore recording Mountain Chief2.jpg
| imagealt         = Black and white photograph of a linguist in sitting with a Blackfoot chief, together listening to a recording from a phonograph cylinder.
| imagecaption     = [[Frances Densmore]] in an interpreting session with Blackfoot chief [[Mountain Chief]] in 1916<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kapsalis |first=Effie |date=2009-04-28 |title=Behind the Portrait: Frances Densmore and Mountain Chief |url=https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/behind-portrait-frances-densmore-and-mountain-chief |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Smithsonian Institution Archives |language=en}}</ref>
| map              = Lang Status 60-DE.svg
| mapcaption       = {{center|Blackfoot is classified as Definitely Endangered by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''.}}
| dia1             = {{Transliteration|bla|Siksiká}} ({{lang|bla|ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}})
| dia2             = {{Transliteration|bla|Káínai}} ({{lang|bla|ᖿᐟᖻ}})
| dia3             = {{Transliteration|bla|Aapátohsipikani}} ({{lang|bla|ᖳᑫᒪᐦᓱᑯᖿᖹ}})
| dia4             = {{Transliteration|bla|Aamsskáápipikani}} ({{lang|bla|ᖳᐢᐧᖿᑯᑯᖿᖹ}})
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|[niːt͡síʔpowḁxsɪn]}}

{{IPA|[sɪksiká]}}

{{IPA|[sɪksikéjʔpowḁxsɪn]}}
}}
{{Infobox ethnonym
| person   =
| people   = [[Blackfoot Confederacy|Niitsítapi]] ({{lang|bla| ᖹᒧᐧᒣᑯ}})
| language = Niitsíʼpowahsin ({{lang|bla|ᖹᒧᐧᑲᖷᐦᓱᐡ}})
| country  = Nitawahsinnaani ({{lang|bla|ᖹᒣᖷᐦᓱᖻᖹ}})
}}
{{Contains special characters|Canadian}}
'''Blackfoot''', also called '''Niitsíʼpowahsin'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-27 |title=Resources for Learning Blackfoot |url=https://newjourneys.ca/articles/resources-for-learning-blackfoot |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=NewJourneys |language=en}}</ref> ({{lang|bla|ᖹᒧᐧᑲᖷᐦᓱᐡ}}) or '''Siksiká''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|I|k|s|ə|k|ə}} {{respelling|SIK|sə|kə}}; {{IPA|bla|sɪksiká|lang}}, {{lang|bla|ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}}), is an [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] language spoken by the [[Blackfoot Confederacy|Blackfoot]] or {{Transliteration|bla|Niitsitapi}} people, who currently live in the northwestern plains of [[North America]]. There are four dialects, three of which are spoken in [[Alberta]], Canada, and one of which is spoken in the United States: {{lang|bla-Latn|Siksiká}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}} (Blackfoot), to the southeast of Calgary, Alberta; {{lang|bla-Latn|Kainai}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖿᐟᖻ}} (Blood, Many Chiefs), spoken in Alberta between Cardston and Lethbridge; {{lang|bla-Latn|Aapátohsipikani}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖳᑫᒪᐦᓱᑯᖿᖹ}} (Northern Piegan), to the west of Fort MacLeod which is Brocket (Piikani) and {{lang|bla-Latn|Aamsskáápipikani}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖳᐢᐧᖿᑯᑯᖿᖹ}} (Southern Piegan), in northwestern [[Montana]].<ref>Frantz "The Blackfoot Language"</ref> The name ''Blackfoot'' probably comes from the blackened soles of the leather shoes that the people wore.<ref name="Gibson-2003">Gibson 2003</ref>

[[File:2015 Siksika Nation Medical Skills Weekend.jpg|thumb|A sign at the Siksika Health and Wellness Centre in [[Siksika 146]] reads "{{lang|bla|Oki}}", a Blackfoot greeting.]]
There is a distinct difference between Old Blackfoot (also called High Blackfoot), the dialect spoken by many older speakers, and New Blackfoot (also called Modern Blackfoot), the dialect spoken by younger speakers.<ref>Bortolin & McLennan 1995</ref> Among the [[Algonquian languages]], Blackfoot is relatively divergent in phonology and lexicon.<ref>Mithun 1999, p. 335</ref> The language has a fairly small phoneme inventory, consisting of 11 basic consonants and three basic vowels that have contrastive length counterparts. Blackfoot is a [[pitch accent]] language.<ref>{{Cite conference|last1=Miyashita|first1=Mizuki|last2=Fish|first2=Naatosi|date=12 Mar 2015|title=Documenting Blackfoot pitch excursion|conference=4th International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation|url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/25290|hdl=10125/25290}}</ref><ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 3">Frantz 2017, p. 3</ref> Blackfoot language has been declining in the number of native speakers and is classified as either a threatened or endangered language, depending on the source used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/1677|title=Did you know Blackfoot is endangered?|website=Endangered Languages|language=en|access-date=2017-04-16}}</ref>

Like the other Algonquian languages, Blackfoot is considered to be a [[polysynthetic language]] due to its large morpheme inventory and word internal complexity.<ref>Aikhenvald 2007, p. 5</ref> A majority of Blackfoot morphemes have a one–to–one correspondence between form and meaning, a defining feature of [[agglutinative language]]s. However, Blackfoot does display some [[Fusional language|fusional]] characteristics as there are morphemes that are [[Polysemy|polysemous]].<ref>Armoskaite 2011, p. 16</ref> Both noun and verb stems cannot be used bare but must be inflected.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 7</ref> Due to its morphological complexity, Blackfoot has a flexible [[word order]].

The Blackfoot language has experienced a substantial decrease in speakers since the 1960s and is classified as "definitely endangered" by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger|url = https://en.wal.unesco.org/search?keys=siksika|access-date=2024-07-11|website=www.unesco.org}}</ref> In Canada, this loss has been attributed largely to [[Canadian Indian residential school system|residential schools]], where Indigenous students were often punished severely for speaking their first languages.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Plain Eagle|first=Tawnya|date=2019-02-27|title=Lost in translation: The lasting effects of separating Indigenous children from culture and language|url=https://calgaryjournal.ca/2019/02/27/lost-in-translation-the-lasting-effects-of-separating-indigenous-children-from-culture-and-language/|access-date=2020-12-07|website=Calgary Journal|language=en-US}}</ref> Widespread language loss can also be attributed to the [[Sixties Scoop]], through which thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families, often without parental consent, and relocated by the government into non-Indigenous families.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sinclair|first=Niigaanwewidam James|title=Sixties Scoop {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sixties-scoop|access-date=2020-12-07|website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}</ref> As a result of these losses, the Blackfoot community has launched numerous language revitalization efforts, include the Piikani Traditional Knowledge Services and many more.

[[File:Bilingual Signage in Blackfoot, and English at Red Crow Community College.jpg|thumb|Bilingual signage in Blackfoot and English at [[Red Crow Community College]]]]

== Language variations ==

=== Dialects ===
The four main Blackfoot dialects are Siksiká ({{lang|bla|ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}}), Káínai ({{lang|bla|ᖿᐟᖻ}}), Aapátohsipikani {{lang|bla|(ᖳᑫᒪᐦᓱᑯᖿᖹ}}), and Aamsskáápipikani ({{lang|bla|ᖳᐢᐧᖿᑯᑯᖿᖹ}}). Some words are different in each dialect, for example: potato, in the Kainai dialect is {{lang|bla|maatááki}} but in Piikani dialect is {{lang|bla|paatááki}}, and another example: coffee, in Blackfoot dialects in Canada, is {{lang|bla|niitáʼpaisiksikimi}} but in the Aamsskáápipikani dialect is {{lang|bla|áísiksikimi}}.<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
! Siksiká / ᓱᖽᐧᖿ !! Aapátohsipikani (Piikáni) / ᖳᑫᒪᐦᓱᑯᖿᖹ (ᑯᖿᖹ) !! Káínai / ᖿᐟᖻ !! Aamsskáápipikani / ᖳᐢᐧᖿᑯᑯᖿᖹ !! English
|-
| Maatááki
| Paatááki
| Maatááki
| Paatááki
| Potato
|-
| Niitáʼpaisiksikimi
| Niitáʼpaisiksikimi
| Niitáʼpaisiksikimi
| Áísiksikimi
| Coffee
|-
| Siksikimi / Áísoyoopoksiikimi
| Siksikimi
| Siksikimi
| Áísoyoopoksiikimi
| Tea
|}
There is also minor grammatical and phonological differentiation between dialects.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Elfner |first=Emily Jane |title=The Mora in Blackfoot |date=15 August 2006 |publisher=[[University of Calgary]] |pages=11 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Old and New Blackfoot ===
During language revitalization courses educators frequently had situations where the Blackfoot the students learnt from their older relatives was different from the modern Blackfoot they were being taught. The modern variety's words are usually contracted compared to the older varieties.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Miyashita |first=Mizuki |url=https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/jar/HOE/HOE8.pdf |title=Respecting Dialectal Variations in a Blackfoot Language Class |last2=Chatsis |first2=Annabelle |pages=1–8 |language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Old Blackfoot<ref name=":0" />
!New Blackfoot
!English
|-
|nitáʼpaisiksikimi 
|nitáʼpsiksikimi 
|coffee
|-
|nomohtoʼtoo
|nitohtoʼtoo / nitomohtoʼtoo / nimohtoʼtoo
|I arrive [from somewhere] or I am from
|-
|aikííwatsiksi
|áíkiiwa
|What is she doing?
|-
|nitáákiiyi
|niistóówa áákiiwa
|I am a woman
|}

=== Written and spoken Blackfoot ===
Some words are written in their uncontracted forms while in everyday spoken speech they are instead presented in their contracted forms, these spoken aside from being contracted are also less morphologically compositional than their written forms.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
!Written Blackfoot<ref name=":0" />
!Spoken Blackfoot
!English
|-
|tsá anistapiiwa?
|tsistapii?
|What is it?
|-
|kitákitamáttsin!
|kiátamáttsin!
|Good bye! [See you later!]
|-
|nitáákitapoo
|táákitapoo
|I am going there
|}

== Classification ==

Blackfoot is a member of the Algonquian language family belonging to the [[Plains Algonquian languages|Plains]] areal grouping along with [[Arapaho language|Arapaho]], [[Gros Ventre language|Gros Ventre]], and [[Cheyenne language|Cheyenne]]. Blackfoot is spoken in Northwestern Montana and throughout Alberta, Canada, making it geographically one of the westernmost Algonquian languages.

[[File:Bilingual Signs of Blackfoot & English at Red Crow Park in Kainai Nation, Jul 18, 2025.jpg|thumb|Bilingual Signs of Blackfoot and English at Red Crow Park in Kainai Nation. One reads "{{Lang|bla|Iinihkátsís Kóták}}" meaning: Call on your spirit.]]

== History ==
The Blackfoot people had been one of many Native American nations that inhabited the Great Plains west of the [[Mississippi River]]. The people were [[bison hunting|bison hunters]], with settlements in what is now the northern United States and southern Canada. Forced to move because of wars with neighboring tribes, the Blackfoot people settled all around the plains area, eventually concentrating in what is now Montana and Alberta. Blackfoot hunters would track and hunt game, while the remaining people would gather food, and other necessities for the winter. The northern plains, where the Blackfoot settled, had harsh winters, and the flat land provided little escape from the winds. The Blackfoot Nation thrived, along with many other native groups, until the European settlers arrived in the late eighteenth century. The settlers brought with them horses and technology, but also disease and weapons. Diseases like smallpox, foreign to the natives, decimated the Blackfoot population in the mid-nineteenth century. Groups of Blackfoot people, such as [[Mountain Chief]]'s tribe, rebelled against the Europeans. But in 1870, a tribe of peaceful Blackfoot were mistaken for the rebellious tribe and hundreds were slaughtered. Over the next thirty years, settlers eradicated the bison from the Great Plains. This took away the main element of the Blackfoot economy and the people's ability to be self-sustaining. With their main food source gone, the Blackfoot were forced to rely on government support.<ref name="Gibson-2003"/>

In 1886, the Old Sun Residential School opened on the [[Siksika 146|Siksika Reserve]] in Alberta. In 1908, it was described by an official survey as "unsanitary" and "unsuitable in every way for such an institution". Regardless, it remained operational until its closure in 1971. Dozens of Blackfoot children died while attending.<ref>{{Cite web|last=National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation|title=Old Sun (Blackfoot) Residential School|date=18 December 2020 |url=https://memorial.nctr.ca/?p=1503#:~:text=The%20Old%20Sun%20Boarding%20School,two%20schools%20merged%20in%201901.}}</ref> The school was rife with physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, which left a lasting impact on the Blackfoot children who attended.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Snowdon|first=Wallis|date=31 March 2017|title=Pain to the page: Alberta residential school survivor chronicles his 'lifetime of hell' {{!}} CBC News|language=en-US|work=CBC|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/pain-to-the-page-alberta-residential-school-survivor-chronicles-his-lifetime-of-hell-1.4049954|access-date=2020-12-08}}</ref> The trauma endured by students, as well as the subsequent repression of their Indigenous language and culture, has been credited, in part, with the loss in the number of Blackfoot speakers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Knight|first=Demi|date=29 May 2019|title=Blackfoot elders respond to 2019 as International Year of Indigenous Languages|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5332128/blackfoot-elders-2019-un-indigenous-languages/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=Global News|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Phonology ==

===Consonants===
Blackfoot has nineteen consonants, of which all but {{IPA|/ʔ/}}, {{IPA|/x/}}, {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/w/}} form pairs distinguished by length. One of the two affricates {{IPA|/k͡s/}} is unusual for being [[heterorganic]].<ref name="NL-guide">{{cite web|url=http://www.native-languages.org/blackfoot_guide.htm|title=Blackfoot Pronunciation and Spelling Guide|work=Native-Languages.org|access-date=2007-04-10}}</ref><ref name="Frantz-1999">{{harvnb|Frantz|1999}}</ref> Blackfoot has several [[allophones]]: for example, {{IPA|/x/}} has many allophones. {{IPAblink|ç}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/x/}} when it occurs after {{IPA|/i/}} or {{IPA|/ɪ/}}. And {{IPAblink|h}} is an allophone of {{IPA|/x/}} when it occurs at the beginning of a word.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk4/etd/MQ97671.PDF |title=Phonological Aspects of Blackfoot Prominence|access-date=2024-09-06}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
! colspan="2" |[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" |[[Coronal consonant|Coronal]]
! colspan="2" |[[Dorsal consonant|Dorsal]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
![[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|m}} {{angle bracket|m}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|mː}} {{angle bracket|mm}}
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|n}} {{angle bracket|n}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|nː}} {{angle bracket|nn}}
| colspan="2" |
|
|-
![[Plosive]]
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|p}} {{angle bracket|p}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|pː}} {{angle bracket|pp}}
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|t}} {{angle bracket|t}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|tː}} {{angle bracket|tt}}
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|k}} {{angle bracket|k}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|kː}} {{angle bracket|kk}}
|{{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angle bracket|ʼ}}
|-
![[Affricate]]
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|t͡s}} {{angle bracket|ts}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|t͡sː}} {{angle bracket|tss}}
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA|k͡s}} {{angle bracket|ks}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|k͡sː}} {{angle bracket|kss}}
| colspan="2" |
|-
![[Fricative]]
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|s}} {{angle bracket|s}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|sː}} {{angle bracket|ss}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|x}} {{angle bracket|h}}
|
|-
![[Approximant]]
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|w}} {{angle bracket|w}}
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |{{IPA link|j}} {{angle bracket|y}}
|
|}

# phonemic velars become palatals after front vowels<ref name=":1" />
# /t͡s, k͡s, k͡sː/ are phonetically considered affricates <ref name="NL-guide" /><ref name="Frantz-1999" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Elfner |first1=Emily |title=Contrastive Syllabification in Blackfoot. |journal=Proceedings of the 25th West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics |page=141-149 |url=https://www.lingref.com/cpp/wccfl/25/paper1442.pdf}}</ref>

===Vowels===

==== Monophthongs ====
Blackfoot has a vowel system with three [[monophthong]]s, {{IPA|/i o a/}}.<ref name="NL-guide" /><ref name="Frantz-1999"/><ref name="Frantz-2017, p. 1-2">Frantz 2017, pp. 1–2</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
! colspan="2" |[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="2" |[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" |[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|High]]
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|i}} {{angle bracket|i}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|iː}} {{angle bracket|ii}}
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|o}} {{angle bracket|o}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|oː}} {{angle bracket|oo}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Low]]
| colspan="2" |
| style="border-right:0" |{{IPA link|a}} {{angle bracket|a}}
| style="border-left:0" |{{IPA link|aː}} {{angle bracket|aa}}
| colspan="2" |
|}
The short [[monophthong]]s exhibit [[Allophone|allophonic]] changes as well. The vowels {{IPA|/a/}} and {{IPA|/o/}} are raised to {{IPA|[ʌ]}} and {{IPA|[ʊ]}} ~ {{IPA|[u]}} respectively when followed by a long consonant. The vowel {{IPA|/i/}} becomes {{IPA|[ɪ]}} in closed syllables.<ref name="Frantz-2017, p. 1-2"/>

==== Diphthongs ====
There are three additional [[diphthong]]s in Blackfoot. The first diphthong ''ai'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ɛ]}} before a long consonant, {{IPA|[ei]}} (or {{IPA|[ai]}}, in the dialect of the Blackfoot Reserve) before {{IPA|/i/}} or {{IPA|/ʔ/}}, and elsewhere is pronounced {{IPA|[æ]}} in the Blood Reserve dialect or {{IPA|[ei]}} in the Blackfoot Reserve dialect. The second diphthong ''ao'' is pronounced {{IPA|[au]}} before {{IPA|/ʔ/}} and {{IPA|[ɔ]}} elsewhere. The third diphthong ''oi'' may be pronounced {{IPA|[y]}} before a long consonant and as {{IPA|[oi]}} elsewhere.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 2</ref>

=== Length ===
[[Vowel length|Length]] is contrastive in Blackfoot for both vowels and consonants. Vowel length refers to the duration of a vowel and not a change in quality. The vowel {{IPA|/oo/}} is therefore the same sound as {{IPA|/o/}} only differing in the length of time over which it is produced.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 3" />
: {|
|{{lang|bla-Latn|áak'''o'''kaawa}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖳᖾᖿᖷ}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'he will rope'
|-
|{{lang|bla-Latn|áak'''oo'''kaawa}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖳᖾᖿᖷ}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'she will sponsor a Sundance'
|}
Consonants can also be lengthened with the exception of  {{IPA|/ʔ/}}, {{IPA|/x/}}, {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}.
: {|
|{{lang|bla-Latn|kiipí'''pp'''o}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖽᑯᑲ}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'one hundred'
|-
|{{lang|bla-Latn|ní'''nn'''a}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖹᖻ}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'my father'
|-
|{{lang|bla-Latn|sokáʼp'''ss'''iwa}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᓴᖿᑯᐧᖷ}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'he is good'
|}

=== Pitch accent ===
Blackfoot is a [[pitch accent]] language and it is a contrastive feature in the language. Every word will have at least one high pitched vowel or diphthong but may have more than one. Note that high pitch here is used relative to the contiguous syllables. Blackfoot utterances experience a gradual drop in pitch therefore if an utterance contains a set of accented vowels the first will be higher in pitch than the second but the second will be higher in pitch than the syllables directly surrounding it. Pitch is illustrated in the [[Latin-script]] orthography with an acute accent.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 3"/>
: {|
|{{Transliteration|bla|ápssiwa}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'it's an arrow'
|-
|{{Transliteration|bla|apssíwa}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'it's a fig'
|-
|{{Transliteration|bla|máátaissikópiiwa}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'s/he's not resting'
|}

=== Phonological rules ===
Blackfoot is rich with morpho-phonological changes. Below is a limited sample of phonological rules.

==== Semi-vowel loss ====
Glides are deleted after another consonant, except a glottal stop, or word initially but kept in other conditions.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 155</ref>
: {|
|
|<small>{{IPA|/w/}} loss</small>
|
|-
|{{interlinear|lang=bla|poos-wa|cat-AN.SG|}}
!→
|{{interlinear|lang=bla|póósa / ᑲᓭ|'cat'}}
|-
|
|<small>{{IPA|/j/}} loss</small>
|
|-
|{{interlinear|lang=bla|óóhkotok-yi|stone-INAN.SG|}}
!→
|{{interlinear|lang=bla|óóhkotoki / ᖲᑊᖾᒪᖽ|'stone'}}
|-
|
|<small>word-initial</small>
|
|-
|{{interlinear|lang=bla|w-ókoʼsi|3.SG.POSS-child|}}
!→
|{{interlinear|lang=bla|ókoʼsi / ᖲᖾᓱ|'his/her child'}}
|}

==== Accent spread ====
Accent will spread from an accented vowel to the following vowel across morpheme boundaries.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 157</ref>
: {|
|{{Transliteration|bla|á-okskaʼsiwa}}
|→
|{{Transliteration|bla|áókskaʼsiwa}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'s/he runs'
|-
|{{Transliteration|bla|atsikí-istsi}}
|→
|{{Transliteration|bla|atsikíístsi}}
|
|
|<nowiki/>'shoes'
|}

==== Vowel devoicing ====
At the end of a word, non-high pitched vowels are devoiced, regardless of length.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 5</ref>

==Grammar==

=== Lexical categories ===
Lexical categories in Blackfoot are a matter of debate in the literature, with the exception of nouns and verbs. Additional proposed categories, proposed by Uhlenbeck, are adjectives, pronouns, adverbs, and particles.<ref>Uhlenbeck (1938)</ref> Taylor classifies the Blackfoot language as having two major classes, substantives (nouns and pronouns) and verbs, with one minor class consisting of particles.<ref>Taylor (1953)</ref> Frantz classifies adjectives and adverbs as affixes but not independent classes.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 23</ref>

==== Agreement ====
Agreement morphology is extensive in Blackfoot and agreement morphemes are often [[fusional]], i.e. animacy and number (nouns) or person and number (verbs) are indicated within the same affix.

====Animacy====
All nouns are required to be inflected for [[animacy]] and are classified as either animate or inanimate. Verbs are inflected to match the animacy of its arguments. Animacy in Blackfoot is a grammatical construct for noun classification. Therefore, some semantically inherently inanimate objects, such as drums and knives, are grammatically animate.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 7-10">Frantz 2017, pp. 7–10</ref>

Verbs are marked with a transitivity marker which must agree with the animacy of its arguments. Even in stories in which grammatically inanimate objects are markedly anthropomorphized, such as talking flowers, speakers will not use animate agreement markers with them.

==== Number ====
All nouns are required to be inflected as either singular or plural. Verbal inflection matches the number of its arguments.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 7-10"/>

==== Person marking ====
Blackfoot has five grammatical persons&nbsp;– first, second, third (proximate), fourth ([[obviative]]), and fifth (sub-obviative).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Frantz|first=Donald G.|date=1966-01-01|title=Person Indexing in Blackfoot|jstor=1263448|journal=International Journal of American Linguistics|volume=32|issue=1|pages=50–58|doi=10.1086/464879|s2cid=145132884}}</ref>

=== Word order ===
[[Word order]] is flexible in Blackfoot. Subjects are not required to precede the verb.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 20</ref> Independent noun phrases may be included but these are typically dropped in Blackfoot. Due to the extensive person inflection on the verb they are not necessary for interpreting the meaning of the utterance. However, if first or second person pronouns are present it yields an emphatic reading.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 22">Frantz 2017, p. 22</ref> There is an ordering restriction if the Distinct Third Person (DTP) attached pronoun {{IPA|/-aawa/|lang=bla}} is used in which the subject independent noun phrase must occur before the verb. If the independent noun phrase occurs after the verb then the DTP may not be used.<ref>Frantz 2017, pp. 48–49</ref>

=== Subjecthood ===
Blackfoot nouns must be grammatically particular in order to be a subject of a verb.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 22"/> In transitive constructions the subject must be volitional to be interpreted as subject.<ref>Frantz 2017, pp. 45–46</ref>

=== Person hierarchy ===
It has been asserted that Blackfoot, along with other Algonquian languages, violates the Universal Person Hierarchy in verb complexes by ranking second person over first person. The hierarchy has traditionally been published as 2nd person > 1st person > 3rd person (proximate) > 4th person (obviative).<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Russell|first1=Lena|last2=Genee|first2=Inge|last3=Lier|first3=Eva van|last4=Zúñiga|first4=Fernando|title=Referential Hierarchies in Three-Participant Constructions in Blackfoot: The Effects of Animacy, Person, and Specificity|url=http://journals.dartmouth.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Journals.woa/xmlpage/1/article/416|journal=Linguistic Discovery|volume=10|issue=3|doi=10.1349/ps1.1537-0852.a.416|year=2012|doi-access=free}}</ref> However, alternative analyses of Blackfoot person hierarchy have been published that suggest the Universal Person Hierarchy is applicable to Blackfoot.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bliss|first1=Heather|last2=Jesney|first2=Karen|date=May 2005|title=Resolving hierarchy conflict: local obviation in Blackfoot*|journal=Calgary Working Papers in Linguistics|volume=26|pages=92–116|hdl=1880/51468}}</ref>

===Verbal structure===
The Blackfoot verbal template contains a stem with several prefixes and suffixes. The structure of the verb stem in Blackfoot can be roughly broken down into the pre-verb, the root, the medial, and the final. The root and final are required elements.

Generally, information encoded in the pre-verb can include adverbs, most pronouns, locatives, manners, aspect, mood, and tense. Incorporated objects appear in the medial. The final includes transitivity and animacy markers, and valency markers.

=== Nouns ===

==== Agreement morphology ====
Noun classes are split based on [[grammatical gender]] into two categories: animate and inanimate.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 8</ref> Additionally, all nouns must be marked for number. Number agreement suffixes attach to noun stems and take four forms, as shown in the table below.<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 7-10"/>
:{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Inanimate
! rowspan="3" |
! colspan="2" |Animate
|-
|Singular
|Plural
|Singular
|Plural
|-
| {{Transliteration|bla|-yi}}
| {{Transliteration|bla|-istsi}}
| {{Transliteration|bla|-wa}}
| {{Transliteration|bla|-iksi}}
|}

:{|
| colspan="3" |{{lang|bla-Latn|íʼksisako}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖱᖽᐧᓭᖾ}} (inanimate stem)
|
|
|<nowiki/>'meat'
|-
|{{lang|bla-Latn|íʼksisako-yi}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖱᖽᐧᓭᖾᔪ}}
|→
|{{lang|bla-Latn|íʼksisakoyi}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖱᖽᐧᓭᖾᔪ}}
|||
||'meat'
|-
|{{lang|bla-Latn|íʼksisako-istsi}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖱᖽᐧᓭᖾᐟᐧᒧᐧ}}
|→
|{{lang|bla-Latn|íʼksisakoistsi}} / {{lang|bla-Cans|ᖱᖽᐧᓭᖾᐟᐧᒧᐧ}}
||||||'meats'
|}

==== Proximate and obviative ====
When a sentence contains two or more particular animate gender nouns as arguments proximate (major third person/3rd) and obviative (minor third person/4th) markings are used to disambiguate. There may only be one proximate argument in any given sentence but multiple obviates are permissible. Proximate arguments are more prominent in discourse. Redirectional markers, referred to as inverse and direct theme in the literature, can be applied to indicate that the fourth person is the subject argument.<ref>Frantz 2017, pp. 13–14</ref>

==== Particularity/referentiality ====
Blackfoot nouns must be grammatically particular, according to Frantz (2009), in order to be a subject of a verb. To be the subject of any verb in Blackfoot the noun must point to a specific referent in the world. In transitive constructions the subject must also be volitional to be interpreted as subject. If the subject of a transitive verb is non-specific or non-volitional then the verb must be inflected as having an unspecified subject.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 12</ref>

{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3|abbreviations=UNSPEC:non-specific
|Oma isttoána iihtsíkahksiniiʼpi annistsi ikkstsíksiistsi.
|ᖲᒐ ᖱᐧᒪᖷᖻ ᖱᑊᒧᐧᖿᐦᖽᐧᖹᑯ ᖳᖹᐧᒧᐧ ᖱᘁᐧᒧᐧᖽᐧᒧᐧ᙮ 
|om-wa isttoan-wa iiht-íkahksinii-ʼp-yi ann-istsi ikkstsíksi-istsi
|that-AN.SG knife-AN.SG means-cut.off-UNSPEC.SUB-INAN.PL that-INAN.PL branch-INAN.PL
|'The knife cut off those branches.' or 'By means of the knife, the branches were cut off.'|lang=bla-latn}}

=== Verbs ===

==== Verbal morphology template ====
There are four verb categories in Blackfoot: intransitive inanimate, intransitive animate, transitive inanimate, and transitive animate. The parameters of transitivity and animacy for verb selection are typically referred to as stem agreement in order to delineate it from person agreement. The animacy for intransitive verbs is determined by the subject of the verb whereas the transitive verbs are defined by the animacy of their primary object.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 40</ref>

The only required component of a clause in Blackfoot is the verb, referred to as a verbal complex in the Algonquian literature, which must be appropriately inflected according to the standard template:

<blockquote>preverb – root – medial – final</blockquote>

Preverbs are prefixes which encode adverbs, most pronouns, locatives, manners, aspect, mood, and tense. Medials are suffixes which primarily encode manner and incorporated objects. Finals are suffixes which encode transitivity, animacy, and valency. Roots and finals are always required in a verbal complex whereas preverb and medials are not.<ref>Armoskaite 2011, p. 22</ref>

==== Inverse and direct theme ====
When there are two animate arguments acting in a transitive animate verb stem one of the arguments must be acting on the other. Which argument is the actor (subject) and which is the acted upon (object) is indicated by the use of direct or inverse theme marking. If a subject argument is higher than the object argument on the person hierarchy then the direct suffix is used. Conversely, when an object outranks the sentences subject then the inverse suffix is used.<ref>Frantz 2017, p. 56</ref>

; Direct
{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3|abbreviations=DIR:directional
|Nitsikákomimmayi nitániksi.
|ᖹᒧᐧᖿᖾᒍᒉᔪ ᖹᒣᖹᖽᐧ᙮
|nit-ikákomimm-aa-yi ni-táni-iksi
|1.SG-love-DIR-3.PL 1.POSS-daughter-AN.PL
|'I love my daughters.'|lang=bla}}

; Inverse
{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3
|Nitsikákomimmoki nitániksi.
|ᖹᒧᐧᖿᖾᒍᒐᖽ ᖹᒣᖹᖽᐧ᙮
|nit-ikákomimm-ok-yi ni-táni-iksi 
|1.SG-love-INV-3.PL 1.POSS-daughter-AN.PL
|'My daughters love me.'|lang=bla}}

==== Voice and valency ====
Blackfoot voice alterations occur as suffixes on the verb and fall into the category of finals. Finals can include causative, benefactive, reciprocal, and reflexive affixes that either decrease or increase the valency of the stem they are attached to. Below is an example of the reflexive final suffix. It can only be added to a transitive animate stem and results in an animate intransitive stem. This is then interpreted as being a reflexive verb, where the subject of the AI (animate intransitive) stem is understood to be both the underlying subject and object of the original verb stem.<ref>Frantz 2017, pp. 100–107</ref>

{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3|abbreviations=TA:transitive animate; AI:animate intransitive
|Oma imitááwa siiksípohsiwa.
|ᖲᒐ ᖱᒍᒣᖷ ᓱᖽᐧᑲᐦᓱᖷ᙮
|om-wa imitáá-wa siiksip-o꞉hsi-wa
|that-AN.SG dog-AN.SG PST:bite(TA)-REFL(AI)-3.SG
|'That dog bit itself.'|lang=bla}}

==== Relative clauses ====
Relative clauses are rare in Blackfoot but they do occur. In order to embed a clause, it needs to be nominalized first. The reclassification strategy for nominalization is displayed here followed by a relative clause that uses a nominal formed by this strategy. Reclassification is done by adding nominal inflection to the verb stem instead of person inflection. This derived form then refers to the underlying subject and agrees in both number and animacy.<ref>Frantz 2017, pp. 114–129</ref>

{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3
|Omiksi áyoʼkaiksi
|ᖲᒍᖽᐧ ᖳᔭᖼᖽᐧ᙮
|om-iksi á-yoʼkaa-iksi
|that-AN.PL DUR-sleep-AN.PL
|'those sleeping ones'|lang=bla}}

Examples below show how a reclassified nominalized clause is used in a relative clause. Note the nominal agreement morphology on the verb matches the subject, singular and plural, respectively.

{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3
|Oma nínaawa áyoʼkaawa nóoma.
|ᖲᒐ ᖹᖻᖷ ᖳᔭᖿᖷ ᖺᒉ᙮
|om-wa ninaa-wa á-yoʼkaa-wa n-oom-wa
|that-AN.SG man-AN.SG DUR-sleep-AN.SG 1.POSS-husband-AN.SG
|'That man who is sleeping is my husband.'|lang=bla}}

{{interlinear|glossing3=yes|indent=3
|Omiksi aakííkoaiksi áínihkiiksi áyaakahkayiyaawa.
|ᖲᒍᖽᐧ ᖳᖽᖿᙿᐟᖽᐧ ᖰᖹᑊᖽᖽᐧ ᖳᔦᖿᐦᖿᔪᔦᖷ᙮
|om-iksi aakííkoaN-iksi á-Inihki-iksi áyaak-wa:hkayi-yi-aawa
|that-AN.PL girl-AN.PL DUR-sing-AN.PL FUT-go.home-3.PL-PRO
|'Those girls who are singing are on their way home.'|lang=bla}}

==Orthography{{anchor|Writing System}}==

[[File:English, French, and Blackfoot Language Signage at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site.jpg|thumb|Trilingual texts of English, French, and Blackfoot at [[Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump]]]]

===Latin-script orthography===

The Siksiká, Káínai, and Aapátohsipikani (Piikáni) reserves adopted a standardized Latin-script orthography in 1975. The Blackfoot alphabet consists of 13 letters: {{Grapheme|a, h, i, k, m, n, o, p, s, t, w, y}}, and a glottal stop ([[ʼ]]).<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 163">Frantz 2017, p. 163</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
! Letter
| A{{nbsp}}a || H{{nbsp}}h || I{{nbsp}}i || K{{nbsp}}k || M{{nbsp}}m || N{{nbsp}}n || O{{nbsp}}o || P{{nbsp}}p ||  S{{nbsp}}s || T{{nbsp}}t ||  W{{nbsp}}w || Y{{nbsp}}y || ʼ
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
| {{IPAblink|a}} ~ {{IPAblink|ʌ}} || {{IPAblink|h}} ~ {{IPAblink|x}} ~ {{ IPAblink|ç}} || {{IPAblink|i}} ~ {{IPAblink|ɪ}} || {{IPAblink|k}} || {{IPAblink|m}} || {{IPAblink|n}} || {{IPAblink|o}} ~ {{IPAblink|ʊ}} ~ {{IPAblink|u}} || {{IPAblink|p}} || {{IPAblink|s}} || {{IPAblink|t}} || {{IPAblink|w}} || {{IPAblink|j}} || {{IPAblink|ʔ}}
|}

Two digraphs are also used: ts {{IPAblink|ts}} and ks {{IPA|[ks]}}.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|-
! Diphthongs !!  [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
|-
| ai || {{IPA|[ej]}} ~ {{IPAblink|ɛ}} ~ {{IPAblink|æ}} ~ {{IPA|[aj]}}
|-
| ao || {{IPAblink|ɔ}} ~ {{IPA|[aw]}}
|-
| oi || {{IPA|[oj]}}
|}

Vowels can be marked with an acute accent or underlined to illustrate pitch accent. Vowels and consonants that are long are written with a double letter (aa = {{IPAblink|aː}}).<ref name="Frantz 2017, p. 163"/>

=== Other Latin-script orthographies ===
There are other Latin-script orthographies that some Blackfoot speakers use.

==== Big Bull Writing System ====
Some schools in Aamsskáápipikani / ǎmssk̇ǎaṗiiṗiik̇ǔni ([[Blackfeet Nation]]) adopted a Latin-script orthography with [[diacritic]]s. This Latin-script orthography is called the Big Bull Writing System ({{lang|bla|niitsiiꞏṗoʹꞏʺsin}}), created by William Big Bull, a [[Piikani Nation|Piikani]] teacher who works for [[Blackfeet Community College]]. He taught the language and piloted online classes. He is the President of āasāisstꞏṫǒ Language Society, an non-profit organization that revives the Blackfoot language. The writing system was developed around the 20th century. Its purpose is to revitalize Blackfoot and promote literacy, and it is used for teaching, writing books, flims, etc. The Big Bull Writing System consists of 35 letters with 3 diacritics͏ {{angle bracket|◌̌, ◌̄, ◌̇}}.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://niitsitapedia.weebly.com|title=Āasāisstꞏṫǒ Language Society|access-date=2025-06-27}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Big Bull Writing System
|-
! Letter
| ǎ || ǎa || āa/ā || āi || ai/ay || i || ii || īī || ǐǐ || īy || iw || ō/o || oō || ǒ || oǒ || ǔ 
| p || ṗ || k || k̇ || m || n || t || ṫ || h || ks || ps || ts || s || ss || ʹ || ʺ || w || y || ꞏ
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
| {{IPAblink|a}} || {{IPAblink|a͏ː}} || {{IPAblink|æ}} || {{IPAblink|ɛ}} || {{IPA|[ej]}} ||{{IPAblink|ɪ}} || {{IPAblink|i}} || {{IPAblink|iː}} || {{IPAblink|e}} || {{IPA|[aj]}} || {{IPA|[iw]}} || {{IPAblink|o}} ~ {{IPAblink|ɔ}} || {{IPAblink|oː}} ~ {{IPAblink|u}}{{efn| oō is pronounced [oː], but sometimes it pronounced as [u] or [uː] in some words.}} || {{IPAblink|ʊ}} || {{IPA|[ʊw]}} || {{IPAblink|ʌ}} || {{IPAblink|pʰ}} || {{IPAblink|p}} || {{IPAblink|kʰ}} || {{IPAblink|k}} || {{IPAblink|m}} || {{IPAblink|n}} || {{IPAblink|tʰ}} || {{IPAblink|t}} || {{IPAblink|h}} || {{IPA|[ks]}} || {{IPA|[ps]}} || {{IPAblink|ts}} || {{IPAblink|s}} || {{IPA|[sː]}} || {{IPAblink|ç}}{{efn| ʹ is pronounced /ç/, it occurs after ''i'', but sometimes is a accent shift}} || {{IPAblink|x}} || {{IPAblink|w}} || {{IPAblink|y}} || {{IPAblink|ʔ}}
|}
{{notelist}}
<ref>{{cite web|url= http://niitsitapedia.weebly.com/learn-the-talk.html|title=Learn the Talk|access-date=2025-06-28}}</ref>

This writing system is used in some schools in Aamsskáápipikani / ǎmssk̇ǎaṗiiṗiik̇ǔni, mainly used in [[Blackfeet Community College]], and also used in various places in the [[United States]], and [[Canada]].

==== Holterman Writing System ====
This Latin-Script Orthography is called: The Holterman Writing System. Developed by Linguist Jack Holterman, it used by the Piegan Institute, the Piegan Institute uses the Holterman Writing System to write in Blackfoot, and teach in Blackfoot. This writing system is similar to Donald Frantz's Orthography, but it is different. It uses "z" for the "ts" sound, and "x" for the "ks" sound. It also leave out long vowels and glottal stops. The Holterman Writing System consists of 15 letters.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://lingpapers.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2018/02/2009_Miyashita_Chatsis.pdf|title=Developing Blackfoot language in collaboration|author=Mizuki Miyashita & Annabelle Chatsis, University of Montana|access-date=2025-08-04}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Holterman Writing System
|-
! Letter
| A a || H h || I i || K k || M m || N n || O o || P p || S s || T t || U u || W w || X x || Y y || Z z
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
| {{IPAblink|a}}, {{IPAblink|aː}} || {{IPAblink|h}}~{{IPAblink|x}}~{{IPAblink|ç}} || {{IPAblink|i}}~{{IPAblink|ɪ}}, {{IPAblink|iː}} || {{IPAblink|k}} || {{IPAblink|m}} || {{IPAblink|n}} || {{IPAblink|o}}~{{IPAblink|ʊ}}~{{IPAblink|u}}, {{IPAblink|oː}}~{{IPAblink|uː}} || {{IPAblink|p}} || {{IPAblink|s}} || {{IPAblink|t}} || {{IPAblink|ʌ}} || {{IPAblink|w}} || {{IPA|[ks]}} || {{IPAblink|j}} || {{IPAblink|ts}}
|}

This writing system is used in Nizi Puh Wah Sin (Cuts School) and some places in Aamsskáápipikani / Ams Ska Pi Pi Ku Ni ([[Blackfeet Nation]]).

==== Weatherwax Writing System ====
This Latin-Script Orthography is called: The Weatherwax Writing System. Developed by Elder Wayne Weatherwax. It used by some schools and places in Aamsskáápipikani / AMS SKAA PI PII KA NI ([[Blackfeet Nation]]). This writing system is used for Phonetic purposes. The Weatherwax Writing System consists of 12 letters.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://lingpapers.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2018/02/2009_Miyashita_Chatsis.pdf|title=Developing Blackfoot language in collaboration|author=Mizuki Miyashita & Annabelle Chatsis, University of Montana|access-date=2025-08-04}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Weatherwax Writing System
|-
! Letter
| A || H || I || K || M || N || O || P || S || T || W || Y
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
| {{IPAblink|a}} ~ {{IPAblink|ʌ}} || {{IPAblink|h}} ~ {{IPAblink|x}} ~ {{ IPAblink|ç}} || {{IPAblink|i}} ~ {{IPAblink|ɪ}} || {{IPAblink|k}} || {{IPAblink|m}} || {{IPAblink|n}} || {{IPAblink|o}} ~ {{IPAblink|ʊ}} ~ {{IPAblink|u}} || {{IPAblink|p}} || {{IPAblink|s}} || {{IPAblink|t}} || {{IPAblink|w}} || {{IPAblink|j}}
|}

===Syllabic writing systems===

[[File:Blackfoot Text with Syllabics and Latin Orthography.jpg|thumb|A Blackfoot language text with both the syllabics and the Latin orthography]]

==== Blackfoot Syllabary ====
A [[Canadian Aboriginal syllabics|syllabics]] script, {{lang|bla|ᑯᖾᖹ ᖿᐟᖻ ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}} {{Transliteration|bla|pikoni kayna siksika}} or {{lang|bla|ᓱᖽᐧᖿ}} {{Transliteration|bla|siksika}}, was created by Anglican missionary [[John William Tims]] around 1888, for his Bible translation work. Although conceptually nearly identical to [[Western Cree syllabics]], the letter forms are innovative. Two series (''s'', ''y'') were taken from Cree but given different vowel values; three more (''p'', ''t'', ''m'') were changed in consonant values as well, according to the Latin letter they resembled; and the others (''k'', ''n'', ''w'') were created from asymmetrical parts of Latin and Greek letters; or in the case of the [[zero consonant]], possibly from the musical notation for [[quarter note]]. The Latin orientation of the letters is used for the ''e'' series, after the names of the Latin letters, ''pe, te,'' etc.

{|class=wikitable
!Blackfoot!!Latin source
|-
| ᑭ ''pe'' || '''P'''
|-
| ᒥ ''te'' || '''T'''
|-
| ᖼ ''ke'' || '''K'''
|-
| ᒋ ''me'' || '''m'''
|-
| ᖸ ''ne'' || '''N'''
|-
| ᖴ ''we'' || [[digamma]] '''Ϝ'''
|}

The direction for each vowel is different from Cree, reflecting Latin alphabetic order. The ''e'' orientation is used for the diphthong {{IPA|/ai/}}. Symbols for consonants are taken from the consonant symbol minus the stem, except for diphthongs (''Ca'' plus {{angle bracket|ᐠ}} for ''Cau'', and ''Ca'' plus {{angle bracket|ᐟ}} for ''Coi'', though there are also cases of writing subphonemic {{IPA|[ai, ei, eu]}} with these finals).

{| class=wikitable
! C !! -a !! -e !! -i !! -o !! final || medial
|- align=center
| (none) || ᖳ || ᖰ || ᖱ || ᖲ || ||
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''p-''' || ᑫ || ᑭ || ᑯ || ᑲ || ᐤ ||
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''t-''' || ᒣ || ᒥ || ᒧ || ᒪ || ᐨ ||
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''k-''' || ᖿ || ᖼ || ᖽ || ᖾ || ᘁ ||
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''m-''' || ᒉ || ᒋ || ᒍ || ᒐ || ᐢ ||
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''n-''' || ᖻ || ᖸ || ᖹ || ᖺ || ᐡ ||
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''s-''' || ᓭ || ᓯ || ᓱ || ᓴ || ᔈ || ᐧ
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''y-''' || ᔦ || ᔨ || ᔪ || ᔭ || ᐟ || ᑉ
|- align=center
| align=left | {{spaces|3}}'''w-''' || ᖷ || ᖴ || ᖵ || ᖶ || ᐠ || ᙿ
|}

There are additional finals: allophones {{angle bracket|ᑊ}} {{IPA|[h]}} and {{angle bracket|ᐦ}} {{IPA|[x]}}, and three medials: {{angle bracket|ᖿᐧ}} {{Transliteration|bla|ksa}}, {{angle bracket|ᒣᐧ}} {{Transliteration|bla|tsa}}, {{angle bracket|ᖿᑉ}} {{Transliteration|bla|kya}}, {{angle bracket|ᖿᙿ}} {{Transliteration|bla|kwa}}.

{{angle bracket|᙮}} is used for a period.

A modified version of the Latin script may also be used for fonts or computers that do not have the sufficient letters used in the standard orthography.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

==== Blackfoot syllabics ====
The Blackfoot syllabics is a [[syllabic script]], developed by Thomas Floyd Heavyrunner, who introduced the syllabics to Sheldon First Rider around the 20th century. Its purpose is for reviving Blackfoot. The syllabics were inspired by the [[Cherokee syllabary]]. They received assistance from Red Iron Labs to develop a keyboard and an app called "oo(kg)ee". The Blackfoot syllabics consists of four charts of 80 characters with plain characters and markings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blackfootlanguagerevival.com|title=Blackfoot Language Revival|access-date=2025-08-17}}</ref>

[[File:Standard Syllabic Characters.jpg|thumb|Table of Blackfoot syllabics (standard)]]

[[File:Syllabics Stops Characters.jpg|thumb|Table of Blackfoot syllabics (stops)]]

[[File:Syllabic Breve Characters.jpg|thumb|Table of Blackfoot syllabics (extension)]]

[[File:Syllabic Short Characters.jpg|thumb|Table of Blackfoot syllabics (infection)]]

=== Literature===
[[John Tims]] was an Anglican clergyman with the [[Church Missionary Society]]. He was at [[Blackfoot reserve]] from 1883 to 1895. Tims translated parts of the Bible into Blackfoot. Selections from Matthew were published by the Church Missionary Society Mission Press in 1887. The Gospel of Matthew was published by the [[British and Foreign Bible Society]] in 1890, and other portions of Scripture were published as Readings from the Holy Scriptures by the [[Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge]] in 1890. He used both Roman script and a [[Canadian Aboriginal syllabics]] script. The Gospel of Mark was translated by Donald G. Frantz and Patricia Frantz, and published by Scriptures Unlimited, a joint venture of the New York Bible Society (later called Biblica) and the World Home Bible League (later called the Bible League) in 1972. The Gospel of John was Translated by Wycliffe Bible Translators and Blackfoot people and published by the [[Canadian Bible Society]] in 1979.

== Causes of endangerment ==
Negative attitude towards Blackfoot is the primary reason for endangerment.<ref name="Freelang-2012">{{Cite web|date=2012-11-05|title=Blackfoot : Learn to be fluent in this endangered language|url=https://www.freelang.net/blog/blackfoot-learn-to-be-fluent-in-this-endangered-language,2012-11/|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Freelang's webzine|language=en-US}}</ref> Most children were discouraged from speaking the minority language in schools or public places.<ref name="Freelang-2012" /> Children were often beaten for speaking their native language and were sent home.<ref name="Freelang-2012" /> Teachers were very ashamed when their students spoke their native language.<ref name="Freelang-2012" />

== Vitality ==
According to the UNESCO Factor 1: Intergenerational Transmission, Blackfoot is classified under severely endangered.<ref name="Dwyer-2011">{{Cite journal|last=Dwyer|first=Arienne M.|date=2011|title=Tools and Techniques for Endangered-language Assessment and Revitalization|url=http://hdl.handle.net/1808/7109|journal=Minority Languages|pages=3|hdl=1808/7109 }}</ref> It is predicted that Blackfoot is used mostly by the grandparental generation and up.<ref name="Dwyer-2011" /> In fact, there are no more than 1500 native speakers, most of whom are likely over the age of 50.<ref name="Frantz-2018">{{Cite web|last=Frantz|first=Donald G|date=November 6, 2018|title=Siksikáíʼpowahsin: Blackfoot Language|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/siksikai-powahsin-blackfoot-language|website=The Canadian Encyclopedia}}</ref> Due to the lack of speakers, the language will likely be extinct within the next 40 years. Once older people pass away, no one will be speaking Blackfoot unless something changes.

According to the UNESCO Factor 9: Amount and Quality of Documentation, there may be adequate grammar or sufficient amount of grammar, dictionaries, and texts.<ref name="Dwyer-2011" /> For example, a secondary documentation exists today, ''Blackfoot Dictionary of Stems, Roots and Affixes, 3rd Edition'' (2017), written by Donald G. Frantz and Norma Jean Russell.<ref name="Frantz-2017">{{Cite book|url=https://utorontopress.com/us/the-blackfoot-dictionary-of-stems-roots-and-affixes-8|title=Blackfoot Dictionary of Stems, Roots, and Affixes|isbn=978-1-4875-2063-2|language=en|last1=Frantz|first1=Donald G.|last2=Russell|first2=Norma Jean|date=January 2017|publisher=University of Toronto Press }}</ref> The newest edition includes more than 1,000 new entries, major additions to verb stems, contains more than 5,500 Blackfoot–English entries, and an English index of more than 6,000 entries.<ref name="Frantz-2017" /> The transcription uses an official, technically accurate alphabet and the authors of this book have classified entries and selected examples based on more than 46 years of research.<ref name="Frantz-2017" /> This book is comprehensive and includes enough information for those who wish to learn Blackfoot and for those who have an interest in Native Studies and North American linguistics.

[[File:Blackfoot language sign at Red Crow Park, in Kainai Nation.jpg|thumb|Blackfoot Language Sign at Red Crow Park, in Kainai Nation, reads "{{Lang|bla|Siksikaitsitapiipaitapiiyssin, Kaamotaan}}" meaning: The Blackfoot way of life, is for survival.]]

== Revitalization efforts ==
In the late 1900s, many tribes began a surge of revitalization efforts to encourage cultural awareness of indigenous customs and traditions. Of these, the Blackfoot revitalization effort has proven to be quite successful, producing various institutions, including a college dedicated to preserving and promoting Blackfoot traditions. Today, there are head-start programs in primary and secondary schools on the reservation to teach even infants and toddlers about the history of the tribe from an early age.

=== Piegan Institute ===
In 1987, Dorothy Still Smoking and Darrell Robes Kipp founded the [[Piegan Institute]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pieganinstitute.org |title=The Piegan Institute}}</ref> a private 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation in Montana dedicated to researching, promoting, and preserving the Native American Languages, particularly the Blackfoot language. Piegan Institute founded Nizipuhwahsin (also Nizi Puh Wah Sin or Niitsípuwahsin or Cuts Wood) School in 1995 as a Blackfoot language K–8 immersion school. Since its inception the school has grown and relocated to the center of Browning, Montana, in a custom-built schoolhouse. Recently, some of the school's first graduates have returned to teach the newest generation the Blackfoot language.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pieganinstitute.org/community.html|title=Cuts Wood Academy – Blackfoot Immersion School in Browning, Montana|work=The Piegan Institute|access-date=2014-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144251/http://www.pieganinstitute.org/community.html|archive-date=2014-04-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Blackfeet Community College ===
[[Blackfeet Community College]] (BCC), founded in 1974, is a two-year, nationally accredited college that was made possible by the Indian Education Act of 1972 and the 1964 Act enacted by the Office of Economic Opportunity. BCC is a member of both the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). It allows teenagers and adults alike to take classes in a wide range of subjects, from classes in Psychology and Digital Photography to classes on Blackfoot language and tradition. They have beginning Blackfoot language classes with labs for members and non-members of the community to learn the language.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Blackfoot Papers|last=Hungry-wolf|first=Adolf|publisher=Good Medicine Cultural Foundation|year=2006|pages=195}}</ref>

=== Chief Mountain Technologies ===
In order to create jobs for the Blackfoot people with real-world applications, the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council launched a company called Chief Mountain Technologies in 2009. This company gives tribal members the opportunity to work in the fields of computer science and business in Browning, Montana, on behalf of various government organizations. The establishment of this company in the Blackfoot community allows the people to use their culture and their language in the modern world while maintaining their traditions.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Blackfoot history and culture|last=Stout|first=Mary|date=2012|publisher=Gareth Stevens Pub|isbn=9781433959561|oclc=698361313|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/blackfoothistory0000stou}}</ref>

===Radio programming in Blackfoot===
Radio station [[KBWG-LP|KBWG]] in [[Browning, Montana]], broadcasts a one-hour show for Blackfoot language learners four times a week.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/KBWG-Brings-Blackfoot-Language-to-Airwaves-119887639.html|title=KBWG Brings Blackfoot Language Lessons to the Airwaves|last=Stephanie Tyrpak|date=2011-04-14|work=KFBB.com|access-date=2012-09-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110419103436/http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/KBWG-Brings-Blackfoot-Language-to-Airwaves-119887639.html|archive-date=2011-04-19}}</ref> The Voice of Browning, Thunder Radio, FM 107.5, or {{Transliteration|bla|Ksistsikam ayikinaan}} (literally 'voice from nowhere') went live in 2010, and focuses on positive programming. In 2011, John Davis, a 21-year-old Blackfeet Community College student explained, "I was the first Blackfeet to ever talk on this radio", Davis said. "This is my [[Counting coup|coup story]]." A story in the ''[[Great Falls Tribune]]'' noted, "When the station was replaying programming that originated elsewhere, the radio was all '[[There's a Tear in My Beer|tear in my beer]]' and '[[Your Cheatin' Heart (Hank Williams, Jr. album)|your cheatin' heart]].' They called it the suicide station for its depressing old country themes{{nbsp}}..." The station's offerings have now expanded beyond country to include AC/DC and Marvin Gaye, and "on-the-air jokes they would never hear on a [[Clear Channel Communications|Clear Channel]] radio station, such as: 'The captain is as cool as [[Government cheese|commodity cheese]].{{'"}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.browningmontana.com/kbwg107.5fm.html|title=KBWG, the 'Voice of Browning Montana' can be heard at 107.5 FM|date=2011-06-11|access-date=2012-09-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401203332/http://www.browningmontana.com/kbwg107.5fm.html|archive-date=2012-04-01}}</ref>

"So far we have broadcasting Monday through Friday from around 6:30, Indian time", quipped station manager Lona Burns, "to around 11, Indian time." ... "Its Indian radio", agreed Running Crane. "Where else can you hear today's hits with [[Native American music|traditional music]]?"<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://cutbankpioneerpress.com/articles/2011/01/19/glacier_reporter/news/doc4d371404bb7cd944393828.txt|title='Voice of Browning' radio station KBWG expanding|last=John McGill|date=2011-01-19|work=Glacier Reporter|access-date=2012-09-09}}</ref>

===Canadian government support{{anchor|Writing System}}===
[[File:Blackfoot stop sign.jpg|thumb|A Blackfoot language Stop Sign at Siksiká Reserve]]

The Canadian government has provided support for the languages through funds and other financial resources. According to James Moore, the former Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, "the Government of Canada is committed to the revitalization and preservation of Aboriginal languages." The funding was put to use in the form of digital libraries containing interviews with native speakers, online courses, and various other resources in the hopes of promoting Blackfoot language and passing it down to subsequent generations. On top of both of these government efforts, the Canadian Government has also provided over $40,000 through the Aboriginal Languages Initiative Fund to promote the use of Aboriginal languages in community and family settings.<ref>Market Wired{{full citation needed|date=December 2014}}</ref>

In 2019 the Canadian government announced their investment of over $1.5 million towards supporting Indigenous languages in Southern Alberta. Eleven out of seventeen projects approved for funding focus on revitalization of the Blackfoot language and include efforts such as language classes, illustrated workbooks, graphic novels, a video game, and a mobile app.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Heritage|first=Canadian|date=2019-08-28|title=Supporting Indigenous Languages in Southern Alberta|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2019/08/supporting-indigenous-languages-in-southern-alberta.html|access-date=2020-12-07|website=gcnws}}</ref>

In addition to federal funding, the Blackfoot language is also supported through Alberta's Indigenous Languages in Education grant program. This program offers up to $285,000 annually towards the development of Indigenous language training, programs, and curricula for instructors between Kindergarten and Grade 12, and an additional $50,000 annually towards development of new resources for Indigenous language teaching and learning.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indigenous Languages in Education grant program|url=https://www.alberta.ca/indigenous-languages-in-education-grant-program.aspx|access-date=2020-11-17|website=www.alberta.ca|language=en-CA}}</ref>

[[File:Blackfoot Handicap Parking Sign.jpg|thumb|A handicap parking sign in Blackfoot, at Red Crow Community College]]

=== Piikani Traditional Knowledge Services ===

[[File:MiiKyaaPii Centre Sign.jpg|thumb|MiiKyaaPii Language House Centre, a centre located by Peigan Board of Education, [[Brocket, Alberta|Brocket]], Alberta, Canada]]

Piikani Traditional Knowledge Services serve the Piikani Nation as the first stop in understanding the development of meaningful relationships with the Indigenous Nation.<ref name="Ira Provost">{{Cite web|title=PTKS Programs & Services|url=http://piikanitks.org/ptks-programs---services.html|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Ira Provost|language=en}}</ref> Their vision is to enhance, preserve, protect, and be keepers of the Piikani culture, language, spirituality, songs, customs, and history.<ref name="Ira Provost" /> This program is committed to sustaining and preserving {{Transliteration|bla|Piikanisinni}}, the way of life of the Piikani, that identifies characteristic values, principles, and integrity maintained from ancient Piikani culture and practices.<ref name="Ira Provost" /> The program includes Piikanissi cultural education and training, Piikanissini cultural mobilization, Piikanissini data management, and provides resources that promote {{Transliteration|bla|Piikanissini}}.<ref name="Ira Provost" /> This program is community-based and focuses on keeping the Blackfoot culture and language alive.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Thomason|first=Sarah Grey|date=2015|title=Endangered Languages: An Introduction|page=166}}</ref>

== Vocabulary ==
Some Blackfoot Vocabulary is presented below.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://dictionary.blackfoot.atlas-ling.ca/#!/results|title= Blackfoot Dictionary|access-date=2025-07-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.galtmuseum.com/blackfoot-1/conversational-blackfoot|title= Conversational Blackfoot|access-date=2025-07-23}}</ref>

=== Word lists ===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Numbers
|-
! Blackfoot !! English
|-
| Niʼtókskaa || One
|-
| Náátoʼka || Two
|-
| Nioókska || Three
|-
| Niisó(yi) || Four
|-
| Nisitó(yi) || Five
|-
| Náao(yi) || Six
|-
| Ihkitsíkaa || Seven
|-
| Náániso(yi) || Eight
|-
| Piihkssó(yi) || Nine
|-
| Kiipó(yi) || Ten
|-
| Niʼtsikópotto || Eleven
|-
| Náátsikopotto || Twelve
|-
| Niiíkopotto || Thirteen
|-
| Niisóíkopotto || Fourteen
|-
| Niisitsíkopotto || Fifteen
|-
| Náaikopotto || Sixteen
|-
| Ihkitsikikopotto || Seventeen
|-
| Náánisikopotto || Eighteen
|-
| Piihkssikopotto || Nineteen
|-
| Náátsippo || Twenty
|-
| Niiyíppo || Thirty
|-
| Niisíppo || Forty
|-
| Niisitsippo || Fifty
|-
| Náaippo || Sixty
|-
| Ihkitsikippo || Seventy
|-
| Náánisippo || Eighty
|-
| Piihkssippo || Ninety
|-
| Kiipíppo || One hundred
|-
| Omahksíkiipippo || One thousand
|-
| iksíkkáaaʼsi || One million
|-
| omahkssaikimaiksikkáaaʼsi || One trillion
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Animals
|-
! Blackfoot !! English
|-
| Píítaa || Eagle
|-
| Ksikkihkíni || Bald Eagle
|-
| Otaikimmio’tokaan || Golden Eagle
|-
| Kiááyo || Bear
|-
| Iiníí || Buffalo (Bison)
|-
| Áwákaasii || Deer
|-
| Issikotoyi / Síkohtoyi / Áísikotoyi || Mule Deer
|-
| Áwatoyi / Paahkoomokonaisikaayayi || White tail deer
|-
| Saokiawakaasi || Pronghorn
|-
| Makóyi || Wolf
|-
| Matsiyíkkapisaa || Frog
|-
| Ponoká || Elk
|-
| Ponokáómitaa || Horse
|-
| Ókoʼsiipokaa || Colt
|-
| Ááattsistaa || Rabbit
|-
| Sspopíi || Turle
|-
| Míísinsski || Badger
|-
| Piʼkssíí || Bird
|-
| Póós || Cat
|-
| Áápotskina || Cow
|-
| Aiksippoyinnomoa || Milk cow
|-
| Onistaahs || Calf
|-
| Áísaayoohkomi || Bull
|-
| Imitáá || Dog
|-
| Mamíí || Fish
|-
| Sinopáá || Fox
|-
| Omahkokata || Gopher
|-
| Áíksini || Pig
|-
| Kaiskááhpa / Kaaysskááhp || Porcupine
|-
| Íímahkihkinaa || Sheep
|-
| Piksííksiinaa / Pitsííksiinaa || Snake
|-
| Aapíʼsi || Coyote
|-
| Naanaisskiinaa || Mouse
|-
| Áápiikayi || Skunk
|-
| Kitsisomahkokata || Raccoon
|-
| Otáá / Áápaa || Weasel
|-
| Natáyo / Natááyo || Lynx
|-
| Omahkatayo || Cougar
|-
| Áápomahkihkinaa || Mountain goat
|-
| Sikihtsisoo || Moose
|-
| Áímmóniisi || Otter
|-
| Ksísskstaki || Beaver
|-
| Soyiiʼkayi || Mink
|-
| Míʼsohpsski || Muskrat
|-
| Komoyokstsiikinakim || Worm
|-
| Soyʼsksíssi || Fly
|-
| Áísskoʼkíínaa || Ant
|-
| Ksisówáwakaasi / Ksiwáwákaasi || Spider
|-
| Naamóó || Bee
|-
| Apánii || Butterfly
|-
| Ksisohksísi || Mosquito
|-
| Tsikatsíí || Grasshopper
|-
| Naamsskíí || Lizard
|-
| Maiʼstóó || Crow
|-
| Omahkáí'stoo || Raven
|-
| Sipistto || Owl
|-
| Omahksiipiiʼkssíí || Turkey
|-
| Kakkoo || Pigeon
|-
| Saʼáí || Duck
|-
| Áápsspini || Goose
|-
| Ksikkómahkayii / Imííhkayii || Swan
|-
| Matsííyiiʼsaiʼpiyi || Loon
|-
| Mamiáʼtsíkimi || Magpie
|-
| Otahkoikayis || Yellow Flicker
|-
| Soohksiisiimsstaan || Meadow Lark
|-
| Ótsskoisisttsi || Blue Bird (Blue Jay)
|-
| Paahpaakssksisii || Woodpecker
|-
| Áótahkááokayis || Robin
|-
| Áyinnimaa || Hawk
|-
| Aapiipíssoohtsi || Marsh Hawk
|-
| Omahksisttsiipanikimm || Hawk (Cooper's Hawk)
|-
| Iihpohsóaʼtsii || American rough-legged hawk
|-
| Íípakssóaʼtsimioʼp || Rough-legged hawk
|-
| Ótahkohsóaʼtsis || Redtail hawk
|-
| Písspsksi || Sparrow hawk (American Kestral Falcon)
|-
| Síkohpoyitaipanikimm || Swainson's hawk
|-
| Áóksspiakii / Maká’pipiitaa || Bat
|-
| Niʼtawáakii || Chicken
|-
| Ómahkiʼtawáakii || Rooster
|-
| Kíítokii || Prairie Chicken
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Body parts
|-
! Blackfoot !! English
|-
| Moistóm || Body
|-
| Ohkin || Bone
|-
| Yaamsstsinniman || Braid
|-
| Moʼp / Oʼp || Brain
|-
| Mónnikis || Breast
|-
| Máókayis || Chest
|-
| Mohtóókis / Ohtookis || Ear
|-
| Mohkínsstsis || Elbow
|-
| Moápssp || Eye
|-
| Mosstoksís / Mosstiksís || Face
|-
| Mookítsis || Finger / Toe
|-
| Moʼtsís || Hand / Arm
|-
| Moʼtokáán || Head / Hair
|-
| Mohkát(i) || Leg / Foot
|-
| Maoó || Mouth
|-
| Awóʼtaanookitsis || nail of the toe or finger
|-
| Mohksisís || Nose
|-
| Mohpííkin || Tooth
|-
| Matsiní || Tongue
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Clothing
|-
! Blackfoot !! English
|-
| Istotoohsin || Clothes
|-
| Istotóóhsinniaawa || Clothing
|-
| Kiááyo immoyáán / Kiááyootokis || Bear robe
|-
| Óʼkinisókaʼsim || Blouse
|-
| Áwákaasiisókaʼsim || Buckskin dress
|-
| Áwákaasiistotoohsin || Buckskin outfit
|-
| Iiníí immoyáán || Buffalo robe
|-
| Isspakóótohtonaitsikin || High-topped moccasin
|-
| Aakáísatstaais / Aakáísatstaa || Hudson Bay Coat/blanket
|-
| Isttsikánokoisokaʼsim / Isttsikapokoisokaʼsim || Leather jacket
|-
| Naaipisstsiitsikin || Sport shoe, sneaker
|-
| Niitsítsikin || Moccasin
|-
| Maaan || Shawl
|-
| Isttohksísokaʼsim || Shirt
|-
| Asókaʼsim || Jacket, Dress
|-
| Ótsskoitsis / Áttsii || Overall pants
|-
| Atsikín || Shoe
|-
| Atóʼahsim || Sock
|-
| Isttsómoʼkaan || Hat
|-
| Aamsskáápaipisstsioksim || Pendleton Coat
|-
| Iihtáísoksistawaʼsaoʼp || Vest
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Colours
|-
! Blackfoot !! English
|-
| Siksinááttsi(wa) || Black
|-
| Apoyíínaattsi(wa) / Sikoyahkoinááttsi(wa) || Brown
|-
| Áótahkoinááttsi(wa) || Orange
|-
| I’kiinááttsi(wa) || Pink
|-
| Sáíssksiimokoinaattsi(wa) || Green
|-
| Máóhksinááttsi(wa) || Red
|-
| Ksikksinááttsi(wa) || White
|-
| Ótsskoinaattsi(wa) || Blue
|-
| Ikkitsinááttsi(wa) || Grey
|-
| Ótahkoinááttsi(wa) || Yellow
|-
| Sikotssoinááttsi(wa) || Purple
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Commands
|-
! Blackfoot !! English
|-
| Píít! || Come in! (Singular)
|-
| Píík! || Come in! (Plural)
|-
| Sáksit! || Go outside! (Singular)
|-
| Sáksik || Go outside! (Plural)
|-
| Pohsápot! || Come here! (Singular)
|-
| Pohsápok! || Come here! (Plural)
|-
| Misstápot! || Go away! (Singular)
|-
| Misstápok! || Go away! (Plural)
|-
| Mákopiit! || Sit down! (Singular)
|-
| Mákopiik! || Sit down! (Plural)
|-
| Popóyiit! || Stand up! (Singular)
|-
| Popóyiik! || Stand up! (Plural)
|-
| Káyinnit kitsím! || Open the door!
|-
| O'kíít kitsím! || Close the door!
|-
| Ooyít! || Eat! (Singular)
|-
| Ooyík! || Eat! (Plural)
|-
| Simít! || Drink! (Singular)
|-
| Simík! || Drink! (Plural)
|-
| Ko’kíít! || Give it to me!
|-
| Kótsis! || Give to him!/her!
|-
| Óóhkimaat! || Wait! (Singular)
|-
| Óóhkimaak! || Wait! (Plural)
|-
| Sokáí’piiyit! || Stop!
|-
| Pokákit! || Wake up! (Singular)
|-
| Pokákik! || Wake up! (Plural)
|-
| Powáót! || Get up! (Singular)
|-
| Powáók || Get up! (Plural)
|-
| Issiskíítsit! || Wash your face!
|-
| Istsimííyit! || Wash your hands!
|-
| Issiikííniistsit || Brush your teeth!
|-
| Ákksskiinííyit || Comb your hair!
|-
| Mátoyokaat! || Go to sleep!
|-
| Saotááwahkaat! || Go outside and play!
|-
| Isspómmokit! || Help me!
|-
| Isspómmos! || Help him!/her!
|-
| Issákit! || Wash the dishes!
|-
| Ksikkápistotákit! || Clean up!
|-
| Kitsitáyokahpa! || Clean up your bedroom!
|-
| Aksistótohsit! || Put your clothes on!
|-
| Máá’ksaapsskaohsit! || Put your coat on!
|-
| Iksskóópiit! || Sit still! (Singular)
|-
| Iksskóópiik! || Sit still! (Plural)
|-
| Isstsánopiit! || Sit and listen! (Singular)
|-
| Isstsánopiik! || Sit and listen! (Plural)
|-
| Mátoyakopiit! || Go and sit down! (Singular)
|-
| Mátoyakopiik! || Go and sit down! (Plural)
|-
| Ámm istópiit! || Sit here! (Singular)
|-
| Ámm istópiik! || Sit here! (Plural)
|-
| Omm istópiit! || Sit there! (Singular)
|-
| Omm istópiik! || Sit there! (Plural)
|-
| Issámokit! || Look at me! (Singular)
|-
| Issámokik! || Look at me! (Plural)
|-
| Isstsííyit! || Listen! (Singular)
|-
| Isstsííyik! || Listen! (Plural)
|-
| Nitákit! || Hurry! (Singular)
|-
| Nitákik! || Hurry! (Plural)
|-
| Oo’kíí! / Okí! || Let's go!
|-
| Anákimaat! || Turn on the lights!
|-
| Misstápohtoot! || Put it away!
|-
| Misstápapiksit! || Throw it away!
|-
| Kakó! || Go ahead!
|-
| Iiyiká’kimaat || Try hard! (Singular)
|-
| Iiyiká’kimaak || Try hard! (Plural)
|-
| Mááksipoyit! || Line up!
|-
| Máksstsitsikit! || Put your shoes on!
|-
| Mákssapsskaohsit! || Put your jacket on!
|}

== Sample text ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+[[Lord's Prayer]]
!English<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Lord's Prayer The prayer which teaches people to pray. |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/faith-life/what-we-believe/lords-prayer |access-date=2025-07-05 |website=}}</ref>
!Blackfoot<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lcsuttie.weebly.com/prayer.html|title=Prayers in Blackfoot|access-date=2025-07-06}}</ref>
|-
|Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;

thy kingdom come;

thy will be done;

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.
|Aayo kinnoon, Spoohtsi kitsitaopi
Kitsinihkaʼsimi ikainaiiyiʼtsiʼp;

Naakoohk itoʼtoohpinaan anniihk

kitsiʼtaamipaitapiiyssini, Aann kaanistaiʼtaam

iksimsstatoʼpi kookoowaayi spoohtsi,

Aann akoohkattanistaisiiwa anno ksaahkoyi.

Kokkinaan naahksowatoʼpinnaani annohk ksiistoikoi;

Noohk aisskahsiʼtsit nipahtsaʼpssinnaanistsi,

Aann naanistaisskahsiʼtsiʼpinnaani

naanistaipahtsiistotootsipinnaani.

Miinoohk itoʼtsiipiookinnaan iiyikoyi,

ooki noohksikamotssiipiookinnaan

Aamoistsiyay noohkaohsiihkatooʼpi.

Amen.
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Baldwin|first1=S. J.|date=1994|title= Blackfoot Neologisms|journal=International Journal of American Linguistics|volume=60|issue=1|pages= 69–72|jstor=1265481|doi=10.1086/466218|s2cid=224808614}}
* Berman, H. (2006, April 1). Studies in Blackfoot Prehistory. Retrieved February 12, 2016,
* Bortolin, Leah and Sean McLennan.  ''A Phonetic Analysis of Blackfoot''.  MS, University of Calgary, 1995.
* Denzer-King, R. (n.d.). Google Books. Retrieved February 12, 2016
* Derrick, D. (n.d.). Syllabification and Blackfoot. Retrieved February 10, 2016, from [https://web.archive.org/web/20180511002318/http://www.ece.ubc.ca/~donaldd/publications/proceedings_NWLC22_donald_derrick.pdf http://www.ece.ubc.ca/~donaldd/publications/proceedings_NWLC22_donald_der  rick.pdf]
* Frantz, Donald G. and Norma Jean Russell. ''Blackfoot Dictionary of Stems, Roots, and Affixes'', Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2017. {{ISBN|9781487520632}} (Second edition published 1995, {{ISBN|0-8020-0767-8}}). (First edition published 1989, {{ISBN|0-8020-2691-5}}). 
*{{cite book |last=Frantz |first=Donald G. |title=Blackfoot Grammar |orig-year=1991 |year=2017 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=9781487520649}} (Second edition published 1997, {{ISBN|0-8020-7978-4}}).
* {{cite journal | last1 = Gick | first1 = B. | last2 = Bliss | first2 = H. | last3 = Michelson | first3 = K. | last4 = Radanov | first4 = B. | year = 2012| title =  Articulation without acoustics: 'Soundless' vowels in Oneida and Blackfoot| doi = 10.1016/j.wocn.2011.09.002 | volume=40 | journal=Journal of Phonetics | pages=46–53}}
* [[Gerardus Johannes Geers|Geers, Gerardus Johannes]], "The Adverbial and Prepositional Prefixes in Blackfoot", [[dissertation]]. [[Leiden]], 1921
* {{cite journal | last1 = Hanks | year = 1954 | title = A Psychological Exploration in the Blackfoot Language | journal = International Journal of American Linguistics | volume = 20 | issue = 3| pages = 195–205 | jstor=1263343 | doi=10.1086/464277| s2cid = 145249192 }}
* {{Cite video
| publisher = Native Voices Public Television Workshop
| people = [[Darrell Kipp|Kipp, Darrell]], Joe Fisher (Director)
| title = Transitions: Destruction of a Mother Tongue
| access-date = 2012-12-03
| date = 1991
| url = http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/how/find/films/indian/t.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130104164342/http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/how/find/films/indian/t.html
| archive-date = 2013-01-04
}}
* {{cite book |last=Mithun |first=Marianne |author-link=Marianne Mithun |title=The Languages of Native North America |url=https://archive.org/details/rosettaproject_esi_detail-1 |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0-521-29875-X}}
* {{cite journal |last=Miyashita |first=M. |year=2011 |title=Five Blackfoot Lullabies |journal=Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society |volume=155 |issue=3 |pages=276–293 |jstor=23208685}}
* [[C. C. Uhlenbeck|Uhlenbeck, C.C.]] ''A Concise Blackfoot Grammar Based on Material from the Southern Peigans'', New York: AMS, 1978. (Originally published 1938 by Hollandsche Uitgevers-Maatschappij, Amsterdam, in series ''Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam'', Afdeeling Letterkunde. Nieuwe Reeks, Deel XLI) {{ISBN|0-404-15976-1}}
* Uhlenbeck, C.C. ''An English-Blackfoot Vocabulary'', New York: AMS, 1979. (Originally published 1930 in series: ''Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam'', Afd. Letterkunde, Nieuwe Reeks, Deel 29, No. 4) {{ISBN|0-404-15796-3}}
* Uhlenbeck, C.C. and R.H. van Gulik. ''A Blackfoot-English Vocabulary Based on Material from the Southern Peigans'', Amsterdam: Uitgave van de N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers-Jaatschapp-ij, 1934. (''Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie Van WetenSchappen te Amsterdam''. Afdeeling Letterkunde, Nieuwe Reeks, Deel XXXIII, No. 2)
* {{Cite book | edition = 2005 | publisher = University of Calgary Press| isbn = 9780803218284| last = Uhlenbeck-Melchior| first = Wilhelmina Maria| title = Montana 1911 : a professor and his wife among the Blackfeet : Wilhelmina Maria Uhlenbeck-Melchior's diary and C. C. Uhlenbeck's original Blackfoot texts and a new series of Blackfoot texts | year = 2005| location = Calgary }}<!--| access-date = 2012-07-29-->
* Uhlenbeck, Christianus Cornelius. 1912. A new series of Blackfoot texts: from the southern Peigans Blackfoot Reservation Teton County Montana. (Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam, Afdeeling    Letterkunde, N.R. 13.1.) Amsterdam: Müller. x+264pp. Retrieved from http://glottolog.org/resource/reference/id/127554
* Uhlenbeck, Christianus Cornelius. 1938. A Concise Blackfoot Grammar. Amsterdam: Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers-Maatschappij. Retrieved from    http://glottolog.org/resource/reference/id/100587
{{Refend}}

== Further reading ==
*Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y. 2007. "Typological distinctions in word-formation." Language Typology and Syntactic Description: Vol 3, ed. by T. Shopen, 1–65. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 
*Armoskaite, Solveiga. 2011. The destiny of roots in Blackfoot and Lithuanian. PhD Dissertation, University of British Columbia. 
*{{cite web|author=Bortolin, Leah and Sean McLennan|year=1995|title=Blackfoot|work=University of Calgary, Alberta|url=http://www.shaav.com/professional/linguistics/blackfoot.html|access-date=2017-04-16}}
*{{cite web|last=Frantz|first=Donald G.|title=The Blackfoot Language|work=Lethbridge, Alberta, University of Lethbridge|url=http://people.uleth.ca/~frantz/blkft.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110020054/http://people.uleth.ca/~frantz/blkft.html|access-date=2017-04-16|archive-date=2015-01-10}}
*{{cite web|last=Frantz|first=Donald G.|year=1999|title=The Sounds of Blackfoot|work=Lethbridge, Alberta, University of Lethbridge|url=http://people.uleth.ca/~frantz/blsounds.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523195858/http://people.uleth.ca/~frantz/blsounds.html|access-date=2007-04-11|archive-date=2007-05-23}}
*{{cite book|last=Gibson|first=Karen B.|year=2003|title=The Blackfeet: People of the Dark Moccasins|location=Mankato, Minnesota|publisher=Bridgestone Books|isbn=978-0736815659}}
*{{cite web|editor1=Hammarström, Harald|editor2=Robert Forkel|editor3=Martin Haspelmath|year=2017|title=Glottolog 3.0.|location=Jena, Germany|publisher=Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History|url=http://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/siks1238}}
* {{cite book|last=Thomason|first=Sarah Grey|year=2015|title=Endangered Languages: An Introduction|volume=166|location=Cambridge, England|publisher=Cambridge University Press}}

==External links==
{{Incubator|code= bla}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130410212545/http://www.pieganinstitute.org/pieganindex.html Piegan Institute]
* [http://www2.umt.edu/ling/BLG/BlackfootDictionary/home.html Blackfoot Language Group, University of Montana]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150110020054/http://people.uleth.ca/~frantz/blkft.html Don Frantz's page on the Blackfoot language]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040404092448/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/Blackfoot-english/ Blackfoot – English Dictionary]: from *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120223164907/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/ Webster's Online Dictionary] – [[The Rosetta Edition]].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716004650/http://www.saokioheritage.com/Blackfeet%20Language.html Blackfeet Language] at Saokio Heritage
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110621010914/http://www.blackfootdigitallibrary.org/ Blackfoot Digital Library.org]
*[https://www.jw.org/bla/ Biblical online study material (articles, publications, audio and video files) in Blackfoot language] by Jehovah's Witnesses
* [https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0611/p11s01-legn.html Tribal immersion schools rescue language and culture]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_tjHXozK3w&list=ULqAUgc5hHAHU Teacher on use of Nintendo for Siksika instruction]
* [http://www.language-archives.org/language/bla OLAC resources in and about the Siksika language]
* Stocken, Harry W.G.: [http://hdl.handle.net/2027/aeu.ark:/13960/t8gf1h36n First ten chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel] = ᖳᐦᓱᒧᐧᖹᖽᐧᖹ ᒉᒧᔭ ᖲᐨᓱᖻᐟᑊᑯ (Akhsitsiniksini Matiyo otsinaihpi). Toronto?, 1888 ([http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/1755.html Peel 1755])

{{Clear}}
{{Blackfoot}}
{{Algonquian languages}}
{{Languages of the United States}}
{{Languages of Montana}}
{{Languages of Canada}}
{{First Nations in Alberta}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackfoot Language}}
[[Category:Blackfoot culture]]
[[Category:Polysynthetic languages]]
[[Category:Plains Algonquian languages]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Plains]]
[[Category:First Nations languages in Canada]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of Montana]]
[[Category:Canadian Aboriginal syllabics]]
[[Category:Native American language revitalization]]
[[Category:Exonyms]]