Sahaptian languages
| Sahaptian | |
|---|---|
| Sħaptian | |
| Geographic distribution | Pacific Northwest |
| Linguistic classification | Penutian?
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Glottolog | saha1239 |
Sahaptian (also Sahaptianic, Sahaptin, Shahaptian) is a two-language branch of the
Plateau Penutian family spoken by Native American peoples in the Columbia Plateau region of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in the northwestern United States
.
The terms Sahaptian (the family) and Sahaptin (the language) have often been confused and used interchangeably in the literature.
Family division
Sahaptian includes two languages:
Nez Perce has two principal dialects, Upper and Lower. Sahaptin has somewhat greater internal diversity, with its main dialects being
Yakama
.
Noel Rude's (2012) classification of Sahaptian is as follows.[1]
- Proto-Sahaptian
- Nez Perce
- Sahaptin
- Columbia River dialect
- Northern dialect
- Northwest dialect
- Northeast dialect
Proto-language
| Proto-Sahaptian | |
|---|---|
| Reconstruction of | Sahaptian languages |
Work on Proto-Sahaptian reconstruction has been undertaken by Noel Rude (2006,[2] 2012[1]).
Proto-Sahaptian consonants:[1]: 306
Bilabial Alveolar Post-
alveolarVelar Uvular Glottal plain lateral central plain labialized plain labialized Affricatep t ƛ c č k kʷ q qʷ ʔ Ejective p̓ t̓ ƛ̓ c̓ č k̓ k̓ʷ q̓ q̓ʷ Fricativeł s š x xʷ x̣ x̣ʷ h Sonorant plain m n l y w glottalized m̓ n̓ l̓ y̓ w̓
Proto-Sahaptian vowels:[1]: 293
front central back high i ɨ u mid o low æ ɑ
Bibliography
- Aoki, Haruo (1963). On Sahaptian-Klamath Linguistic Affiliations. International Journal of American Linguistics 29, no. 2: 107–112.
- Aoki, Haruo (1966). Nez Percé vowel harmony and proto-Sahaptian vowels. Language, 42, 759-767.
- Aoki, Haruo (1970). Nez Percé grammar. University of California publications in linguistics (Vol. 62). Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-09259-7.
- Mithun, Marianne (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
- Rigsby, Bruce (1965). Continuity and change in Sahaptian vowel systems. International Journal of American Linguistics, 31, 306-311.
- Rigsby, Bruce; & Silverstein, Michael (1969). Nez Percé vowels and proto-Sahaptian vowel harmony. Language, 45, 45-59.
- Rude, Noel. (2012). Reconstructing Proto-Sahaptian Sounds. University of British Columbia Working Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 32, pp. 292–324. Papers for the Forty-seventh International Conference on Salish and Neighbouring Languages, Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, August 3–5, 2012, edited by Joel Dunham, John Lyon & Natalie Weber.
References
- ^ a b c d Rude, Noel. 2012. Reconstructing Proto-Sahaptian Sounds. In Papers for the 47th International Conference on Salish and neighbouring languages, 292-324. Working Papers in Linguistics (UBCWPL). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
- ^ Rude, Noel. 2006. Proto-Sahaptian vocalism. In Papers for the 41st International Conference on Salish and neighbouring languages, 264-277. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.