Siouan

noun

Siou·​an ˈsü-ən How to pronounce Siouan (audio)
1
: a family of languages spoken by Indigenous peoples of central and southeastern North America
2
plural Siouan : a member of any of the peoples speaking Siouan languages

Examples of Siouan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In North Carolina, a charter school came under fire for demanding that a first-grade boy who is a member of the Waccamaw Siouan Tribe and wears his hair long for religious and cultural reasons cut his hair to be in compliance with the school’s grooming standards. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Siouan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Siouan was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near Siouan

Cite this Entry

“Siouan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Siouan. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Siouan

noun
Siou·​an ˈsü-ən How to pronounce Siouan (audio)
1
: an American Indian language stock of central and southeastern North America
2
: a member of any of the American Indian peoples speaking Siouan languages
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