Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A Siouan language: Hidatsa is a Native American language belonging to the Siouan language family, historically spoken by the Hidatsa people.
   • A member of a Sioux people: Hidatsa refers to an individual belonging to a Native American tribe historically located along the Missouri River in present-day North Dakota.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (Language):

  • Fewer than 100 fluent speakers of Hidatsa remain today.
  • The linguist is documenting the grammar of the Hidatsa language.

• Proper noun (People):

  • A Hidatsa taught the expedition vital survival skills.
  • The museum exhibit honors the history and culture of the Hidatsa.

Advanced Usage

• Ethnonym: The term is used as an ethnonym to identify the people and their cultural attributes collectively.
  • Traditional Hidatsa agriculture centered on corn, beans, and squash.

Variants and Related Words

• Gros Ventre: A historical name sometimes used for the Hidatsa people, though this term can cause confusion with the unrelated Atsina people.
• Minitari: An alternate name for the Hidatsa, used by some other tribes.

Synonyms

• None as a proper noun: For the people, related terms include "Native American," "Plains Indian," or "Sioux" (in a broad, historical context), but these are not direct synonyms as they refer to larger or different groupings.

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