Havasupai language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Havasupai is a dialect of the Upland Yuman, language spoken by less than 450 people on the Havasupai Indian Reservation at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It is the only Native American language in the United States of America spoken by 100% of its indigenous population.

The Havasupai dialect is nearly identical to the dialect of the Hualapai, although the two groups are socially and politically distinct (Kendall 1983:5). It is a little more distantly related to the Yavapai dialects. Grammatical descriptions, vocabularies, and texts documenting Havasupai have been published (Mithun 1999:578).

[edit] See also

• Havasu 'Baaja, the people generally called Havasupai by English-speakers

[edit] References

• 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.
• Mithun, Marianne. 1999. The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge University Press.

[edit] Further reading

• "A dictionary of the Havasupai language". Hinton, Leanne. Supai, Arizona 1984.
• "Gwe gnaavja". Havasu Baaja / Havasupai Tribe, Bilingual Education Program. Supai, Arizona 1985.
• "Havsuw gwaawj tñudg siitja". Havasupai Bilingual Education Program. Supai, Arizona 1970s(?).
• "Baahj muhm hatm hwag gyu". Hinton, Leanne et al., prepared by the Havasupai Bilingual Education Program. Supai, Arizona 1978.
• "Tim: Tñuda Hobaja". Hinton, Leanne et al., prepared by the Havasupai Bilingual Education Program (authors credited as "Viya Tñudv Leanne Hinton-j, Rena Crook-m, Edith Putesoy-m hmug-g yoovjgwi. Clark Jack-j"). Supai, Arizona 1978-1984.