iw ere ▁suffered ▁a ▁steady ▁decl ine ▁after ▁extended ▁European - American ▁contact ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁the ▁language ▁had ▁almost ▁totally ▁ceased ▁to ▁be ▁spoken . ▁ ▁Names ▁The ▁Iowa ▁tribe ▁refers ▁to ▁their ▁language ▁as ▁B á x o je ▁ich ' é ▁or ▁Bah ▁K ho ▁Je ▁( pr on ounced ▁). ▁The ▁O to e - Miss ou ria ▁dialect ▁is ▁called ▁J í w ere ▁ich ' é ▁( pr on ounced ▁). ▁The ▁sp elling ▁Ch iw ere , ▁used ▁mostly ▁by ▁lingu ists , ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁language ▁has ▁an ▁asp iration ▁distinction ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁voice ▁distinction ▁( see ▁the ▁ph on ology ▁section ▁below ), ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁un asp ir ated ▁stops ▁ ▁are ▁vari ably ▁vo iced ▁ ▁or ▁un vo iced ▁. ▁Although ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁valid ▁pron unci ation ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁sound ▁of ▁J iw ere ▁~ ▁Ch iw ere , ▁it ▁may ▁mis le ad ▁English ▁speak ers ▁into ▁pron oun cing ▁it ▁. ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁a ▁common ▁folk ▁et ym ology ▁of ▁B á x o je ▁is ▁" d ust y ▁nos es ," ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁misunder standing ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁sy ll able ▁b á ▁as ▁p á , ▁or ▁" n ose ." ▁However , ▁the ▁Iowa ▁Tri be ▁of ▁Oklahoma ▁says ▁Bah - K ho - Je ▁means ▁" gre y ▁snow ," ▁due ▁to