The O’odham Piipaash Language Program (OPLP) is the designated Community agency for documenting, promoting and settings standards for the O’odham and Piipaash languages in the SRPMIC. Through our classes and programs our staff works towards revitalization and preservation of the Languages for the Community.
Language Instruction
There are several programs in the Community that provide instruction to different demographic groups. The OPLP primarily provides non-academic Community language classes and activities for adults and their families. O’odham and Piipaash language classes are provided twice a year, in the Spring and Fall. Check the Cultural Resources Department website or follow our social media pages for announcements of classes.
The OPLP also acts as a central resource for other Community programs, language instructors and general membership, providing guidance and support with spellings, definitions, translations, grammar and development of new words.
Language Documentation
The O’odham Piipaash Language Program (OPLP) plays a vital role in preserving and supporting the O’odham and Piipaash languages. Key responsibilities and activities include:
- Researching, recording, and documenting the O’odham and Piipaash languages to ensure their survival and vitality for SRPMIC members.
- Meeting regularly with:
- O’odham and Piipaash speakers to learn from fluent community members.
- Staff from other tribal programs to expand understanding of the languages and dialects currently spoken.
- Collaborating with archival institutions to collect and preserve legacy language materials, including:
- Audio recordings.
- Field notes and written documentation created by previous researchers and linguists.
- • Ensuring that these efforts contribute to the long-term cultural and linguistic preservation of the Community.
Language Planning and Promotion
The O’odham Piipaash Language Program realizes that long-term planning is important for the survival of the Languages of the Community. It is critical that we continually develop resources that enable SRPMIC members to access O’odham and Piipaash language.
Past efforts have seen the development of the SRPMIC official writing systems, O’odham and Piipaash phrasebooks and language videos accessible on CRD social media. OPLP staff is currently working towards development of future resources (dictionary database, language curricula, language trainings) that will provide more avenues for SRPMIC members to learn and incorporate O’odham and Piipaash language into their daily lives.
O’odham Orthography
Understanding the written form of the O’odham language begins with its orthography — a carefully developed system that reflects the distinct sounds, rhythms, and structure of the language. The modified Alvarez-Hale orthography used by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community includes specific symbols and pronunciation rules to support accurate reading, writing, and teaching of O’odham. Below, you’ll find helpful tools including a pronunciation guide, consonant and vowel charts, explanations of long and short vowels, diphthongs, and the unique sound known as “Engwa.” Whether you’re learning to speak, teach, or simply understand the language more deeply, these resources offer an essential foundation.
O’odham Alphabet
Pronunciation Guide
The O’odham Piipaash Language Program uses a modified version of the Alvarez-Hale Orthography developed by Dr. Albert Alvarez (Tohono O’odham) and Dr. Kenneth Hale. The O’odham Piipaash Language Program has modified this orthography to include the letters d and v to accommodate the O’odham as spoken in this area. This alphabet does not make use of the English letters f, q, r, x, z.
Stress
Stress falls on the initial syllable of the root word.
Vowels
The O’odham alphabet contains five (5) short vowels and five (5) long vowels. The principal difference between long and short vowels is the duration for which they are held. In addition, O’odham has a voiceless (whispered) vowel that is marked with a breve (˘) symbol. Breve vowels usually occur at the end of a word.
Short Vowels
| Letter | Sound | O’odham | Milga:n |
| a | father | ba’ag | eagle |
| e | earth | eldagĭ | skin |
| i | machine | iks | cloth |
| o | all | oks | old woman |
| u | brute | uvĭ | female |
Long Vowels
Breve Vowel
A vowel with a breve above it is pronounced without vibration of your voicebox and with noticeable aspiration. It may be difficult to hear but sounds like a whispered i vowel that is mostly found at the end of words. It is an important sound in O’odham that contributes to a difference in meaning between similar words.
| Letter | Sound | O’odham | Milga:n |
| ĭ | voiceless (whispered i vowel) | svegĭ | red |
Consonants
The O’odham alphabet contains twenty-two (22) consonants
| Letter | Sound | O’odham | Milga:n |
| ‘ | Like the pause in ‘uh-oh’ | ‘a’al | children |
| b | big | ban | coyote |
| c | chip | cehia | little girl |
| d | this | do’ag | mountain |
| ḍ | but | taḍ | foot |
| d | dam | judum | bear |
| g | go | gogs | dog |
| h | hot | huñ | corn |
| j | job | ju:k | rain |
| k | kiss | kanjel | light |
| l | rolling “l“ | lial | money |
| m | miss | mi:tol | cat |
| n | no | nalaṣ | orange |
| ñ | canyon | ñui | buzzard |
| ŋ | thing | va:ŋgo | bank |
| p | pot | pilkañ | pear |
| s | see | sitol | safety pin |
| ṣ | ship | ṣu:ṣk | shoes |
| t | thin | taṣ | sun |
| v | vine | viohog | violin |
| w | what | wuihioṣa | face |
| y | yes | yavĭ | key |
Diphthongs
Diphthongs are most easily explained as instances where one vowel glides into a different vowel. Below are some common diphthongs found in O’odham. In the O’odham alphabet, diphthongs are represented by a sequence of vowel plus vowel.
Piipaash Orthography
The Piipaash language follows a writing system known as the Xalychidom Alphabet, created to reflect the unique sounds and structures of the language as spoken in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. This system includes rules for vowels, consonants, diphthongs, glottal stops, stress, and pluralization — all essential to accurate pronunciation and understanding. Whether you’re exploring Piipaash for the first time or deepening your knowledge, this section offers foundational tools to support respectful language use and continued revitalization. Dive in to learn how the written and spoken forms of Piipaash come together through this community-informed orthography.
The Xalychidom Alphabet
The alphabet we are using is one that has been developed by a group of tribal members from the Community. We use Roman symbols as the English alphabet does, but they do not necessarily represent the same sounds as English letters. So, if you go about trying to read Piipaash as if it were English, you will likely pronounce the words wrong. You will have to learn this writing system letter by letter, and leave English rules aside
Some Maricopa sounds do not exist in English (and vice-versa), so it can be difficult to describe them to English speakers. In the second column below, an approximate English equivalent is provided.
Stress
Stress falls on the final syllable of the root word (e.g., pii-paash΄ not pii΄-paash)
Vowels
The Piipaash alphabet contains five (5) short vowels and five (5) long vowels. The principal difference between long and short vowels is the duration for which they are held.
Short Vowels
| Letter | Sound | Piipaash | English |
| a | like the /a/ in father | ’a | saguaro cactus |
| e | usually like the /e/ in pet | ’ave | snake |
| i | usually like the /i/ in sit | dish | seed |
| o | like the /o/ in go | iitho | stomach |
| u | like the /u/ in flute | kuchar | spoon |
Long Vowels
| Letter | Sound | Piipaash | grape |
| aa | like the /a/ in father | paap | potato |
| ee | usually like the /a/ in play | ’avee | mouse |
| ii | usually like the /ee/ in cheek | mariik | bean |
| oo | like the /o/ in go | iidoo | tooth/teeth |
| uu | like the /u/ in flute | ’uuvs | grape |
Consonants
The Piipaash alphabet contains twenty-six (26) consonant sounds.
| Letter | Sound | Piipaash | English |
| ‘ | like the pause in ”uh-oh’ | a’ar | tail |
| ch | like the /ch/ in chair | chii | fish |
| d | like the /th/ in there | thadish | corn |
| f | like the /f/ in fish | kafee | coffee |
| k | like the /k/ in kiss | kosh | pig |
| kw | like the /qu/ in queen | kwnxo | basket |
| ky | like the /cu/ in cute | mathkyaaly | ramada |
| l | like the /l/ in land | lames | table |
| ly | like the /ll/ in million | kalyaap | prickly pear |
| m | like the /m/ in man | maa | milk |
| n | like the /n/ in name | npee | wheat |
| ng | like the /ng/ in song | narangk | orange |
| ny | like the /ny/ in canyon | nyaa | I/sun/east/day |
| p | like the /p/ in spin | paan | bread |
| q | like /k/ but pronounced further back in the throat | vqor | fruit |
| qw | like /kw/ but pronounced further back in the throat | qwaaq | deer |
| r | rolled like Spanish /rr/ in perro | rav | chili |
| s | like the /s/ in salt | sny’ak | woman |
| sh | like the /sh/ in share | shiyal | money |
| t | like the /t/ in talk | mat | dirt/earth |
| th | like the /th/ in thousand | tha’ur | chair |
| v | like the /v/ in victory | va | house |
| w | like the /w/ in win | iiwaa | heart |
| x | like the German /ch/ in Bach | xa | water |
| xw | like the /x/ but with rounded lips | milxwee | skunk |
| y | like the /y/ in yes | iiyaa | mouth |
Dipthongs
Diphthongs are most easily explained as instances where one vowel glides into a different vowel. Below are some common diphthongs found in Piipaash. In the Piipaash alphabet, diphthongs are represented by a sequence of vowel plus glide consonant (w or y)
| Letter | Sound | Piipaash | English |
| oy | like the /oy/ in boy | ’akooy | older woman |
| aw | like the /ow/ in cow | xaly’aw | rabbit / cottontail |
| ew | no similar sound in English | chew | pottery |
| ay | like the /ay/ in cayenne | ’iikway | cow |
| uy | like the /uey/ in ‘chop suey’ | kwiduy | watermelon |
Glottal Initial vs. Vowel Initial Words
Piipaash has both glottal initial and vowel initial words. While they may look similar orthographically, they have very distinct pronunciations. Glottal stops are not written in English but they are present in words that begin with a vowel. These words start with a closed glottis (throat) before you begin pronouncing the vowel. Vowel initial words without a glottal stop in front will sound similar to English words beginning with the letter h. In other words, air is flowing freely through the glottis (throat). If the vowel is preceded by a glottal stop, that means no air is passing through the closed throat, therefore, no English /h/ sound.
iiwaa (heewaa) – his/her/its heart
’iiwaa (eewaa) – my heart
The example above also illustrates how the presence or absence of a glottal stop also contributes to a difference in meaning in Piipaash.
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