Lakota or "Lakhota" (as it is also commonly spelled) is the largest of the five major dialects of the Sioux language. The Lakota dialect represents one of the largest Native American language speech communities left in the United States, having approx. 8000-9000 speakers living mostly in northern plains states of North and South Dakota. Lakota is predominantly associated with the Teton Sioux bands living west of the Missouri River. The language was first put into written form by missionaries ca. 1840 and has since evolved to reflect contemporary needs and usage. Lakota is part of the Siouan language family.
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