Definition

Noun 1. A Siouan language: A member of the Siouan language family, historically spoken by the Hidatsa people. 2. A member of a Sioux people: A person belonging to a Native American tribe, also known as the Hidatsa, who historically lived along the Missouri River in western North Dakota.

Usage Examples

• As a language:
  • Linguists study Gros Ventre to understand its relationship to other Siouan languages.
  • Efforts are being made to revitalize the Gros Ventre language among the younger generation.
• As a people:
  • The Gros Ventre were skilled farmers and traders along the Missouri.
  • A Gros Ventre elder shared stories about the tribe's history.

Advanced Usage

• The term "Gros Ventre" is a French name meaning "big belly," given by French traders. The people's own name for themselves is Hidatsa. In contemporary and respectful usage, "Hidatsa" is often preferred.
  • The Hidatsa, historically called the Gros Ventre by Europeans, are one of the Three Affiliated Tribes.

Variants and Related Words

• Hidatsa (noun): The preferred autonym (name a group uses for itself) for the Gros Ventre people and their language.
• Atsina (noun): A distinct, unrelated Algonquian-speaking tribe also historically called "Gros Ventre" by French traders, which can cause confusion. Context is essential.

Synonyms

• Hidatsa (for the people and the language)

Notes on Meaning

• The term has two primary, closely related meanings: it refers to a specific Native American people (the Hidatsa) and to the Siouan language they speak.
• It is important to distinguish this Siouan "Gros Ventre" (Hidatsa) from the Algonquian "Gros Ventre" (Atsina) tribe, as they are different nations with different languages and histories.

Noun

1. a Siouan language spoken by the Hidatsa
2. a member of the Sioux people formerly inhabiting an area along the Missouri river in western North Dakota