Ontichuka!

This page is a searchable dictionary for the Alabama language, a Muskogean Language spoken by the Alabama people of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas and formerly spoken in the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town in Oklahoma.

The Alabama Coushatta tribe is a fully functioning sovereign nation and the oldest reservation in Texas. Currently, the tribe has approximately 1400 members, around half of which live on the reservation. For more information on the Alabama-Coushatta government, history, human services, and more visit (the tribal website). 

The Alabama Dictionary Online is the result of a collaborative project between the Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas and the WOLF (Working on Language in the Field) Lab at Harvard University. The dictionary consists of dictionary data collected through an original documentation project by Cora Sylestine, Heather K. Hardy, and Thomas Montler [Original Dictionary]. All grammatical information and voice recording have been compiled and added by the WOLF lab, which began a language revitalization and documentation project with the tribe in 2024. All audio clips are approved by speakers, who decide whether to be referred to by their name or pseudonym, and all material collected is owned and shared with the tribe. 

Guidelines and Usage

This dictionary was made to document and share lexical and grammatical information for the Alabama language. The dictionary tab contains a searchable database for words in either English or Alabama: the same search bar will handle either. Some words have one or multiple audio recordings from native speakers. Another feature of the dictionary tab is the agreement patterns, or how to change the verbs based on who you are talking about. For instance, if you go to the verb “bitli” (to dance) the website will show “bitlili-ti” meaning I danced, among other forms. 

In the “lesson” tab there are various lessons created by the WOLF lab, that have grammatical instructions and practice exercises. As the lab further develops language curriculum, lessons are uploaded onto the website.

Contact

For concerns, inquiries or other contact, send an email to alabamadictionary@gmail.com