olar ship ▁and ▁resources ▁ ▁P ione ering ▁anth rop ologist ▁and ▁lingu ist ▁James ▁O wen ▁Dor sey ▁collected ▁ 6 0 4 ▁K ans a ▁words ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁also ▁made ▁about ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁entries ▁in ▁a ▁K ans a - English ▁dictionary ▁which ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁published . ▁Dor sey ▁also ▁collected ▁ 2 4 ▁myth s , ▁historical ▁accounts , ▁and ▁personal ▁letters ▁from ▁nine ▁K ans a ▁speak ers . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁lingu ist ▁Robert ▁L . ▁Rank in ▁met ▁K ek ah bah , ▁Ralph ▁Pe pper ▁( d . ▁ 1 9 8 2 ), ▁and ▁Ma ud ▁McC au ley ▁R owe ▁( d . ▁ 1 9 7 8 ), ▁the ▁last ▁surv iving ▁native ▁speak ers ▁of ▁K ans a . ▁ ▁Rank in ▁made ▁extensive ▁record ings ▁of ▁all ▁three , ▁especially ▁R owe , ▁and ▁his ▁work ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁ 3 1 ▁years ▁documented ▁the ▁language ▁and ▁helped ▁the ▁K aw ▁Nation ▁to ▁develop ▁language ▁learning ▁materials . ▁ ▁Ph on ology ▁ ▁K ans a ▁has ▁ 2 9 ▁con son ants ▁and ▁ 8 ▁v ow els . ▁ ▁Nas al ▁v ow els ▁are ▁in ▁parentheses . ▁/ a / ▁and ▁/ o / ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁pron ounced ▁as ▁/ ə / ▁and ▁/ u /. ▁ ▁Gram mar ▁K ans a ▁does ▁not ▁use ▁t enses ▁or ▁a