Jemez language

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Jemez
Towa
Native to United States
Region New Mexico
Native speakers
 1,790  (2007)[1]
Tanoan
  • Kiowa–Towa?
    • Jemez
Language codes
ISO 639-3 tow
Towa language distribution in the State of New Mexico

Jemez (also Towa) is a Tanoan language spoken by the Jemez Pueblo people in New Mexico. It has no written form, as tribal rules do not allow it.[2]

Demographics

Its speakers are mainly farmers and craftsmen. The language is only spoken in Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, but as 90% of the tribal Jemez members do speak it, it is not considered to be extremely endangered. It was also spoken at Pecos Pueblo until the 19th century, when the remaining members of that community moved to Jemez.

Phonology

Superficial Consonants (meaning not all phonetic details are represented)


      Consonants
                        Consonants that are in parenthesis occur only in limited occasion determined by phonological rules. [f] and [r] occur only in loan words.
    Stops
           Ejectives: Bilabial: /pˈ/Alveolar: /tˈ/ Alveopalatal: /(čˈ)/  Palatalized Velar: /kˈˠ/ Velar:/ kˈ/
         Aspirated: Alveolar: /(tʰ)/ Alveopalatal: /(čʰ)/ Palatalized Velar: /kʰˠ/ Velar: /kʰ/
         Voiceless: Bilabial: /p/  Alveolar:/t/ Palatal:/tˠ/ Labiovelar:/kʷ/ Glottal: /ʔ/
    Unaspirated:                                                                                                                                                                    
             Voiced: Bilabial:/b/ Alveolar:/d/ Alveopalatal:/(ǰ)/ Palatalized Velar;/gˠ/ Velar: /g/
     Fricatives
        Voiceless: Bilabial:/ɸ/ Labiodetal:/f/ Alveolar;/s/ Alveopalatal:/š/ Glottal:h
            Voiced; Labiadental:/v/ Alveolar:/z/ Glottal:/ɦ/
        
     Laterals
                        Alveolar:/l/  
                        Alveolar:/(ˈl)/
                        Alveolar:(ɫ)
      Flap          Alveolar:/r/

      Nasals      Bilabial:/m/ Alveolar:/n/
                        Bilabal:/(ˈm)/ Alveolar:/(ˈn)/
      Glides     
                         Palatals:/y/ Labiovelar: /w/        
                         Palatals:/(ˈy)/ Labiovelar:/(ˈw)/

[3]

Bibliography

  • Bell, Alan. (1993). Jemez tones and stress. Colorado Research in Linguistics, 12, 26-34. (Boulder, CO: University of Colorado at Boulder).

References

  1. ↑ Jemez reference at Ethnologue (17th ed., 2013)
  2. ↑ "History of the Jemez Pueblo" on the tribal website www.jemezpueblo.com
  3. ↑ /Yumitani, Yukihiro. A phonology and morphology of Jemez Towa. Diss. University of Kansas, 1998. Ann Arbor: 1998.

References

    External links


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