Kawaiisu language

language
name=Kawaiisu
nativename=IPA|Nɨwɨʔabigidɨ, Nɨwɨʔabigipɨ
pronunciation=IPA| [nɨwɨʔabiɣidɨ] , [nɨwɨʔabiɣipɨ]
familycolor=American
states=United States
region=California
speakers=8 to 10
fam1=Uto-Aztecan
fam2=Numic
fam3=Southern Numic
iso3=xaw

The Kawaiisu language [Maurice L. Zigmond, Curtis G. Booth, & Pamela Munro. 1991. "Kawaiisu, A Grammar and Dictionary with Texts". Ed. Pamela Munro. University of California Publications in Linguistics Volume 119. Berkeley, California: University of California Press.] is an Uto-Aztecan language spoken by the Kawaiisu people of California.

Classification

Kawaiisu is a member of the Southern Numic division of the Uto-Aztecan language family.

Linguistic Environment

The Kawaiisu homeland was bordered by speakers of non-Numic Uto-Aztecan languages: the Kitanemuk to the south spoke Takic, the Tubatulabal to the north spoke Tubatulabal, the Yokuts to the west were non-Uto-Aztecan. Because they shared the Southern Numic language, the Chemehuevi to the east are considered the closest relatives to Kawaiisu.

Geographic distribution

The remaining Kawaiisu speakers live in the Tehachapi area of California. The language is severely endangered, with perhaps fewer than 20 remaining speakers. [Leanne Hinton. 1994. "Flutes of Fire: Essays on California Indian Languages". Heyday Books.]

ounds

Vowels

Kawaiisu has a typical Numic vowel inventory of six vowels.

Consonants

Kawaiisu has an atypical Numic consonant inventory in that many of the predictable consonant alternations in other Numic languages are no longer predictable in Kawaiisu. The Kawaiisu consonant inventory, therefore is much larger than the typical Numic language.

IPA|l and IPA|ŋ are only found in loanwords.

References

External links

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