Quechan language

language
name=Quechan / Yuma
nativename=Kwtsaan
familycolor=American
states=USA
region=California, Arizona
speakers=150 (1994)
iso3=yum
fam1=Hokan
fam2=Esselen-Yuman
fam3=Yuman
fam4=River Yuman

Quechan, also known as Yuma (and not to be confused with the unrelated Quechua language), is the native language of the Quechan people of southeastern California and southwestern Arizona.

In 1980, it was estimated that there were fewer than 700 speakers of the language, including both the elderly and young [Kendall, Martha B. 1983. "Yuman languages". In "Southwest", edited by Alfonso Ortiz, pp. 4-12. Handbook of North American Indians, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, Vol. 10. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.] . Hinton (1994:32) put a conservative estimate of the number of speakers at 150, and a liberal estimate at 400-500.

Quechan belongs to the River Yuman branch of the Yuman-Cochimí linguistic family, together with Mohave and Maricopa. Publications have documented Quechan grammar and texts [Mithun, Marianne. 1999. "The Languages of Native North America". Cambridge University Press.] .

Assistance is available for speakers of the language who wish to vote in elections in Imperial County, California and Yuma County, Arizona, under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act.

References

* Hinton, Leanne. 1994. "Flutes of Fire: Essays on California Indian Languages". Heyday Books, Berkeley, California.
* [http://www.rosettaproject.org/archive/yum/view?searchterm=quechan Rosetta Project entry for Quechan]
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=yum Ethnologue entry for Quechan]