Quechan language

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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 [1]. 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 [2].

[edit] References

  • Hinton, Leanne. 1994. Flutes of Fire: Essays on California Indian Languages. Heyday Books, Berkeley, California.
  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Mithun, Marianne. 1999. The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge University Press.
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