Everything about Kawaiisu Language totally explained
|pronunciation=[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 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.
Sounds
Vowels
Kawaiisu has a typical
Numic vowel inventory of six vowels.
| |
front |
back
unrounded |
back
rounded |
| High | i |
ɨ |
u
|
| Non-High | e |
a |
o
|
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.
l and ŋ are only found in loanwords.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Kawaiisu Language'.
|
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